Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05VIENNA2932
2005-09-01 12:23:00
SECRET
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

SNIPER RIFLES TO IRAN

Tags:  ETTC PARM PREL AU IR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T VIENNA 002932 

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PRA, NP/ECNP AND INR/SPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2015

TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL AU IR
SUBJECT: SNIPER RIFLES TO IRAN

REF: A) STATE 154383 B) VIENNA 1942 C) VIENNA 406 D)

VIENNA 331 E) VIENNA 165 F) STATE 9770 G)

VIENNA 37 H) 04 STATE 272249 I) 04 VIENNA

4393 J) 04 STATE 263141 K) 04 VIENNA 4354

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips

for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

S E C R E T VIENNA 002932

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PRA, NP/ECNP AND INR/SPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2015

TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL AU IR
SUBJECT: SNIPER RIFLES TO IRAN

REF: A) STATE 154383 B) VIENNA 1942 C) VIENNA 406 D)

VIENNA 331 E) VIENNA 165 F) STATE 9770 G)

VIENNA 37 H) 04 STATE 272249 I) 04 VIENNA

4393 J) 04 STATE 263141 K) 04 VIENNA 4354

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips

for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (S/NF) On August 30, EconPolCouns and Econ Unit Chief

delivered ref A nonpaper to Helmut Krehlik, Head of the

Ministry of Economy's Export and Import Control Division, and

to Dorothea Auer, Head of the Foreign Ministry's

Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Division. Auer and

Krehlik thanked the USG for the points and for the

information contained in a June DIA paper (S-37,

424-05/MEA-5). Krehlik said the DIA information was

particularly useful because it documented that Iran had a

proven track record of delivering weapons to terrorist

organizations.


2. (S/NF) Krehlik explained that the GoA, in the course of

probable legal action initiated by Steyr-Manlicher (ref B),

could exclude classified material, both content and source.

The GoA would simply need to demonstrate how it reached

certain conclusions without divulging specifics. However,

Krehlik said that various GoA legal experts had told him that

if Steyr-Manlicher appealed to the Supreme Court, the Court

could order the GoA to release the complete dossier to the

plaintiff. Krehlik opined that the Court would not force the

government to divulge classified documents to the plaintiff,

but he admitted that this would be a risk. Krehlik noted

that the most conclusive evidence of Iranian weapons entering

Iraq was in the non-releasable ref B talking points and DIA

paper. In a possible Supreme Court challenge,

Steyr-Manlicher would inevitably request the source of ref B

releasable points.


3. (S/NF) Krehlik said Steyr-Manlicher would probably

prevail in a legal challenge to the GoA's refusal to issue a

license to export AUG-3 rifles to Iran. However, Krehlik

maintained that the court proceedings would most likely last

two years. In Krehlik's view, much could change in Iran and

within Steyr-Manlicher in a two-year period. For instance,

Krehlik said he has heard rumors that Steyr-Manlicher

President Wolfgang Fuerlinger ultimately wanted to sell off

and/or off-shore most of the company's assets, maintaining

only production of hunting rifles in Austria. Given these

uncertainties, Krehlik said he has argued within the GoA to

"drag out" any legal action pertaining to the sale of the

AUG-3s.

Brown