AUSTRIAN EXPORT OF SNIPER RIFLES TO IRAN --

S E C R E T VIENNA 000037

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NP/ECNP - PARSON AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2015
TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL PINR IR AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN EXPORT OF SNIPER RIFLES TO IRAN --
AMBASSADOR HIGHLIGHTS RETRANSFER CONCERNS

REF: A. (A) ZARZECKI-PHILLIPS E-MAIL 1/5/05

B. (B) 04 STATE 272249

C. (C) 04 VIENNA 4393

D. (D) 04 STATE 263141

E. (E) 04 VIENNA 4354

Classified By: AMBASSADOR W.L. LYONS BROWN. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (S) Summary: The Ambassador raised the transfer of
Steyr-Mannlicher sniper rifles to Iran with Foreign Minstry
Secretary General (Deputy Secretary equivalent) Johannes

SIPDIS
Kyrle on January 7. Kyrle stressed that the Foreign Ministry
had verified the end-user as an Iranian government entity,
and had required a written end-use certificate. The
Ambassador outlined information about the other Iranian
military equipment which has ended up in Iraq. The
Ambassador asked for a halt to further shipments; for Austria
to enforce the end-use certification; and for Austria to
provide us with the serial numbers of the weapons shipped.
Kyrle undertook to consult with the Foreign Minister and with
Interior Ministry officials. End summary.


2. (S) The Ambassador stressed our concerns that these
weapons would end up in the hands of insuragents in Iraq,
putting our forces, and those of coalition countries, at
great risk. The Ambassador said we found the purpose the
Iranians had given for the purchase -- counter narcotics and
border control -- to be questionable, and the number of
weapons -- 2,400 -- to seem excessive for any law enforcement
purposes.


3. (S) Kyrle said the Foreign Ministry had been diligent in
checking the Iranian request. The Austrian Embassy in
Tehran, he said, had verified that the end-user was an
Iranian government entity, he said. Iran was extremely
concerned about drug flows across its border with
Afghanistan, and both the EU and the U.S. were engaged in
counter-narcotics programs on the Afghan side of the border.
Kyrle stressed that Austria had demanded precise, written
end-use certifications from the Iranians, and the Iranians
had provided the necessary documents.


4. (S) Drawing on the information provided ref (a),the
Ambassador outlined evidence that insurgents in Iraq had
recently obtained Iranian-origin military equipment. Kyrle
acknowledged that this constituted "proof that weapons in
Iraq had come from Iran," whether from government sources,
the black market, or any other mechanism.


5. (S) The Ambassador asked Kyrle for three things: first,
to stop any further shipments of these weapons to Iran;
second, to follow up Iran's end-use certification (since, as
the Ambassador said, the fact that the Iranians had signed a
piece of paper did not guarantee anything); and third, to
provide us with the serial numbers of the shipped weapons, so
we can know immediately where they came from if we found any
in Iraq.


6. (S) Kyrle asked if the United States were making similar
presentations elsewhere in Europe. After all, he said, other
arms manufacturers had commercial relations with Iran. The
Ambassador said that we were pursuing the same general
policy, but the reason we were engaged in this matter in
Austria was because there was an ongoing sale involving
military weapons from Austria. Kyrle noted that many arms
manufacturers had licensing agreements with countries
elswhere in the world, making it difficult to enforce strict
controls. (Note: we understand that Steyr-Mannlicher has
such a licensing agreement with Malaysia. End note.) The
Ambassador said these were also of concern, and we would
respond similarly to transfers such as the current Austrian
one.


7. (SBU) Kyrle undertook to convey the Ambassador's points
to Foreign Minister Plassnik (who was departing shortly for
an EU meeting on the Asian tsunami),as well as to the
relevant officials in the Interior Ministry. The Ambassador
told Kyrle that he would raise this issue in his introductory
meeting with new Interior Minister Liese Prokop.
Brown