U.S.-INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION INITIATIVE;

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000945

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2016
TAGS: PREL ENRG KSCA IN PARM KNNP ETTC IR AE
SUBJECT: U.S.-INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION INITIATIVE;
IRAN PLAYING FOR TIME

REF: A. STATE 34761


B. ABU DHABI 910

C. ABU DHABI 257

Classified By: DCM Martin Quinn, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In March 11 meeting with MFA Asst U/S Tariq Al
Haidan, DCM delivered reftel A points which were taken on
board. Discussion of President Bush's recent visit to India
segued into the more urgent issue of Iranian nuclear
ambitions.


2. (C) Al Haidan, a former UAE ambassador to Tehran, stated
his conviction that Iran has two reasons for wanting to
acquire nuclear weapons: (1) to preserve and safeguard its
Islamic Revolution, and (2) to control or dominate the Gulf
region. Although he had been away from the country during
recent visit to UAE of Iranian Deputy FM Mostafawi, Al Haidan
said the Iranians have the impression that they have already
made considerable progress on the path toward acquiring
nuclear weaponry and are content to play for time while
accelerating their research efforts in the hope of achieving
an early breakthrough. At the same time, he said, the only
thing that would make Iran reverse its course and accede to
international community's requests would be the realization
that they had come to a scientific/technological roadblock
and would not be able to achieve their goal in a timely
enough fashion.


3. (C) Asked whether how persuasive the UAE could be, as a
Gulf neighbor, in changing Iran's mind on the nuclear issue,
he looked perplexed and said the UAE just has not been able
to get through on this point which Tehran sees as a matter of
its vital interest.
SISON