DEMARCHE RESPONSE: IRAN ARMS DEAL CANCELED

S E C R E T GABORONE 000836

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

FOR ISN/CATR, AF/RSA, AF/S (MUNCY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016
TAGS: BC ETRD ETTC IR PARM PREL
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: IRAN ARMS DEAL CANCELED

REF: A. GABORONE 786

B. STATE 96298

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES L. AROIAN, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
.


1. (S) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for Europe and
North America, Sesara George, informed the Embassy on 22 June
of the cancellation of Botswana's small arms ammunition
purchase from Iran (refs). Earlier in the week he had
telephoned to tell us that the MFA had confirmed the
existence of the order and was exploring options for
cancellation.


2. (S) On the evening of 16 June, the Embassy had also
informally conveyed the demarche information to presidential
spokesman and confidant Jeffrey Ramsay, who expressed
surprise and vowed to look into the matter. He said he fully
understood the possible ramifications of going ahead with the
deal, and theorized the whole thing had been put together far
enough below senior levels to have escaped serious scrutiny.
He, too, telephoned earlier this week to assure us the
government was working on a full response to the demarche.


3. (S) Sesara George was clearly pleased to convey news that
the order has been canceled, but he did not offer details on
how the order had come to be placed or how the decision to
cancel it had been taken. He did mention, though, that the
provenance of the ammunition had not been immediately
apparent from the purchase contract, which he said was with a
British corporation. He was not able to recall the name of
the company.
AROIAN