Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS1010
2006-02-16 18:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
MFA OFFERS ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON IRANIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO9969 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHFR #1010 0471801 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 161801Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4338 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001010
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/20/2016
TAGS: PREL IR KISL FR
SUBJECT: MFA OFFERS ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON IRANIAN
MANIPULATION OF CARTOON ISSUE, GOF RESPONSE
REF: A. PARIS 915
B. PARIS 754
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001010
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/20/2016
TAGS: PREL IR KISL FR
SUBJECT: MFA OFFERS ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON IRANIAN
MANIPULATION OF CARTOON ISSUE, GOF RESPONSE
REF: A. PARIS 915
B. PARIS 754
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) During a February 15 discussion with poloff, MFA
DAS-equivalent for Iran/Iraq/Arabian Gulf Affairs Antoine
Sivan offered additional details on Iranian government
manipulation of the Mohammed cartoon controversy, which he
said led to a violent protest last week which targeted the
French embassy in Tehran (ref A). Sivan concluded that the
60 or so protesters in Tehran who threw rocks and molotov
cocktails at the French embassy February 10 were clearly
regime elements. Up to that date, he said, the French embassy
in Tehran had found, from "man-on-the-street" discussions and
observations of the earlier "Ashoura" processions, that the
Iranian public remained calm in the wake of the cartoon
controversy.
2. (C) Sivan added that the security protection provided by
the Iranian government to the French embassy was woefully
inadequate, in violation of Iran's Vienna Convention
obligations to protect diplomatic missions. As a result, the
GoF wanted to send a forceful message to the GoI. Director
of FM Douste Blazy's Cabinet, Pierre Vimont, convoked the
Iranian charge d'affaires in Paris to the MFA and reminded
Iran of its Vienna Convention obligations, warned that such
an episode could not be repeated, called on Iran to pay for
the damages to the French embassy, and concluded that the
caricature issue was a false pretext for the violent attack
on the French embassy. Vimont also warned the charge over
Iranian media manipulation of the issue, noting that Iranian
TV footage of the crowd attacking the French mission had been
rebroadcast in France, causing widespread public indignation.
3. (C) Sivan reported that the Iranian charge took the
message on board and appeared to grasp the seriousness of the
issue, though the GoI has yet to take financial
responsibility for the damages. He added that, despite the
strong message delivered to the Iranian charge, the GoF could
not rule out further incidents targeting its mission in
Tehran, given Iranian government interest in manipulating the
issue.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Stapleton
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/20/2016
TAGS: PREL IR KISL FR
SUBJECT: MFA OFFERS ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON IRANIAN
MANIPULATION OF CARTOON ISSUE, GOF RESPONSE
REF: A. PARIS 915
B. PARIS 754
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) During a February 15 discussion with poloff, MFA
DAS-equivalent for Iran/Iraq/Arabian Gulf Affairs Antoine
Sivan offered additional details on Iranian government
manipulation of the Mohammed cartoon controversy, which he
said led to a violent protest last week which targeted the
French embassy in Tehran (ref A). Sivan concluded that the
60 or so protesters in Tehran who threw rocks and molotov
cocktails at the French embassy February 10 were clearly
regime elements. Up to that date, he said, the French embassy
in Tehran had found, from "man-on-the-street" discussions and
observations of the earlier "Ashoura" processions, that the
Iranian public remained calm in the wake of the cartoon
controversy.
2. (C) Sivan added that the security protection provided by
the Iranian government to the French embassy was woefully
inadequate, in violation of Iran's Vienna Convention
obligations to protect diplomatic missions. As a result, the
GoF wanted to send a forceful message to the GoI. Director
of FM Douste Blazy's Cabinet, Pierre Vimont, convoked the
Iranian charge d'affaires in Paris to the MFA and reminded
Iran of its Vienna Convention obligations, warned that such
an episode could not be repeated, called on Iran to pay for
the damages to the French embassy, and concluded that the
caricature issue was a false pretext for the violent attack
on the French embassy. Vimont also warned the charge over
Iranian media manipulation of the issue, noting that Iranian
TV footage of the crowd attacking the French mission had been
rebroadcast in France, causing widespread public indignation.
3. (C) Sivan reported that the Iranian charge took the
message on board and appeared to grasp the seriousness of the
issue, though the GoI has yet to take financial
responsibility for the damages. He added that, despite the
strong message delivered to the Iranian charge, the GoF could
not rule out further incidents targeting its mission in
Tehran, given Iranian government interest in manipulating the
issue.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Stapleton