IRAN BRIEFING: MOROCCO OPPOSED TO IRAN'S NUCLEAR

S E C R E T RABAT 002149 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, ISN, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016 TAGS: PARM PINR KNNP IR MO SUBJECT: IRAN BRIEFING: MOROCCO OPPOSED TO IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS QUEST REF: A. (A) STATE 184153 ¶B. (B) STATE 182904 ¶C. (C) STATE 188260 ¶D. (D) RABAT 2103 Classified By: Classified by Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(S) SUMMARY: Ambassador reviewed Iran's quest for nuclear weapons capabilities and international efforts to counter it with MFA Secretary General Hilale on November 16, and COS shared parallel sensitive briefing. Hilale was engaged and appreciative of the briefing. He said Morocco shared our concerns about Iran. He pledged that Morocco would support keeping Iran from nuclear weapons, and cooperate on this at the IAEA. While countries had a right to nuclear technology, this right was limited by their non-proliferation obligations. A nuclear-armed Iran would be a disaster for the region, and specifically for Morocco. It would trigger an arms race that would accelerate what he described as Algeria's similar, though nascent, pursuit of a military nuclear program. END SUMMARY. 2.(S) Ambassador, accompanied by COS and PolCouns called on MFA Secretary-General Omar Hilale November 16. Hilale was accompanied by MFA International multilateral and security organization Chief Azzedine Farhane. With the Minister and Minister-delegate away, Hilale was the top MFA official in Morocco. 3.(S) Ambassador opened by thanking Hilale for his instrumental role in the first meeting of the Initial Partners of the Global Initiative Against Nuclear Terrorism. Hilale reiterated Morocco's commitment to the Initiative, as shown by its hosting. In fact, he had received a protest from the Iranian ambassador of the exclusion of Iranian television from the opening session. He had obliged them by giving an interview to Iranian television in which he stressed, as he had in the press conference, that the Initiative would not be directed against any country, but against terrorism. ¶4. (S) Ambassador then briefed on U.S. concerns about Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons capabilities and the diplomatic response of the international community, using the points in Paras. 4-6 ref. (A). He then introduced the COS, who provided the referenced sensitive briefing. We also provided a non-paper with the points in Para. 5 along with an info copy of the supplemental information contained in ref. (B). 
¶5. (S) Hilale thanked the U.S. for providing this information. He said that Morocco supported the right of any party to the NPT to peaceful use of nuclear energy as laid out in Article 4 of the NPT. That article also contains obligations, however. Moreover, the right to nuclear energy should not/not be given precedence over the obligation of nonproliferation, or becoming a new nuclear weapons state. Authors of this article were very wise, he continued, insisting that nonproliferation safeguards must be preserved. Morocco believes that under the article, states-parties have direct obligations to the IAEA. ¶6. (S) Hilale said Iran's quest was not only about a country's rights, but also about international and regional security. He indicated that Morocco was utterly opposed to Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapons capability. Referring to the Wider Middle East, he said no one can accept that this region would have another nuclear power. In an apparent reference to Iranian remarks about Israel, Hilale said that at the IAEA, Morocco would maintain that the right of existence of all countries must be accepted by any state before it could claim a right to nuclear power. He hoped the international community would succeed in convincing Iran to desist by negotiation or "by all means," open to the international community and justified by international law. ¶7. (S) Ambassador drew Hilale's attention to a piece recently in the local press by a French expert, who said that a nuclear armed Iran would in practice be more of a threat to its Arab neighbors than to the U.S. or Israel. Hilale concurred, saying that Iranian nuclear weapons capability would prompt its Arab neighbors to seek one as well. This would have a direct negative impact on Morocco's security, said Hilale, citing his country's long-standing concerns about the lack of transparency and military links of the nuclear research program of Morocco's neighbor and rival, Algeria. If Iran succeeds, within ten years other Middle Eastern counties will have a bomb and the Algerians will follow soon after, he said. ¶8. (S) Hilale, familiar with arms control issues from his days as Moroccan Ambassador in Geneva, was closely engaged in the briefing, asking for clarification of some of the technical details. He also asked whether Iran had acquired much of the technology for its program internationally. PolCouns responded that Iran had for many years sought technology both overtly and covertly, its efforts ranging across Europe and Asia. It had admitted to the IAEA about its commerce with the A.Q. Khan network of Pakistan, although the full details were among many unanswered questions about its program. Questions continued to arise, as indicated by the recent publicly reported discovery by IAEA inspectors of unexplained plutonium particles. ¶9. (S) Hilale pledged Morocco would be stalwart at IAEA. Farhane noted that Morocco was aware of Iran's current quest for reactor technical assistance from the IAEA and viewed it with great skepticism (Note: Ref. C had not yet been received). The Moroccan mission in Vienna would be ready to consult with the US Mission there on this and other matters. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley