THE GAMBIA: TIDBITS ON IRANIAN TIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000019 SIPDIS SIPDIS DAKAR PLS PASS ODC, DAO, AND RAO E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS GA IR SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: TIDBITS ON IRANIAN TIES REF: A. BANJUL 764 ¶B. BANJUL 744 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) IRANIAN PRESIDENT TRANSITS BANJUL -------------- ¶1. (U) The local media reported Iranian President Ahmadinejad's 90-minute stopover in Banjul January 13 en route to Venezuela, followed by another, equally brief stopover here January 16 en route back to Tehran. On both occasions, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh met with Ahmadinejad at Banjul's airport. The media accounts contained virtually no mention of matters discussed by the two leaders; one journal reported that they discussed "the excellent relations" between the two countries and resolved to expand them. The stopovers followed Ahmadinejad's attendance at the GOTG-hosted African Union Summit in July 2006 and Jammeh's December 3-5, 2006 visit to Tehran (reftels). TELLTALE SIGNS OF A GROWING RELATIONSHIP -------------- ¶2. (C) Apart from the two leaders' recent contacts, there is little public sign here of the growing Iranian/Gambian relationship. However, in conversation with Ambassador, the head of a Turkish military training mission here, Lt Col Veli Turan, did corroborate the rumored presence in The Gambia of Iranian military trainers, although he claimed to have no further details on the Iranian training program. A reliable source told us that he had seen a GOI Boeing 707 aircraft at Banjul's airport the evening of January 13 and that he had observed the aircraft still parked on the tarmac on returning to the airport two days later. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) GOTG officials have so far declined to discuss the emerging relationship with Iran, but we will continue our approaches to them and other sources in an effort to get a clearer sense of both sides' priorities. As previously reported (ref b),Jammeh's heretofore strong public opposition to Islamic radicalism and staunch backing of the Global War on Terrorism are potential constraints on the development of ties. END COMMENT STAFFORD