NIE ON IRAN: NICARAGUA SUPPORTS PEACEFUL USE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 002541 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, INR/AA DEPT ALSO FOR T SOUTHCOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM NU SUBJECT: NIE ON IRAN: NICARAGUA SUPPORTS PEACEFUL USE, QUESTIONS RESTRICTIONS ON MILITARY USE REF: SECSTATE 162558 (NOTAL) Classified By: CDA Richard Sanders, reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) On December 4, we delivered the non-paper and talking points per reftel to Director General for American Affairs, Orlando Gomez; Director General for Asia, Africa and Oceana, David McField, and Acting Director General for International Organizations, Mario Barquero Baltodano at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX). The text was also delivered to Chief of Army Public Relations BG Zepeda who briefed Nicaraguan Army Director of Intelligence Col Rodriguez. ¶2. (C) MINREX DG for America Orlando Gomez thanked us for the notification, expressed appreciation for the detailed findings of the NIE and promised to pass the information along to the President's office. With respect to our request that the Government of Nicaragua (GON) issue a public statement calling for Iran to suspend its ongoing nuclear-related activities and comply with its obligations under UNSC resolutions, Gomez noted that President Ortega had made numerous public statements "supporting Iran's desire to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program," including most recently, at the United Nations General Assembly in September. NOTE: We note that Ortega's UNGA address did make several statments supporting "the rights of any nation to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," Ortega also questioned whether the international community's authority to prevent nations from developing nuclear weapons capacity, if they so chose. END NOTE. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: We are fairly certain that the NIE briefing points reached Ortega, because he referred to the NIE findings (and grossly misconstrued them) in a speech on December 5. SANDERS