Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PARIS1581
2007-04-19 08:58:00
SECRET
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
CHIRAC SENDS ENVOY TO TEHRAN, BUT ENVOY HAS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHFR #1581 1090858 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 190858Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6617 INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0502 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0983 RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0293 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1212
S E C R E T PARIS 001581
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/18/2017
TAGS: FR LY SY IR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CHIRAC SENDS ENVOY TO TEHRAN, BUT ENVOY HAS
NOTHING TO OFFER
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T PARIS 001581
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/18/2017
TAGS: FR LY SY IR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CHIRAC SENDS ENVOY TO TEHRAN, BUT ENVOY HAS
NOTHING TO OFFER
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) Several months after his plans to send a secret envoy
to Tehran were frustrated by a press leak, President Chirac
quietly dispatched Jean Felix-Pagagnon (NEA A/S-equivalent)
and Damien Loras (FM Douste-Blazy's cabinet advisor for the
Middle East) to Iran on April 17 for a two-day visit.
Dominique Boche, Chirac's Middle East advisor, assured PolM/C
on April 18 that Felix-Pagagnon would not enter into any
significant discussion of Iran's nuclear program, and would
instead focus on regional issues. His message: If Iran
aspires to a more prominent regional role, then it needs to
assuage its neighbors' fears and demonstrate that it can be a
force for stability in places like Lebanon, Iraq and the West
Bank/Gaza. Boche added that France had to make some sort of
gesture to Tehran after the Iranians recently released two
French citizens (Stephane Lherbier and Stephane Dudoignon),
whose detention had put a crimp in Franco-Iranian relations.
2. (S) Herve Besancenot, MFA DAS-equivalent for the Levant,
said Felix-Pagagnon expected little to come of the visit.
"They're sending me on a mission, but I'm not sure what I'm
supposed to do" Felix-Pagagnon reportedly laughed as he
headed off to the airport. While he would try to persuade
the Iranians that neither they nor Hizballah (as opposed to
the Syrians) had anything to fear from a Special Tribunal on
Lebanon, he recognized that the Iranians would not make any
concessions on the Tribunal out of the goodness of their
hearts. "The Iranians never give away something for
nothing," Besancenot said, noting that Felix-Pagagnon had no
leverage because he could not address the one subject the
Iranians care about (i.e., the nuclear file). Consequently,
he shared Felix-Pagagnon's low expectations. "It's always
nice to talk to the Iranians just for the sake of talking,
but our Embassy (in Tehran) can do that just as well as we
can," Besancenot summarized.
3. (S) Comment: Chirac's decision to send an envoy to Tehran
in the final days of his presidency should probably be
seen/viewed in the context of his intense personal effort to
see the Special Tribunal established. The Egyptian Embassy
here surmised (and reported to Cairo) that Felix-Pagagnon was
sent to deliver a warning that France would hold Iran
responsible for any attack against UNIFIL. Our own sense is
that the French would view such a warning as
counterproductive, and that Felix-Pagagnon will likely return
empty-handed for the reasons outlined above.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
WHITE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/18/2017
TAGS: FR LY SY IR PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: CHIRAC SENDS ENVOY TO TEHRAN, BUT ENVOY HAS
NOTHING TO OFFER
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) Several months after his plans to send a secret envoy
to Tehran were frustrated by a press leak, President Chirac
quietly dispatched Jean Felix-Pagagnon (NEA A/S-equivalent)
and Damien Loras (FM Douste-Blazy's cabinet advisor for the
Middle East) to Iran on April 17 for a two-day visit.
Dominique Boche, Chirac's Middle East advisor, assured PolM/C
on April 18 that Felix-Pagagnon would not enter into any
significant discussion of Iran's nuclear program, and would
instead focus on regional issues. His message: If Iran
aspires to a more prominent regional role, then it needs to
assuage its neighbors' fears and demonstrate that it can be a
force for stability in places like Lebanon, Iraq and the West
Bank/Gaza. Boche added that France had to make some sort of
gesture to Tehran after the Iranians recently released two
French citizens (Stephane Lherbier and Stephane Dudoignon),
whose detention had put a crimp in Franco-Iranian relations.
2. (S) Herve Besancenot, MFA DAS-equivalent for the Levant,
said Felix-Pagagnon expected little to come of the visit.
"They're sending me on a mission, but I'm not sure what I'm
supposed to do" Felix-Pagagnon reportedly laughed as he
headed off to the airport. While he would try to persuade
the Iranians that neither they nor Hizballah (as opposed to
the Syrians) had anything to fear from a Special Tribunal on
Lebanon, he recognized that the Iranians would not make any
concessions on the Tribunal out of the goodness of their
hearts. "The Iranians never give away something for
nothing," Besancenot said, noting that Felix-Pagagnon had no
leverage because he could not address the one subject the
Iranians care about (i.e., the nuclear file). Consequently,
he shared Felix-Pagagnon's low expectations. "It's always
nice to talk to the Iranians just for the sake of talking,
but our Embassy (in Tehran) can do that just as well as we
can," Besancenot summarized.
3. (S) Comment: Chirac's decision to send an envoy to Tehran
in the final days of his presidency should probably be
seen/viewed in the context of his intense personal effort to
see the Special Tribunal established. The Egyptian Embassy
here surmised (and reported to Cairo) that Felix-Pagagnon was
sent to deliver a warning that France would hold Iran
responsible for any attack against UNIFIL. Our own sense is
that the French would view such a warning as
counterproductive, and that Felix-Pagagnon will likely return
empty-handed for the reasons outlined above.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
WHITE