Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRETORIA3298
2007-09-18 11:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:  

RESPONSE RECEIVED TO IRAN DEMARCHES

Tags:  PARM MNUC PREL KNNP AORC IAEA UNSC IR SF 
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VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSA #3298 2611104
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181104Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1812
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0226
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0454
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 003298 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P, AF, ISN/RA, IO/T, AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2017
TAGS: PARM MNUC PREL KNNP AORC IAEA UNSC IR SF
SUBJECT: RESPONSE RECEIVED TO IRAN DEMARCHES

REF: A. UNVIE 0531


B. PRETORIA 3264

C. KAY/MARBURG EMAIL OF 09-14-2007

D. PRETORIA 3265

E. SECSTATE 124747

F. SECSTATE 123352

G. SECSTATE 125430

H. PRETORIA 3279

Classified By: Chief of Mission Eric M. Bost. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 003298

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P, AF, ISN/RA, IO/T, AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2017
TAGS: PARM MNUC PREL KNNP AORC IAEA UNSC IR SF
SUBJECT: RESPONSE RECEIVED TO IRAN DEMARCHES

REF: A. UNVIE 0531


B. PRETORIA 3264

C. KAY/MARBURG EMAIL OF 09-14-2007

D. PRETORIA 3265

E. SECSTATE 124747

F. SECSTATE 123352

G. SECSTATE 125430

H. PRETORIA 3279

Classified By: Chief of Mission Eric M. Bost. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Congratulations to all involved in the successful
senior-level interventions which resulted in positive
movement of the South African position on Iran (Ref A).
Closing the loop on Mission's efforts (Ref B),Deputy Foreign
Minister Aziz Pahad faxed the following brief written reply
to the Ambassador on 14 September responding to Ref E-F
demarche points and non-paper.

Begin Text:

Dear Ambassador,

I regret that we were unable to talk on the phone yesterday.

I am sending you a copy of Mr. Minty's speech made at the
IAEA Board of Governor's (sic) meeting (12/09/07) and an
abstract from Mr. Baradei's speech.

I believe that this will help give an understanding of SA's
positions re Iran's nuclear issue.

Kind regards,

/s/

AZIZ PAHAD

End text.


2. (SBU) Attached to this one-page note was the full text of
South African IAEA Governor Abdul Minty's Board of Governors
statement, delivered on 12 September under the Iran agenda
item, as well as the portion of IAEA Director General
ElBaradei's opening remarks which dealt with the Iran
question. (NOTE: Full text of Pahad's response was scanned
and emailed to AF/S on 14 September, Ref C.) Nothing in the
response addressed the Burma points, also passed to Pahad's
office in advance of the requested telephone conversation
(Refs D and G).


3. (C) COMMENT: Pahad's strict adherance to the written
party line on Iran is in stark contrast to the free-flowing
discussions in which he engages on other sensitive policy
matters (Ref H). This reflects the degree of policy
authority senior SAG decisionmakers have ceded to DDG Minty
on this issue. Even if Pahad and other senior officials are
beginning to doubt Iranian sincerity, they have little
interest in displacing Minty as the SAG's principal
interlocutor -- he is the undisputed policy expert and a
respected and trusted figure from the anti-apartheid
struggle. We will have to continue to cultivate and convince
Minty if we wish to see further positive movement from South
Africa. END COMMENT.



Bost