JAPANESE AGAIN RAISE LEVINSON CASE WITH IRANIAN

S E C R E T TOKYO 005609 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/IR STANDAERT AND CA/OCS FOO FBI FOR LAIRD (WFO) NSC FOR HARDING E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2017 TAGS: CASC PREL PTER PARM IR IZ JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE AGAIN RAISE LEVINSON CASE WITH IRANIAN AMBASSADOR REF: A. STATE 166406 ¶B. TOKYO 5568 ¶C. STANDAERT-READE EMAIL 12/15/07 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ) ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: MOFA Director General for Middle Eastern and African Affairs Norihiro Okuda lunched December 19 with Iranian Ambassador to Tokyo Moshen Talaeli and urged him again to help resolve the case of missing American Citizen Robert Levinson. Other topics discussed included Iran's nuclear program and Iraq. END SUMMARY. -------------- LEVINSON CASE -------------- ¶2. (S) MOFA Director General for Middle Eastern and African Affairs Norihiro Okuda lunched December 19 with Iranian Ambassador to Tokyo Moshen Talaeli and again raised with him the Levinson case. According to MOFA Second Middle East Division Principal Deputy Director Motosada Matano, Okuda had initially, at our request per ref A, raised this case with Talaeli on December 14, who in turn requested additional information (ref B). Embassy Tokyo Political Officer subsequently passed to MOFA an NEA-cleared non-paper to share with Ambassador Talaeli (ref C). During the subsequent luncheon, Okuda passed the paper to Talaeli and told him it would be best if the Iranians could "find" Levinson and return him to his family. At a minimum, Okuda advised, Tehran should share with the family and the United States any information it has developed concerning his disappearance. According to Matano, Talaeli promised Okuda he would relay Japan's request to Tehran and would report back with any reply. -------------- NUCLEAR ISSUE -------------- ¶3. (C) On the ongoing deadlock over Iran's nuclear program, Matano reported that Okuda told Talaeli the recent NIE has not changed Japan's view: Iran must cease its uranium enrichment program as required by the international community acting through the UN Security Council. Talaeli replied to Okuda that Iran stands ready to speak directly about its nuclear programs with the United States, and said that former nuclear negotiator Larijani is working behind the scenes to establish direct talks between the P5 1 and Iran. He said Iran is prepared to solve this issue through dialogue, and if this dialogue results in an agreement to cease uranium production, Iran would abide by it. Talaeli raised as an example the case of North Korea, stating that it had been allowed to enter into negotiations before it ceased enrichment activities, and had subsequently agreed to dismantle its program. "Why," he asked, "should Iran be discriminated against and treated any differently?" -------------- IRAQ -------------- ¶4. (C) On Iraq, Talaeli told Okuda that trilateral talks between Iraq, Iran, and the U.S. should resume within a week. He said it was "good news" that the British were departing from Basra and the south as it was better for Iran to have the United States "in control" in all of Iraq then to have the British there, too. SCHIEFFER