Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08DAMASCUS452
2008-06-25 14:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:
SARG REMAINS SILENT ON IAEA VISIT
how-toVZCZCXRO2909 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHDM #0452 1771445 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 251445Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5115 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5594 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0007 RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0432
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000452
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/GAVITO
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR JORDAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018
TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL SY
SUBJECT: SARG REMAINS SILENT ON IAEA VISIT
REF: DAMASCUS 445
Classified By: CDA Michael Corbin, American Embassy Damascus, Reasons 1
.4 b and d.
(C) Embassy efforts to get a readout on the June 22-25 IAEA
visit have garnered little information despite outreach to
military attach, media, diplomatic, and other sources. As
previewed by reftel, press contacts confirmed again today
that the Syrian government has effectively suppressed press
coverage, and more than a few diplomatic colleagues at other
embassies claim their Syrian sources, like our own, have
remained purposefully silent. As of COB local June 25,
official Syrian news agency SANA has not reported on the IAEA
delegation's visit to Syria. Even al-Hayat,s usually well
connected Bureau Chief Ibrahim Hamidi drew silent responses
from &sources who usually deliver.8 Two June 24 foreign
press articles (one from the Christian Science Monitor and
the other from AFP) quoted a "diplomat" who confirmed the
IAEA team had visited the al-Kabir site in Dayr Az-Zour. We
have seen no other information indicating how cooperative
Syrian officials were, whether there were any procedural or
substantive disagreements concerning the IAEA team's access,
and what (if any) agreement the IAEA reached with Syria on
follow-up steps.
CORBIN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/GAVITO
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR JORDAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018
TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL SY
SUBJECT: SARG REMAINS SILENT ON IAEA VISIT
REF: DAMASCUS 445
Classified By: CDA Michael Corbin, American Embassy Damascus, Reasons 1
.4 b and d.
(C) Embassy efforts to get a readout on the June 22-25 IAEA
visit have garnered little information despite outreach to
military attach, media, diplomatic, and other sources. As
previewed by reftel, press contacts confirmed again today
that the Syrian government has effectively suppressed press
coverage, and more than a few diplomatic colleagues at other
embassies claim their Syrian sources, like our own, have
remained purposefully silent. As of COB local June 25,
official Syrian news agency SANA has not reported on the IAEA
delegation's visit to Syria. Even al-Hayat,s usually well
connected Bureau Chief Ibrahim Hamidi drew silent responses
from &sources who usually deliver.8 Two June 24 foreign
press articles (one from the Christian Science Monitor and
the other from AFP) quoted a "diplomat" who confirmed the
IAEA team had visited the al-Kabir site in Dayr Az-Zour. We
have seen no other information indicating how cooperative
Syrian officials were, whether there were any procedural or
substantive disagreements concerning the IAEA team's access,
and what (if any) agreement the IAEA reached with Syria on
follow-up steps.
CORBIN