SHIELD S01-08: GOI REQUIRES FURTHER INFORMATION ON

S E C R E T NEW DELHI 000878 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/CB ANDREW SOUZA, ISN AND SCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR IN SUBJECT: SHIELD S01-08: GOI REQUIRES FURTHER INFORMATION ON LINKAGES TO IRAN REF: SECSTATE 28273 Classified By: A/PolCouns Atul Keshap for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (U) This is an action request for ISN and SCA. Please see para 3. ¶2. (S) PolOffs delivered reftel points March 19 to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Disarmament and International Security (DISA) Division Directors Amandeep Singh Gill and Jayant Khobragade. Gill responded that the Government of India's export control laws do not prevent the export of sodium cyanide to a Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) state. PolOff pointed out that, if India were to harmonize with the Australia Group (AG),the GOI would be required to prevent such exports. Gill asked that the USG provide any specific details that links the shipment to Iran,s military.Without more information, the case "would be very difficult to process," he said, adding that the issue was multilateral as it involved the CWC. Gill opined that as a CWC signatory, there was "nothing to suggest Iran has a chemical weapons program." Khobragade asked if the USG would be willing to provide details to the GOI on Iran's production and use of chemical weapons. ¶3. (S) Post requests that the Department respond positively to the DISA Division,s request for a briefing regarding Iran,s chemical weapons program as part of a broader briefing on Iran,s WMD programs. Such a presentation would help promote the nonproliferation partnership, as well as inform newly arrived MEA officers in other divisions, including Additional Security for International Organizations Vivek Katju, who replaced K.C. Singh in December 2007. MULFORD