Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PARIS147
2008-01-29 06:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
FRENCH ANTICIPATE MAJOR PUSHBACK ON NEXT UNSCR ON
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C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000147
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018
TAGS: PREL KNNP UNSC FR IR
SUBJECT: FRENCH ANTICIPATE MAJOR PUSHBACK ON NEXT UNSCR ON
IRAN
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000147
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018
TAGS: PREL KNNP UNSC FR IR
SUBJECT: FRENCH ANTICIPATE MAJOR PUSHBACK ON NEXT UNSCR ON
IRAN
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d).
1. (C) At the end of a late January 25 meeting on Iraq
(septel),we informed French MFA DAS-equivalent for Iran,
Iraq, and the Gulf Franck Gellet that we were mobilizing to
begin talking to non-P-5 members of the UNSC on elements for
a new UNSCR on Iran. Gellet said he appreciated the
information and replied that France had already begun
engaging some UNSC members. He related in particular that
the French embassy in Jakarta's exchange with the Indonesian
government had been very tough, with the Indonesians pushing
back on the draft UNSCR elements. Meeting circumstances did
not permit a fuller exploration of Gellet's message.
However, the essence of his report was that Indonesian
opposition seemed to stem from a measure of Islamic/NAM
solidarity with Iran, a preference to wait for the next IAEA
report, and the conclusions of the last U.S. NIE on Iran's
nuclear program. He predicted that it would be equally tough
to convince South Africa to move ahead with the draft.
2. (C) With respect to Russia, Gellet warned that the
Russians intend to block any progress on a further UNSCR
until IAEA director el-Baradei's next report due in March.
He was not sure if that would happen before or after
projected Iranian parliamentary elections. (Comment: The
need for a new UNSCR to precede elections is something the
French have stressed in previous conversations as vital.
They hope that a new UNSCR would underscore to the Iranian
public that President Ahmadi Nejad's defiance of the
international community was only increasing Iran's isolation.
End comment)
3. (C) Gellet complained as well that France continues to
face a major battle within the EU over the next UNSCR. He
attributed this to the continued insistence by those members
opposed to or chary of additional sanctions to the report's
conclusion that Iran long ago ceased its pursuit of nuclear
weapons. As Gellet observed, this flew in the face of the
clear evidence that Iran has pursued a nuclear enrichment
program mostly suited for weapons development.
4. (U) Minimize for Tripoli considered.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
PEKALA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018
TAGS: PREL KNNP UNSC FR IR
SUBJECT: FRENCH ANTICIPATE MAJOR PUSHBACK ON NEXT UNSCR ON
IRAN
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d).
1. (C) At the end of a late January 25 meeting on Iraq
(septel),we informed French MFA DAS-equivalent for Iran,
Iraq, and the Gulf Franck Gellet that we were mobilizing to
begin talking to non-P-5 members of the UNSC on elements for
a new UNSCR on Iran. Gellet said he appreciated the
information and replied that France had already begun
engaging some UNSC members. He related in particular that
the French embassy in Jakarta's exchange with the Indonesian
government had been very tough, with the Indonesians pushing
back on the draft UNSCR elements. Meeting circumstances did
not permit a fuller exploration of Gellet's message.
However, the essence of his report was that Indonesian
opposition seemed to stem from a measure of Islamic/NAM
solidarity with Iran, a preference to wait for the next IAEA
report, and the conclusions of the last U.S. NIE on Iran's
nuclear program. He predicted that it would be equally tough
to convince South Africa to move ahead with the draft.
2. (C) With respect to Russia, Gellet warned that the
Russians intend to block any progress on a further UNSCR
until IAEA director el-Baradei's next report due in March.
He was not sure if that would happen before or after
projected Iranian parliamentary elections. (Comment: The
need for a new UNSCR to precede elections is something the
French have stressed in previous conversations as vital.
They hope that a new UNSCR would underscore to the Iranian
public that President Ahmadi Nejad's defiance of the
international community was only increasing Iran's isolation.
End comment)
3. (C) Gellet complained as well that France continues to
face a major battle within the EU over the next UNSCR. He
attributed this to the continued insistence by those members
opposed to or chary of additional sanctions to the report's
conclusion that Iran long ago ceased its pursuit of nuclear
weapons. As Gellet observed, this flew in the face of the
clear evidence that Iran has pursued a nuclear enrichment
program mostly suited for weapons development.
4. (U) Minimize for Tripoli considered.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
PEKALA