FOLLOW-UP ON IRAN'S UPCOMING NUCLEAR CONFERENCE

UNCLAS STATE 122464 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IR KNNP MNUC PARM TRGY SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP ON IRAN'S UPCOMING NUCLEAR CONFERENCE ON 30 NOVEMBER 2008 REF: A. STATE 112229 ¶B. OTTAWA 1453 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6. ¶2. (SBU) OBJECTIVES: In coordination with French counterparts in country, Posts should reinforce the message that countries should not attend the 30 November 2008 &First International Conference on Nuclear Power Plants, Environmental and Sustainable Development8 hosted by Iran, particularly in light of Iran,s continued defiance of its international obligations regarding its nuclear program (REF A). ¶3. (SBU) BACKGROUND: Following our initial effort to encourage countries not to participate in Iran,s upcoming nuclear conference (REF A),the United States is also encouraging partners to deliver similar demarches to reinforce the U.S. effort. (Note: For further background on the Iranian nuclear conference, see REF A.) As a result of these discussions, France has agreed to approach Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Islamabad, New Delhi, and Riyadh to remind those governments of the risks involved in participating in this conference. In addition, Canada has expressed its support for the overall demarche effort, though has recently declined to conduct demarches in tandem with our own (see REF I). These demarches can be handled directly or jointly as part of a trilateral process as Posts deem appropriate. ¶4. (SBU) BACKGROUND CONTINUED: Per ref A, Iran is expected to host a major international conference on nuclear energy, the environment and sustainable development from 30 November to 1 December 2008. According to the conference website, www.nppesd.org, the purpose will be to reassess the environmental, safety, and health aspects of nuclear power plants in line with sustainable development. This event will be the result of a collaborative effort between the Islamic Azad University, the Center of Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS) and the Nuclear Power Production and Development Company of Iran. ¶5. (SBU) BACKGROUND CONTINUED: Given Iran,s proclivity to use such events as a display of widespread endorsement of its nuclear program and demonstrate its defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, Washington believes international participation at this conference should be discouraged. Moreover, participation would likely undermine the P5 1 updated incentives package by providing Iran with an opportunity to have normal international interactions on nuclear technology absent compliance with its nuclear obligations. Such interactions also present a latent proliferation risk due to the level of expertise that could be present at the conference. For example, one of the sessions on the agenda pertains to Advances in Nuclear Power Technology and Development., -------------- - ACTION REQUEST FOR ABU DHABI, ALGIERS, AMMAN, BANGKOK, CAIRO, ISLAMABAD, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, NEW DELHI, AND RIYADH: -------------- - ¶6. (SBU) (ABU DHABI, ALGIERS, AMMAN, BANGKOK, CAIRO, ISLAMABAD, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, NEW DELHI, AND RIYADH) In close coordination with their French counterparts in country, posts in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, New Delhi, and Riyadh are requested to inform host governments about this conference and to urge interlocutors to prevent participation by their representatives. Posts in Algiers, Amman, Cairo, Islamabad, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur should also approach host governments bilaterally to discourage participation. Posts should use the background in paras 3-5 and the nonpaper in para 7 as a reference. -------------- ¶7. BEGIN U.S. NON-PAPER -------------- -- On 30 November 2008, Iran will host &The First International Conference on Nuclear Power Plants, Environmental and Sustainable Development.8 This conference pledges to address the need for nuclear power, nuclear power plants and world energy markets, safety and security in nuclear power plant development, and nuclear waste issues, among others. -- As a general matter, these are laudable goals, all of which the United States fully supports. -- However, given the current status of the Iran nuclear issue, the United States believes that international participation in this conference would give an inappropriate sense of normalcy to Iran's interactions with the international community on nuclear issues. -- Now is not the time for business as usual with Iran. The Iranian government continues to refuse to comply with its UNSC obligations to suspend its proliferation sensitive nuclear activities and cooperate fully and transparently with the IAEA. Iran has also failed to provide a clear, positive response to the P5 1 incentives package. -- The UN Security Council has adopted five resolutions in less than two years to address the ongoing threat posed by Iran,s nuclear program. Iran,s actions ) including its open disregard for the concerns of the international community ) serve only to reinforce the serious nature of this threat. -- This defiance extends to refusing to answer the IAEA,s questions regarding its serious concerns about Iran's past work on a nuclear warhead. In his latest report to the Board of Governors in September 2008, the IAEA Director General noted with concern the possible military dimensions to Iran,s nuclear program. In this report, the IAEA characterized the documentation and other information it had amassed regarding these possible military dimensions as sufficiently comprehensive and detailed, that it must be taken seriously. The report specifically noted that the documentation presented to Iran appears to have been derived from multiple sources over different periods of time, is detailed in content and appears to be generally consistent., -- Iran's failure to be fully open and transparent with the IAEA reinforces the concern that it is attempting to hide the nature of this work in order to preserve a future nuclear weapon's option. -- Participating in a conference hosted by Iran on the advancement of nuclear technology would be perceived by Iran as legitimation of its claim that its nuclear activities are exclusively peaceful. -- The United States believes that participation in this conference would be highly counterproductive and urges states to decline any invitation. -------------- END U.S. NON-PAPER -------------- ¶8. (U) Please slug all replies to ISN and provide substantive responses by 24 November 2008. Risa Mongiello (ISN/RA, 202-736-4730, mongiellorn@state.sgov.gov) and Richard Nephew (ISN/RA, 202-647-7680, nephewrm@state.sgov.gov) will serve as the Department,s POCs. Please include SIPDIS in your response. RICE