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.

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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