Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE40087
2008-04-16 19:29:00
SECRET
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

(S) PROVIDING THE FRG CLARIFICATION ON ROLES OF

Tags:  PARM PREL ETTC MTCRE KSCA GM IR 
pdf how-to read a cable
P R 161929Z APR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY
INFO MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME COLLECTIVE
S E C R E T STATE 040087 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2033
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MTCRE KSCA GM IR

SUBJECT: (S) PROVIDING THE FRG CLARIFICATION ON ROLES OF
ENTITIES INVOLVED IN TEST CHAMBER PROCUREMENT CASE

REF: A. 05 STATE 201650

B. 05 BERLIN 3726

C. 05 STATE 211408

D. 05 BERLIN 3954

E. 06 STATE 36325

F. 06 BERLIN 674

G. 06 STATE 62278

H. 06 BERLIN 1123

I. 06 STATE 70328

J. 06 BERLIN 1229

K. 06 BERLIN 1550

L. MTCR POC 201/2006 - MAY 16 2006

M. 07 STATE 75839

N. 07 BERLIN 1137

O. 07 STATE 108420

P. 07 BERLIN 2163

Q. 07 STATE 166482

R. 07 BERLIN 2216

S. STATE 15220

T. BERLIN 195

Classified By: ISN/MTR ACTING DIRECTOR RALPH PALMIERO
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D).

S E C R E T STATE 040087

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2033
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MTCRE KSCA GM IR

SUBJECT: (S) PROVIDING THE FRG CLARIFICATION ON ROLES OF
ENTITIES INVOLVED IN TEST CHAMBER PROCUREMENT CASE

REF: A. 05 STATE 201650

B. 05 BERLIN 3726

C. 05 STATE 211408

D. 05 BERLIN 3954

E. 06 STATE 36325

F. 06 BERLIN 674

G. 06 STATE 62278

H. 06 BERLIN 1123

I. 06 STATE 70328

J. 06 BERLIN 1229

K. 06 BERLIN 1550

L. MTCR POC 201/2006 - MAY 16 2006

M. 07 STATE 75839

N. 07 BERLIN 1137

O. 07 STATE 108420

P. 07 BERLIN 2163

Q. 07 STATE 166482

R. 07 BERLIN 2216

S. STATE 15220

T. BERLIN 195

Classified By: ISN/MTR ACTING DIRECTOR RALPH PALMIERO
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see
paragraph 4.


2. (S) Background: Since November 2005, we have
worked with German authorities to prevent Iran's solid
propellant missile developer - the Shahid Bakeri
Industrial Group (SBIG) - from procuring environmental
test chambers from the German firm ICS Schneider
Messtechnik (Schneider) (Refs). On February 15, post
delivered Ref S demarche (reporting plans by Schneider
and Iranian procurement firm Rakin to route a test
chamber through the UAE and to falsely list an entity
in Tajikistan as the end-user) to German MFA Export
Control Division Desk Officer Wiebke Wacker. Wacker
indicated that there was confusion within the German
interagency export control working group as to the
identity of the actual Iranian end-user of the
equipment Schneider is conspiring to transfer (Ref T).
She noted that the U.S. has referenced a number of
Iranian entities as being involved in the procurement
process in this case, including Rakin Ltd, Aban
Commercial and Industrial Group, Saba Machinery
Supplying Company, Pooya Commercial and Engineering,
and SBIG, and asked if the U.S. could provide
clarification on this point.


3. (S) Objectives: We want to advise German officials
that while SBIG is the governmental entity with primary
responsibility for Iran's solid-propellant ballistic
missile program, it employs various front companies

(alternative names) in order to disguise its identity
as the ultimate/actual end-user. Aban, Saba, and Pooya
are some of the front companies that SBIG has used in
its attempts to procure the test chamber from
Schneider. We also want to advise our FRG
interlocutors that Rakin Ltd. has been acting as an
intermediary in this case. Unlike Aban, Saba, and
Pooya, it is not directly affiliated with SBIG,
although it has played a key role in the network that
has been working to procure the test chamber for SBIG.


4. (S) Action Request: Department requests Embassy
Berlin approach appropriate host government officials
to deliver the talking points in Paragraph 5 and report
response. Talking points may also be left as a non-
paper.


5. (S) Begin talking points/non-paper:

(SECRET//REL GERMANY)

-- Since November 2005, we have been discussing with
you efforts by Iran's Rakin Ltd. to procure
environmental and temperature shock chambers from the
German firm ICS Schneider Messtechnik on behalf of
Iran's missile program.

-- In a February 15 meeting, we advised you that ICS
Schneider and the Iranian procurement firm Rakin Ltd.
had made plans to route a test chamber intended for
Iran's missile program through the UAE and to falsely
list Tajikistan as the equipment's final destination.

-- During this meeting, you indicated that there was
confusion within the German interagency working group
as to which Iranian entity was the actual end-user of
the equipment Schneider was conspiring to transfer.

-- You noted that we had referred to a number of
Iranian entities as being involved in the procurement
process in this case, including Rakin Ltd., Saba
Machinery Supply Company, Pooya Commercial and
Engineering, and the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group
(SBIG),and asked if we could provide clarification on
this point.

-- We now want to provide the following information:

-- We understand that the intended end-user of the
environmental shock chamber is the Shahid Bakeri
Industrial Group (SBIG). SBIG is the governmental
entity with overall responsibility for the development
of Iran's solid-propellant ballistic missiles.

-- However, SBIG - which has been sanctioned under
United Nations Security Resolution 1737 and is well-
known as a developer of ballistic missiles - employs
front companies (alternate names) in order to disguise
its identity as the actual end-user from potential
suppliers and governmental officials in those
suppliers' countries.

-- Among the front companies or alternate names used by
SBIG are the following entities we have mentioned in
our discussions with you:

-- Aban Commercial and Industrial Group
-- Saba Machinery Supplying Co.
-- Pooya Commercial and Engineering

-- Rakin Ltd. is an entity that acts as an intermediary
between the supplying firm (ICS Schneider) and the end-
user (SBIG). While not directly affiliated with SBIG,
Rakin plays a key role in the network that has been
working to procure the test chamber for SBIG.

-- We hope that this information is useful to you, and
are grateful for your continued cooperation on this
case.

-- We look forward to hearing of any actions your
government takes in response to this information.

End talking points/non-paper.


6. (U) Please contact ISN/MTR's John Paul Herrmann
with any questions or follow-up related to this case
(202-647-1430 - herrmannjp2@state.gov or
herrmannjp@state.sgov.gov) and slug reporting on this
issue for ISN/MTR, EUR/AGS and EUR/PRA.


7. (U) A word version of this document will be posted
at www.state.sgov.gov/demarche.
RICE


NNNN




End Cable Text