IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION: IRAN, SYRIA, BURMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000584 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA 3 CLASSIFICATION) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018 TAGS: KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY AORC IR SY BM SUBJECT: IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION: IRAN, SYRIA, BURMA REF: A. UNVIE VIENNA 000569 ¶B. UNVIE VIENNA 000540 ¶C. STATE 097067 ¶D. PAPPAS-NEPHEW-VON BEHREN EMAILS Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On October 28, the IAEA officially released the documentation for the 2009-2011 Technical Cooperation cycle in advance of the November Technical Assistance Cooperation Committee (TACC) and Board of Governors meetings. All documentation released on the IAEA's GOVATOM restricted distribution website has been transmitted via email for USG review (ref D). While the projects proposed for Iran and Syria were anticipated based on Mission's earlier discussions with Secretariat officials as reported in ref B, Mission had hoped the Secretariat would channel away from active consideration at the TACC a Syrian proposal for "Conducting a Technical and Economic Feasibility Study and Site Selection for a Nuclear Power Plant" (ref A). Mission had strongly urged the Secretariat against pursuing this project. Given the extreme unlikelihood at this point of successfully killing the project, Mission recommends we protest with the EU and others the inclusion of this item in the TC cycle list, including in our National Statements at TACC and at the subsequent (November 27-28) IAEA Board meeting. End Summary. -------------- SYRIA -------------- ¶2. (C) Syria requested nine Technical Cooperation projects for the 2009-2011 TC cycle, which Mission preliminarily assesses to be of little or no direct nonproliferation concern (i.e., they will not transfer sensitive items or know-how). Syrian project proposals are as follows: -- Conducting a Technical and Economic Feasibility Study and Site Selection for a Nuclear Power Plant -- Enhancing the Analytical Capabilities of the Ion Beam Accelerator -- Developing Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals -- Establishing a Specialized Dosimetry Laboratory for Medium and High Dose Measurements -- Establishing Quality Control Methods and Procedures for the Electron Beam Irradiation Facility at the Syrian Atomic Energy Commission -- Enhancing the Analytical Capabilities of the Ion Beam Accelerator (Footnote A) -- Improving the Management of Soil and Water in the in the Coastal Basin of Tartous Province, Using Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques (Footnote A) -- Promoting the Sterile Insect Technique as Part of Area Wide Management of Codling Moth (Footnote A) -- Upgrading the Early Warning Environmental Radiation Monitoring System (Footnote A) ¶3. (C) The new project for feasibility and "site selection" for a nuclear power plant is highly inappropriate in light of the ongoing IAEA safeguards investigation in Syria. The inclusion of "site selection" would also seem to pre-judge the outcome of any feasibility study. Finally, we have heard from Secretariat contacts that the project contains a procurement component that includes "instrumentation," presumably for a prospective reactor. Mission believes it would be highly inappropriate for the Agency to assist Syria in procuring any equipment for a reactor when Syria is under suspicion of efforts to build such a facility without submitting it to IAEA inspection, as Syria is required. ¶4. (C) Mission has lobbied Secretariat interlocutors strongly, but ultimately unsuccessfully, against the inclusion of this project in the proposed TC cycle. In a recent conversation with Graham Andrew, Special Assistant to the Director General, DCM learned that DG ElBaradei personally made the decision to ignore suggestions from France, Australia and the U.S. that a nuclear power feasibility TC project would be inappropriate for Syria. Andrew underlined that for the DG this is a matter of "due process," and since Syria has not been found "guilty" by the Board or Secretariat, he believes it would be inappropriate at this stage to pull back any TC project otherwise considered legitimate by the Secretariat. EXPO Director Vilmos Czerveny claimed further that the overall amount of funding for Syria this time is less than previous cycles. We are seeking to confirm this assertion. ¶5. (C) Comment: Given the DG's posture and the strong support he would receive from the G-77/NAM, this project will be exceedingly difficult to block, and is generally regarded in the Secretariat and among member states as technically within the range of TC projects available to Syria in the absence of a relevant Board resolution to restrict such activities. Mission recalls the difficulty during the 2006 TC cycle with regard to killing an Arak heavy-water-related project in Iran, a country that had already been the subject of Board resolutions calling on Iran to set aside heavy water-related projects. In light of these considerations, Mission recommends joining consensus on the new TC cycle, while we and other like-minded states make clear in our national statements at the TACC meeting and subsequent Board meeting that we think Agency resources could be far better spent than on reactor feasibility studies in States who have attempted to build covert reactors. Attempting to block the project now would verylikely deplete our chances of achieving a subsequent resolution in support of the IAEA safeguards investigation in Syria at the Board meeting immediately following the TACC. Mission assumes maximizing the chances for such a Board resolution is our top Syria-related priority for the November meetings. End comment. -------------- IRAN -------------- ¶6. (C) Iran requested six Technical Cooperation projects for the 2009-2011 TC cycle, which Mission assess to be of little direct nonproliferation concern. Iranian project proposals are as follows: -- Supporting the Development of Radiopharmaceuticals for Diagnosis and Therapy of Cancer and the Manufacture of Radioactive Sources for Brachytherapy (New Project) -- Supporting the Application of Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals in the Nuclear Medicine Centers and the Development of QA/Qc and QMS in Therapeutic Radiopharmaceutical Applications (New Project) -- Strengthening Owner's Capabilities for Commissioning and Start-up of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (Ongoing Project) --Upgrading NPPD's Safety and Engineering Infrastructure for Planning and Construction of Two NPP Units with Pressurized Light Water Reactors (PWR) in Bushehr (New Project) --Regulatory Infrastructure for Licensing and Control of Nuclear and Radiation Facilities in Iran (Ongoing Project) -- Strengthening Owner's Capabilities for Construction, Commissioning and Licensing Activities of Low and Intermediate Level Waste Disposal Facility (New Project) ¶7. (C) Proposed TC projects for Iran match closely with Mission's previous understanding based on conversations with Secretariat officials, and appear to be in conformity with UNSCRs 137, 1747, and 1803 (ref B). Mission assesses these proposals are within the guidelines of Iran's obligations and relevant UNSCR restrictions, and would not be easily blocked in the Board or TACC. ¶8. (C) As it has done since the imposition of UNSC sanctions, the Agency released the TC project proposals with an Iran-specific matrix entitled "Evaluation of Technical Cooperation to be provided to Iran during TC Cycle 2009-2011." The matrix provides the Secretariat's judgment on Iranian eligibility for participation in both national and regional projects on a ""yes," "no," or "case-by-case" basis based on conformity with the requirements of UNSCRs 1737, 1747, and 1803. The Secretariat determined that Iran is eligible to receive all six of the national projects listed above, noting that they are aimed entirely for medical or safety purposes, or directly related to safety of light water reactors. The Secretariat also determined that Iran is eligible to participate in twenty-five of the thirty-seven regional and interregional projects of the Asia and Pacific TC division. The Secretariat however determined that Iran is not/not eligible to participate in eight specific regional projects, and may only participate in four others on a case-by-case basis if it specifically requests to do so (and will only be permitted to participate in those case-by-case project activities that conform to UNSCR requirements). ¶9. (C) Comment: Mission recommends our statement at the TACC call on the Secretariat to maintain a rigorous review of implementation of all/all IAEA interactions with Iran. Mission also notes that the TC projects matrix does not include technical assistance provided to Iran outside of the TC program. The Agency has previously relayed general information on the number of assistance requests it has rejected or accepted to the 1737 Sanctions Committee. The U.S. statement in the TACC and November Board should also urge full transparency on the part of the Secretariat with regard to all forms of technical assistance provided Iran. End comment. -------------- BURMA -------------- ¶10. (C) Burma requested seven Technical Cooperation projects for the 2009-2011 TC cycle, which Mission assess to be of little direct nonproliferation concern. Mission will continue to closely monitor IAEA interaction with Burma to ensure appropriate implementation. Burma project proposals are as follows: -- Development of Rice Varieties with Improved Iron Content/Bioavailability through Nuclear Techniques (Ongoing Project) -- Improvement of Quality Assurance in Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer (Ongoing Project) -- Studying Yield Improvement of Local Rice Varieties through Induced Mutation (New Project) -- Enhancing the Lifetime Health and Performance of Offspring and Improving the Profitability of Livestock Production Systems (New Project) -- Enhancing the Capacity of the Nuclear Instrument Laboratory at the Department of Atomic Energy (New Project) -- Developing Thermo-Insensitive (Cold-Tolerant) Green Gram Genotypes, Using Mutation Techniques (New Project) -- Assessing Risk Factors Associated with Obesity in Women -- Supporting an Feasibility Study for the Establishment of an Irradiation Facility for Gemstone Treatment (New Project) SCHULTE