DEMARCHE ON SNIPER RIFLES DELIVERED

S E C R E T VIENNA 001373 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL MASS ETTC FGM AU IR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON SNIPER RIFLES DELIVERED REF: STATE 96555 Classified By: /Pol Counselor Dean Yap. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to Helmut Krehlik, head of the Export/Import Control division at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Krehlik replied that he heard of the concerns weeks earlier through intel channels but viewed it as -- impossible that Austrian authorities would have approved such a sale -- difficult in practice to detect a transit shipment, for instance in a sealed container, if Austria was only a transit country for a sale approved in another EU country. ¶2. (S) In Econoff's presence, Krehlik conducted a license database search for Unique Alpine and other sniper rifles. Apart from small shipments to Russia over the past year (less than 10 units total),the Ministry received in March 2008 a request to export 200 sniper rifles -- both Steyr Mannlicher and Unique Alpine manufactures -- to Lebanon (enduser: "Sport and Hunting" dealer). Both the MFA and Econ Ministry were opposed to the sale and conveyed this to the exporter in May ¶2008. Beyond the UN/EU arms embargo for non-government entities in Lebanon, Krehlik opined that Lebanon, Syria, the UAE and others are potential fronts for Iran. The Econ Ministry will coordinate with the Ministry of Interior (which has jurisdiction over automatic and high-caliber weapons) and convey any additional findings to us. ¶3. (S) Krehlik asked for additional information about any potential shipment and encouraged the USG to work the matter in detail with the German government, which would presumably issue any license in this case. ¶4. (U) Post will follow-up and report any further substantive developments. GIRARD-DICARLO GIRARD-DICARLO