(S) GERMANY TAKES ACTION ON SEIZURE OF IRANIAN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 001264 SIPDIS ISN/CPI FOR THOMAS ZARZECKI AND EDNA SIDLER EUR FOR NANCY MCELDOWNEY, STUART JONES, AND PAMELA QUANRUD NSC FOR JEFF HOVENIER TREASURY FOR STUART LEVEY AND DANIEL GLASER EUR/CE FOR ALEXANDER KARAGIANNIS, CHRIS HODGES AND PETER SCHROEDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2034 TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC IR UK MT LY EG GM SUBJECT: (S) GERMANY TAKES ACTION ON SEIZURE OF IRANIAN MUNITIONS DESTINED FOR SYRIA REF: A. STATE 104749 ¶B. BERLIN 1261 ¶C. ZARZECKI-PETERSON E-MAIL OF 10/03/09 BERLIN 00001264 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: EMIN ROBERT POLLARD for reasons 1.4 (a),(b),(c) and (d). ¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE SEE PARA 6. ¶2. (S//NF) SUMMARY: The German government is moving aggressively to help thwart delivery of UNSCR-sanctioned Iranian origin munitions to Syria that are currently aboard the German-flagged vessel M/V HANSA INDIA. Following a German demarche to Egypt, the munitions were prevented from being off-loaded in Damietta, Egypt and are on their way to Malta with an expected arrival at 2130 (local) today. German MFA Director General Ruediger von Fritsch told EMIN that Germany is instructing their mission in Valletta to join AmEmbassy Valletta in a joint demarche to the Maltese government to seize and detain the containers and to report this UNSCR 1747 violation to the UN 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee. Von Fritsch said MFA State Secretary Reinhard Silberberg had already received the REF A non-paper, and would brief Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the matter later in the day. Thus far, German cooperation has been exemplary and our interlocutors are placing heavy emphasis on coordinating their actions with the USG. The Germans are asking Washington about how we expect Malta to dispose of the illegal cargo. END SUMMARY GERMANY EAGER TO COOPERATE - ASKS FOR NEXT STEPS -------------- --- ¶3. (S//NF) EconOff delivered ref A demarche to German MFA Desk Officer, Mr. Ulrich Meier-Tesch, on October 8 at 0955 local time. Meier-Tesch said his ministry is deeply engaged with the M/V HANSA INDIA case and that Foreign Minister Steinmeier is involved in the decision making process. The demarche delivery was just in time for a 1000 high level MFA meeting on this case that included State Secretary Silberberg and Director General von Fritsch. At 1020, von Fritsch called EMIN responding to the demarche and indicated that Germany had agreed to deliver a joint demarche in Malta at the Ambassadorial level. Von Fritsch explained that since the M/V HANSA INDIA ship master and owner, while fully cooperative so far, do not/not have the authority to unload the containers in question in Malta, the Maltese authorities would need to direct them to do so. Von Fritsch requested a USG response as soon as possible regarding how Malta should dispose of the containers in question once they are unloaded. ¶4. (S//NF) In a separate phone call, Meier-Tesch told EconOff that Germany is under the impression from the REF A non-paper, that Malta would file any UNSCR violation with the UN Security Council's Iran Sanctions Committee and Germany was to encourage them to do so. Meier-Tesch said his ministry's UN office would have the final say as to how to handle this matter, but that nothing would be decided until tomorrow when the containers are inspected and the suspected UNSCR violation can be verified. BACKGROUND -------------- BERLIN 00001264 002.2 OF 002 ¶5. (S//NF) Mission Berlin received its first notice to demarche Germany on October 3, 0430 local time in order to acquire permission to board and inspect cargo on the German-flagged M/V HANSA INDIA, which was transporting 7.62mm small arms brass casings and bars from Iran to Latakia, Syria (via transshipment from Egypt) in violation of UNSCR 1747. Germany decided to allow the ship to enter port in Damietta, Egypt and to demarche Cairo to ensure the eight specified containers remained on the ship until its next port call in Malta. On October 7, Mission Berlin received notice that the M/V HANSA INDIA was on course to Malta and expected to arrive at port at 2130 local time. ¶6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests Department guidance on the German information request in paragraph 3 concerning the disposition of the illicit cargo. Murphy