SWISS AMBASSADOR TO IRAN COMMENTS ON ASSISTING

S E C R E T BERN 000363

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/OCS (B.MARWAHA),P (R.RANGASWAMY),NEA/IR
(R.SPRING),ISN/RA, EB, AND EUR/CE (Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2024
TAGS: CASC PREL PHUM PGOV KNNP SZ IR
SUBJECT: SWISS AMBASSADOR TO IRAN COMMENTS ON ASSISTING
U.S. CITIZENS AND DEALING WITH POST-ELECTION TEHRAN

REF: STATE 88826

Classified By: Ambassador Donald S. Beyer; reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Leu emphasized that Switzerland,
in its capacity as Protecting Power for the USG in Iran,
continues to press for access and information about U.S.
citizens detained or missing in Iran. Regarding the recent
case of the three U.S. hikers (Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal,
and Sarah Shourd),Leu noted that the Iranian MFA had
provided conflicting information. She underlined that she
nevertheless is pressing for access to the three U.S. citizen
hikers, and expects to meet with Iranian MFA Deputy Minister
for American Affairs, Alireza Salari, next week to pursue the
matter further. Ambassador Beyer commended Leu for her
efforts, and thanked her for SPP's continued engagement on
behalf of U.S. citizens in Iran.


2. (S) Summary continued: Leu said the situation in Tehran
currently is quite confused, as re-elected Iranian president
Ahmadinejad works to form his new administration amidst the
fallout of the post-election demonstrations. She said that
the elections and their aftermath had resulted in political
fissures in Iranian society that were vertical, running from
elites to the street, forming various factions competing for
power. Terming the P5 1 proposal for talks with Iran "very
important," Leu said that the P5 1 process nevertheless could
not serve as a substitute for direct U.S.-Iranian talks,
which she maintained would be essential to successfully
resolving the nuclear problem with Iran. In that context,
she reiterated that the Iranian government had told the Swiss
government that Iran would be interested in re-establishing
direct flights between Iran and the United States. Leu said
that she feared that opportunities could be missed for
solving problems with Iran, due to the fallout from the
Iranian elections. As objectionable as the rhetoric and
policies of Ahmadinejad can be, Leu said that she still
believes that it is possible to deal with him. End Summary.


3. (SBU) Swiss Ambassador to Iran, Livia Leu, met August 31
with Ambassador Beyer in Bern to provide an update on Swiss
efforts to gain access to and information about U.S. citizens
detained or missing in Iran. Leu also used the opportunity
to convey her views regarding dealing with the Iranian
government following the June 12 Iranian national elections
and their aftermath. Leu is in Switzerland for summer leave
and to participate in the annual Swiss Chiefs of Mission
conference. She returns to Iran September 3.

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SWISS PRESSING FOR ACCESS/INFO IN U.S. CITIZEN CASES
-------------- --------------


4. (U) Ambassador Leu emphasized that Switzerland, in its
capacity as Protecting Power for the USG in Iran, continues
to press for access and information about U.S. citizens
detained or missing in Iran. The current cases include the
three U.S. citizens reportedly detained by Iran while hiking
in the vicinity of the Iraq-Iran border, U.S. scholar Kian
Tajbakhsh, and Robert Levinson.


5. (C) Regarding the recent case of the three U.S. hikers
(Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, and Sarah Shourd),Leu noted
that the Iranian MFA had provided conflicting information.
(Note: After Iranian MFA Deputy Minister for European
Affairs, Mehdi Safari, confirmed to Leu on August 11 that
Iran had detained the three U.S. citizens, Iranian MFA
officials subsequently denied the confirmation. End Note)
She attributed this to the fact that the new Ahmedinejad
administration has not yet formed, and that the responsible
ministries therefore are in a period of bureaucratic
uncertainty and confusion. Leu assessed that, until it is
clear who will be in charge of which ministries, and which
senior officials will remain in place, Iranian government
contacts are being very cautious. She underlined that she
nevertheless is pressing for access to the three U.S. citizen
hikers, and expects to meet with Iranian MFA Deputy Minister
for American Affairs, Alireza Salari, next week to pursue the
matter further.


6. (C) Leu commented that the Iraq-Iran border seemed like a

strange place for U.S. citizens to be on a hiking tour. She
added that the apparently Jewish identity of one or more of
the three hikers also probably would prompt increased
suspicion of Iranian security services. More broadly, she
surmised that the Iranians are taking a "tit-for-tat"
approach to the cases, still upset about the 2007 arrest and
detention of Iranian "diplomats" by U.S. forces in Irbil,
Iraq. (Note: The Iranian personnel detained in Irbil were
returned to Iran by Iraqi authorities on July 12, 2009. End
Note)


7. (C) Leu also referred to Iranian complaints about alleged
lack of access to Iranian citizens arrested in the United
States. DCM emphasized that there was no equivalency
whatsoever between the detention of the Iranian personnel in
Irbil and the U.S. hikers, who by all accounts appeared to be
simply adventuresome world travelers, though apparently
underestimating the risk. Consul informed Leu that the USG
last week (while Leu was on leave in Switzerland) had passed
the Swiss Protecting Power (SPP) a message for the Iranian
authorities (reftel),confirming that the USG respects its
obligations to provide consular access to arrested Iranian
citizens in the United States. That message further noted
that the USG is not currently aware of any cases in which
access has been requested and denied, and invited the GoI,
via its Pakistani Protecting Power in Washington, to bring
any problematic cases to the attention of the USG.


8. (C) Regarding Kian Tajbakhsh, Leu remarked that providing
assistance is difficult, because the Iranian government does
not recognize dual-nationality, and views Tajbakhsh strictly
as an Iranian citizen. She emphasized that the SPP
nevertheless continues to press for access and to provide
assistance to Tajbakhsh, just as it always has done in the
cases of U.S.-Iranian dual nationals, such as the case of
Roxana Saberi. Leu remarked that the Iranian government
views U.S. Congressional appropriations for the promotion of
democracy in Iran as aimed at undermining the government, and
is very suspicious of who is getting the funding in Iran and
how the funds are being used. Leu had no updates to provide
in the case of Robert Levinson. DCM underlined that the
SPP's constant pressing of Iranian officials in
detained/missing U.S. citizen cases, even if access is never
granted, reduces the likelihood of mistreatment of the
detained U.S. citizens. Ambassador Beyer commended Leu for
her efforts, and thanked her for SPP's continued engagement
on behalf of U.S. citizens in Iran.

--------------
DEALING WITH POST-ELECTION TEHRAN
--------------


9. (S) Leu said the situation in Tehran currently is quite
confused, as re-elected Iranian president Ahmadinejad works
to form his new administration amidst the fallout of the
post-election demonstrations. She assessed that the Iranian
government was attempting to make some concessions to the
demonstrators with certain measures, such as the closing of a
detention center that had come under public scrutiny and the
nomination of three women to serve as ministers in the next
cabinet.


10. (S) Leu said that the demonstrators had shown
unprecedented courage in their actions in June and July, but
now appeared for the most part to be intimidated by the
Iranian security forces and were lying low. She said that
the elections and their aftermath had resulted in political
fissures in Iranian society that were vertical, running from
elites to the street, forming various factions competing for
power. Leu observed that there also are some generational
factors in play. The older Iranian generation that
experienced Iran's revolution that deposed the Shah generally
has no desire to live through the upheaval of another
revolution, regardless of their political views. At the same
time, the younger Iranian generation remains one of the most
pro-American groups in the Middle East, and remains hopeful
for change.


11. (S) Terming the P5 1 proposal for talks with Iran "very
important," Leu said that the P5 1 process nevertheless could
not serve as a substitute for direct U.S.-Iranian talks,

which she maintained would be essential to successfully
resolving the nuclear problem with Iran. She said that,
while sanctions had hurt Iran (particularly in the financial
sector),the Iranian government continued to find ways to
adapt, and still enjoys strong commercial relations with
China and Russia. Per Leu, the ongoing sanctions in some
ways serve to strengthen the current Iranian regime, as they
reinforce the image of foreign adversaries. In Leu's view,
the Iranian government will never bend to external pressure,
and thus dialogue is the only way to achieve success.


12. (S) In that context, she reiterated that the Iranian
government had told the Swiss government that Iran would be
interested in re-establishing direct flights between Iran and
the United States. Leu noted that she had raised this
previously with USG interlocutors, and that the Iranian Vice
Transportation Minister (and Iran Air Chairman) had told her
several months ago that Iran remains interested. The Vice
Minister had suggested that perhaps the Swiss government
could facilitate U.S.-Iran talks on this topic in
Switzerland. Leu noted that the flight issue presumably
would include questions related to U.S. sanctions on Iran
that affect the availability of aircraft parts. She added
that, in her view, a discrete bilateral issue such as direct
flights could lend itself to building confidence and
preparing the ground for discussing other issues.


13. (S) In concluding her comments, Leu said that she feared
that opportunities could be missed for solving problems with
Iran, due to the fallout from the Iranian elections. As
objectionable as the rhetoric and policies of Ahmadinejad can
be, Leu said that she still believes that it is possible to
deal with him. Calling him a political "daredevil" who is
looking for ways to assuage domestic criticism and mark his
place in history, Leu said she thinks Ahmadinejad is more
open to engagement with the West than Khamenei is. She
stressed that she increasingly has become convinced during
her time in Iran that it does not make sense to try to begin
engagement with the Iranian government at the top -- i.e.,
with Supreme Leader Khamenei. While Khamenei's consent for
engagement with the West/USG ultimately would be needed --
and is not currently given -- he listens and responds to the
various competing power centers below him, which is where the
West/USG should begin its engagement, in Leu's view.


14. (SBU) Leu said that no dates have been set, but that she
hopes to travel to Washington for meetings with USG
counterparts in late October or early November.
BEYER