Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIYADH555
2009-04-12 14:00:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

DEPUTY FM SEES IRAN UNDER EVERY ROCK

Tags:  PREL ECON PGOV SA IR IZ SY 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0620
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000555 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P, NEA(AA/S FELTMAN),INR/NESA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2019
TAGS: PREL ECON PGOV SA IR IZ SY
SUBJECT: DEPUTY FM SEES IRAN UNDER EVERY ROCK

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Rundell for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

Key points
----------

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000555

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P, NEA(AA/S FELTMAN),INR/NESA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2019
TAGS: PREL ECON PGOV SA IR IZ SY
SUBJECT: DEPUTY FM SEES IRAN UNDER EVERY ROCK

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Rundell for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

Key points
--------------


1. (S) The Saudis accuse Iran of taking advantage of
political instability throughout the Middle East and South
Asia to increase its influence.

--(S/NF) Saudi Deputy FM Prince Turki bin Mohamad Al-Kabeer
opined that Iran will achieve its goal of developing a
nuclear weapon then the U.S. or other Western powers will
have to provide a deterrent.

--(S) Prince Turki observed that the security situation in
Iraq has improved as a result of improvements in the
political situation, particularly the greater role given to
Sunni politicians.

--(S) Turki recommended that the USG should work with Syria
on Lebanon, Middle East peace, and engaging Hizballah.

Comment
--------------


2. (C) The Saudis continue to see Iran as the Kingdom's
principal security threat. Prince Turki has discussed the
possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon before, but his
comments have become much more pointed, as has his assertion
that Saudi Arabia would be compelled to seek a deterrent.
Turki's positive assessment of the security situation in Iraq
may signal that the Saudis are moving closer to sending an
envoy, though he did not say this explicitly. End Comment.

Iran lurking around every corner
--------------

(S) On April 7, Charge met with Deputy Foreign Minister for
Multilateral Relations Dr. Prince Turki bin Mohamed al Kabeer
to present demarches on Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea,
and the UNHRC. Over the course of the meeting, the Prince's
comments returned again and again to Iran's negative role in
the region and what the USG should be doing to address this
threat. During a discussion of the situation in Pakistan and
Afghanistan, Turki said Iran was taking advantage of
political instability to make their own inroads. He later
returned to this theme during discussions on Iraq, Lebanon,
and Syria; in particular framing his points on Syria as a way
to move both Hizballah and Syria away from Iran.

(S/NF) But Prince Turki's most pointed comments came after
we delivered a demarche on the recent North Korean missile
launch. He briefly speculated that North Korea's actions
were an effort to gain more influence in their region, then
quickly compared these efforts to Iran's work on missiles and
nuclear technology. Turki said Iran would have a nuclear
weapon within 5 - 6 years and that U.S. sanctions could delay
this, but that nothing would stop it. Comparing a future
Middle East in which Iran possessed nuclear weapons to
Western Europe during the Cold War, Turki said Saudi Arabia
and the Gulf states would have to turn to the U.S. and the
West to provide a deterrent shield.

Security better in Iraq
--------------

(S) During a brief discussion of Iraq, Prince Turki said the
security situation has improved because of progress on the
political front, singling out the greater role being given to
Sunni politicians as an important step. He also said the
Iraqis are capable of "running things" without outside
interference and the USG should work to minimize Iran's role
in Iraq.

Engage Syria, Hizballah
--------------

(S/NF) As part of a larger discussion of Lebanon, Turki said
we should work to convince Hizballah to become "just a
political party" and abandon its military aspirations, and
that this would best be done through Syria. According to the
Prince, it is important the USG not isolate Syria and the

RIYADH 00000555 002 OF 002


more we engage Syria, the further we can move them from Iran.
He said Syria can play an important role in Lebanon and in
achieving Middle East peace.
RUNDELL