IRAN REGIONAL PRESENCE OFFICE DUBAI: WINDOW ON IRAN - MAY

S E C R E T RPO DUBAI 000223

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/28/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR
SUBJECT: IRAN REGIONAL PRESENCE OFFICE DUBAI: WINDOW ON IRAN - MAY
28, 2009

CLASSIFIED BY: Ramin Asgard, Director, Iran Regional Presence
Office, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (S/NF) Trilateral Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan Summit in
Tehran: On May 24 the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan
participated in a trilateral summit hosted by the IRIG intended
to, in the words of Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki, develop
mechanisms to find "regional solutions for regional problems."
The three presidents issued a 24-point "Tehran Declaration" in
which they agree to create a mechanism for regular meetings at
either the ministerial or head of state level; cooperate to
eliminate terrorism; take "urgent steps" to develop
infrastructure connectivity between the three countries; and to
create pull factors in Afghanistan to facilitate the voluntary
return of Afghans to their homeland; among others. The
declaration also establishes a coordination committee of the
three Deputy Foreign Ministers to prepare a comprehensive action
plan and monitor progress of trilateral coordination. The next
summit meeting is scheduled for Islamabad in October 2009.
Comment: This meeting also featured final agreement between Iran
and Pakistan to commence construction of the Iran-Pakistan
pipeline. This "Peace Pipeline" project was originally to
include India, but given India's reluctance press reports are
already speculating that China may step in to join the project.
In addition, Russia's Gazprom has already voiced interest in
investing in the pipeline. With the next Shanghai Cooperation
Organization summit scheduled for June in Yekaterinburg, Russia,
we can expect such energy security issues to feature
prominently, particularly as Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are
currently observers and prospective members of the SCO.




2. (S/NF) American journalist denied visa as message to USG:
An American journalist with a major wire service told us Iranian
authorities have denied him a visa to cover the elections. He
said IRIG officials told him it was in response to US refusals
to issue visas to Iranian reporters and accredit Iranian news
outlets. Other journalists working for his news service have
received visas, he said, and the Iranians refused him, after
allowing him into the country more than two dozen times in the
past several years, as a message. He also said that Iranian
staff of the news service had reported more intense pressure
from Iranian security agents recently. Comment: As we reported
in last week's WoI, Iranian officials are eager to get Iranian
journalists into the US and believe that denying this, and
potentially other visas in the future, might get their message
across.




3. (S/NF) Soccer as Political Football: The Iranian press has
reported extensively this week on the potential friendly matches
between the US and Iranian men's and women's teams. Iranian
officials have been quoted agreeing to the matches, although US
Soccer officials are more circumspect. Ahmadinejad deputy and
Iran sports chief Mohammad Ali-Abadi was quick to endorse the
match. According to US Soccer information, there was no serious
discussion between the US and Iranian federations, but simply
some mutual interest in potential match. Comment: Iranians are
passionate about soccer, and we can't help but think that the
timing of this announcement with presidential campaigns in full
swing is hardly coincidental. Many of our contacts have told us
that Ahmadinejad's electoral fortunes are tied to the
performance of the national team in its upcoming World Cup
qualifiers, and its possible that his campaign is hoping for
some political benefit from a soccer-mad public if it can be
seen to be improving relations with the US, if nowhere else but
the soccer pitch.

ASGARD