IRAN PRESS: AHMADINEJAD WEBSITE GOES 'BEHIND THE SCENES' IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RPO DUBAI 000433 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IR PGOV PREL PARM SUBJECT: IRAN PRESS: AHMADINEJAD WEBSITE GOES 'BEHIND THE SCENES' IN GENEVA TALKS DUBAI 00000433 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) "Sanyehnews" (sanyehnews.com) is an Iranian website closely affiliated the views of President Ahmadinejad. On Monday, October 12 it posted a story titled, "What Wasn't Said and Published About the Geneva Talks," that puts forward a version of the October first Geneva negotiations that is worth noting for its indication as to how the Ahmadinejad administration is portraying events in Geneva for its core supporters. ¶2. (U) (rough translation of article as follows:) Iran presented its proposal to the P5+1 countries at a time when the press atmosphere was severely against Iran's nuclear program, citing a final deadline of the end of September for Iran to carry out discussions with the West. But behind this propaganda, other events were taking place. According to Saniyeh News, former NATO Secretary General and current EU Foreign Minister Javier Solana contacted IRIG Supreme National Security Council Secretary Dr. Said Jalili, citing the western media atmosphere to convince Iran to carry out discussions in September concerning "the nuclear file." Jalili did not succumb to Solana's pressure, responding firstly that his schedule for the month of September was full and he didn't have any free time, and secondly that the subject for discussions could not be Iran's nuclear file. Finally Solana accepted that the discussions would take place in October with the subject being Iran's proposed package. [in Geneva on October 1] In the first round of discussions every time that the 5+1 delegation, contrary to prior agreement, spoke about Iran's nuclear file, Jalili put his pen down and looked at them to show his displeasure at this departure from the thrust of the talks. Jalili's wise stance met with a reaction by the six countries, especially the UK representative who protesting sharply, characterized the talks as returning to a starting point of zero. Responding to these protests, Jalili pointed out that the UK representative was the third person to represent the UK with whom Jalili has talked [i.e. during Jalili's tenure] and cited him as a newcomer in these negotiations and ignorant of the past progression of these talks. Jalili said that Iran is not seeking to return to zero, and that Iran has pursued a course over the last six years and has made achievements that it is not willing to turn from or negotiate over. Jalili showed the P5+1 delegations several English-language newspapers that had news stories featuring the statement of 239 Iranian Majlis representatives warning the P5+1 and supporting Iran's nuclear program. Without mentioning Obama's name, he quoted to the P5+1 members' Obama's prior comments that "one must speak to the representatives of the people," and cited himself as the representative of the Iranian nation, a nation that sees nuclear energy as its undeniable right. After these statements, the other side requested a break. Dr. Jalili agreed and went to relax and sit down in a green area outside the meeting site. After a while a Swiss Deputy Foreign Minister (Switzerland being the host country for the meetings) came hurriedly looking for Jalili and excitedly told Jalili that "Nicholas Burns [sic] the US Deputy Secretary of State has invited you for bilateral talks." Mindless of his [i.e. the Swiss diplomat's] excitement, Jalili said there is no need for this, and the US representative can speak his words in front of all when talks resume. After continued insistence the Swiss official met with a stern response by Jalili, who invited him to perform [only] his role as the host of the gathering. After him, Javier Solana came and spoke of the urgency of taking advantage of this historic opportunity and even took Jalili's hand to encourage him to go for discussions [i.e. with Burns]. But he met with a decisive negative answer from Jalili who implied that he wished to renounce such a historic opportunity, in that the other meeting participants were not strangers and it was better that the US representative speak in front of all. DUBAI 00000433 002.2 OF 002 Jalili stood firm, and next Nicholas [sic] Burns came and asked to talk, but met with the same answer. Burns insisted that he had something else to say. Jalili asked Burns to speak at that very location and next started walking towards the place where lunch was going to be held, with Burns following him. This process was taking place with the representatives of the five countries (Russia, China, France, Germany, UK) along with Solana staring from the building's balcony at the discussion between Burns and Jalili, a discussion in which Jalili characterized Iran's nuclear file as verified, solved and sealed. After the end of this discussion, Solana came towards Jalili and asked about the results. Jalili saying that he'd not yet prayed nor had lunch, and left the area. While eating, Solana announced to Jalili that the 5+1 was prepared to continue discussions after lunch. Jalili said that he had to reflect and went outside for a walk, taking 15 minutes to do so. Solana came looking for him saying, "with your walking you are concentrating your thoughts but are also deranging ours!" Finally the next session of discussions started and was carried out quickly, with both sides agreeing to cite the process of discussions as positive and to prepare conditions for expert discussions so that experts can prepare proposals for the future of the seven-sided discussions. EYREAE