ACTION REQUEST: IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S AU ATTENDANCE

UNCLAS STATE 067888 SIPDIS UNCLASSIFIED BUT SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EUREM IR ET CA IS SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S AU ATTENDANCE ¶1. (U) This action request is directed to all posts sending delegations to the July 1-3 African Union Summit in Tripoli. See para 3 for instructions. ¶2. (SBU) Background: The Department has learned that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedi-Nejad (AN) will attend the July 1-3 AU Summit in Tripoli. According to the UK embassy in Washington, AN is expected to have a speaking role during one of the plenary sessions. During this session, we should expect AN to deploy his usual anti-Israeli rhetoric including his standard denial of the holocaust and/or his less frequent call for the destruction of Israel. We should also stand ready for him to allege US and other Western meddling in Iranian internal affairs including in the recent presidential elections. With this expectation, we - in coordination with our European allies - should demonstrate our unified stance that AN's use of international fora to propagate untruths and issue threats is unacceptable. ¶3. (SBU) Action Request: Heads of the USG delegation and other senior USG officials attending the African Union Summit should not be present at any sessions where AN has a speaking role. Most other lower-level USG officials should plan to be absent during these sessions, with the exception of a notetaker. USG officials may attend sessions where Iranian officials are expected to attend but not have a speaking role. Should, however, Iranian officials in such settings speak out against Israel and Western meddling in Iranian internal affairs, US officials of all ranks should walk out. USG delegation and posts should coordinate actions with EU member states and like-minded delegations. ¶4. (U) Tripoli minimize consider. END INSTRUCTIONS. CLINTON