Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE70157
2009-07-07 19:21:00
SECRET
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

(S) ARMENIAN ARMS TRANSFERS TO IRAN LINKED TO

Tags:  MTCRE PARM PREL MNUC ETTC KSCA IR AM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0157 1881944
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 071921Z JUL 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY YEREVAN IMMEDIATE 7428
S E C R E T STATE 070157 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2019
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL MNUC ETTC KSCA IR AM
SUBJECT: (S) ARMENIAN ARMS TRANSFERS TO IRAN LINKED TO
MORE INJURIES OF US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ

Classified By: EUR/PRA DIRECTOR ANITA FRIEDT, REASON: 1.4 (C)

S E C R E T STATE 070157

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2019
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL MNUC ETTC KSCA IR AM
SUBJECT: (S) ARMENIAN ARMS TRANSFERS TO IRAN LINKED TO
MORE INJURIES OF US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ

Classified By: EUR/PRA DIRECTOR ANITA FRIEDT, REASON: 1.4 (C)


1. (U) This is an action request. Embassy Yerevan, please
see paragraph 3.


2. (S) Background: In 2003, the Armenian Ministry of
Defense facilitated an Iranian purchase of 1,000
Bulgarian-made RPG-22 anti-tank rockets and machine guns.
Some of these RPG-22s were used in at least two 2008 attacks
on U.S. forces that killed one U.S. soldier and wounded six
others in Iraq. These incidents were the first time we have
directly traced an illicit weapons transfer to Iran of
weapons used in attacks against U.S. forces. RPG-22s from
this transfer are being used in Iraq by insurgents now. On
March 27, 2009, then-EUR A/S Fried and Armenian Ambassador
Markarian signed the "Joint Action Plan between the
Government of the United States of America and the Government
of the Republic of Armenia on Preventing Transfers of Concern
of Conventional Arms and Dual Use Items" (the Plan). The
Plan outlines the policies, laws, and regulations the
Government of Armenia will take to strengthen its export
control system to ensure that transfers similar to the 2003
transfer of weapons do not result in the death of U.S. or
allied soldiers again. In early June 2009 there was another
attack on U.S. soldiers in Iraq using the RPG-22s that were
part of the illicit shipment to Iran facilitated by the
Ministry of Defense. This attack injured four soldiers.
While such incidents involving weapons transferred in 2003
will not be stopped by our current export control efforts,
they do reinforce the vital importance of Armenian
cooperation under the Plan to ensure no such transfers happen
in the future.

3. (S): Action Request: Request Embassy Yerevan approach
appropriate host government officials to deliver talking
points in paragraph 4 below and report response.


4. (S) Talking Points:

(SECRET//REL YEREVAN)

--We would like to follow-up with you on the 2003 transfer to
Iran of RPG-22s and machine guns that were subsequently sent
to Iraq.

-- As you will recall, we informed you in January 2009 that
RPG-22s associated with this transfer had been used by Iraqi
insurgents against U.S. soldiers in Iraq, resulting in the
death of one and injury to six others.

--We appreciate the signing of the Joint Action Plan to
strengthen your export control system to ensure that such a
transfer cannot happen again.

--To highlight the importance of swift and effective
implementing of the commitments in the Joint Action Plan we
would like to inform you that four more US soldiers were
injured on June 10, 2009, when they were attacked by Iraqi
insurgents using an RPG-22.

--The RPG-22 used by the Iraqi insurgents in this attack was
part of the illicit arms shipment your officials facilitated
in 2003.

--We strongly encourage your government to continue pursuing
effective implementation of the Joint Action Plan, so as to
ensure the safety of remaining American personnel in Iraq and
the Iraqis themselves, as well as all those in the region.

--To that end, the U.S. looks forward to consulting on the
draft munitions export control decrees currently being
drafted. We understand that the Government of Armenia hopes
to be able to share these decrees with us around July 15.
The U.S. is prepared to send a team to Yerevan to assist in
the process of finalizing these decrees.

End talking points.


5. (U) Washington POC is EUR/PRA Matt Hardiman and ISN/CATR
Margaret Mitchell. Please slug any reporting on this issue
for EUR/CARC, EUR/PRA, and ISN/CATR.
CLINTON