UNODC SUGGESTS COUNTERNARCOTICS VENUE FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 UNVIE VIENNA 000172

SIPDIS

INL FOR TOM WILLIAMS, S/SAGSWA FOR DENNIS ROSS, S/SAGSWA
FOR ALEX DEHGAN, NEA FOR TODD SCHWARTZ, S/P FOR JILLIAN
BURNS, S/P FOR PETER HARRELL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2023
TAGS: PREL SNAR KNNP AF PA IR
SUBJECT: UNODC SUGGESTS COUNTERNARCOTICS VENUE FOR
ENGAGEMENT WITH IRAN

REF: UNVIE VIENNA 00117

UNVIE VIEN 00000172 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Gregory Schulte for reasons 1.4 (c) and (e)


1. (C) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6.


2. (C) Summary. On March 25, Ambassador and Msnoff met
with UNODC Technical Cooperation Section Chief Roberto
Arbitrio to discuss UNODC perspectives on cooperation with
Iran and general Iran issues gained from Arbitrio's four and
a half years in Tehran (septel). Arbitrio discussed what he
sees as a generally favorable trend for cooperation with Iran
on counternarcotics and his perspective that this could be a
useful venue for U.S.-Iran cooperation, including a specific
proposal for cooperation through the Paris Pact. He argued
that engagement is more likely along a few key areas where
Iranian domestic consensus is possible, such as drug control,
while avoiding more politically-charged issues. End Summary.


3. (C) UNODC Technical Cooperation Section Chief Roberto
Arbitrio on March 25 noted a number of signs that Iran has
recently become more interested in counternarcotics
cooperation with the international community, which has led
to a serious opportunity. (Note: Arbitrio also reiterated
his caution that Iran pursues a "double agenda" in all
cooperation and dialogue with the international community
(ref A).) These signs include:

-- Iran funding the startup of the Joint Planning Cell of the
Triangular Initiative after months of inaction,

-- increased engagement with the Tehran-based mini-Dublin
Group on counternarcotics,

-- Head of Iran's Drug Headquarters and Law Enforcement
Forces Moghadam's message in June 2008 that Iran was ready to
resume collaboration with the West on drug control,

-- Iran's plans to discuss alternative livelihoods for
Afghanistan regionally and with the international community,

-- the March 8 Triangular Initiative joint counterdrug
operation (ref A) which Iran used to show that it is a key
interlocutor on drug control,

-- his impression that Iranian Ambassador Soltanieh has been
given specific instructions to increase his involvement in
counternarcotics issues at the UN including through
chairmanship of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND),and

-- that Iran has entrusted its Ambassador to Afghanistan,
Maleki, with exploring interactions with different
interlocutors, including the U.S., on drug control.

Soltanieh conveyed to Arbitrio that he was very proud of his
performance in the recent CND because his involvement was
seen as neutral by all parties, including the U.S. Maleki's
recent steps to increase cooperation on drug control should
be viewed, argued Arbitrio, in light of the fact that he was
previously sacked by President Ahmadinejad because he was
perceived as too close to NATO and the West. Thus, his
reinstatement and new efforts may reflect Iran's interest in
reaching out to the West.


4. (C) Arbitrio noted that if the U.S. is looking to use
counternarcotics as a vehicle for engagement with Iran, the
56-country Paris Pact might be the right venue. UNODC is
working on an "implementation plan" or "operational
framework" for the Paris Pact in which both the U.S. and Iran
could participate if both states were interested. UNODC
could sponsor a coordination meeting or more formal structure
in Kabul to bring interested interlocutors together. This
type of cooperation could start at the technical level and
move into more substantive cooperation, although UNODC is
very open to input on what format, if any, would be useful.
Arbitrio asked for feedback on whether this mechanism would
be of interest to the U.S. Msnoff noted that it was too
early to say what the U.S. engagement strategy would be with
Iran and whether counternarcotics cooperation would be part
of the strategy that comes out of the Iran policy review.
Nevertheless, Msnoff encouraged Arbitrio to continue to share
UNODC's ideas and initiatives under consideration with the
Mission so that Washington remains well-informed about Iran's
level of cooperation and possible avenues for dialogue.

UNVIE VIEN 00000172 002.2 OF 002




5. (C) Arbitrio noted to Msnoff on March 19 that UNODC is
a "protective umbrella" for dialogue between Iran and other
states on counternarcotics and that states sometimes have a
hard time working with Iran without using UNODC as a
facilitator, though he did not note whether he thought this
would be a problem if the U.S. pursued a dialogue with Iran
on drug control. For example, the UK, after posting a "drug
czar" to Tehran several years ago, got so little cooperation
from Iran that they did not replace the officer upon his
retirement. The only drug liaison officer left in Iran is
Italian, and he does 70 to 80 percent of his work through
UNODC. Similarly, a French delegation came to Iran hoping to
discuss drug control issues but was unable to schedule
meetings with the relevant officials. Upon asking UNODC for
help, the meetings were scheduled with UNODC participation.


6. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Mission requests consideration of
UNODC's suggested cooperation with Iran on drug control as
described above and in ref A in the ongoing Iran policy
review. Mission also requests guidance once the review is
complete on how to respond to UNODC on whether we want the
agency to pursue the Paris Pact venue for cooperation and
more broadly what role we would like UNODC to play in
international cooperation on the counternarcotics issue.
Mission POC for this request is Andrea Hall (43 1 31339 4736,
Hallag@state.sgov.gov).
PYATT