Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09UNVIEVIENNA577
2009-12-18 10:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
UNVIE
Cable title:  

IAEA/SAFEGUARDS: REQUEST TO SUPPORT ROBUST OPEN

Tags:  AORC KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY 
pdf how-to read a cable
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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0577/01 3521015
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181015Z DEC 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0454
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000577 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2034
TAGS: AORC KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY
SUBJECT: IAEA/SAFEGUARDS: REQUEST TO SUPPORT ROBUST OPEN
SOURCE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Classified By: AMBASSADOR GLYN DAVIES FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

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Summary
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C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000577

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2034
TAGS: AORC KNNP IAEA ENRG TRGY
SUBJECT: IAEA/SAFEGUARDS: REQUEST TO SUPPORT ROBUST OPEN
SOURCE INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Classified By: AMBASSADOR GLYN DAVIES FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) In November 12 meeting, Michael Barletta (AmCit),
Senior Safeguards Information Analyst in the Division of
Information Management, described assistance he would like
from the United States to support the IAEA in undertaking the
open source information collection and analysis necessary to
underpin "information-driven safeguards." Noting the need to
integrate all-source information and the Agency's limited
analytical resources, Barletta queried MsnOffs as to whether
it would be possible for the Agency to meet with
representatives from the Open Source Center (OSC) to discuss
the types of nuclear information of use to the IAEA ,
especially information from relevant international
conferences. (Comment: SGIM Information Collection and
Analysis Section Head Matt Ferguson has also expressed
interest in meeting with OSC to discuss the IAEA's operations
and potentially learn best practices for information
management. End Comment.) Barletta also hoped that, to the
extent DOE's Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI)
might assist the IAEA, the effort would have an information
analysis focus. Barletta expressed a desire, to leverage
nonproliferation information-management tools that may
already have been developed in the United States (e.g., a
"Wikipedia-like" system the IAEA could use internally).
Finally, he expressed appreciation for the ongoing U.S.
Safeguards Support Program task that provides U.S. experts
(normally drawn from DOE labs) to serve two-week
consultancies in SGIM on specified topics.

--------------
Resource Challenges
--------------


2. (C) Barletta noted the IAEA's need to integrate various
sources of information, including scientific and technical
publications, commercial satellite imagery, environmental
sample analysis, additional information provided by Member
States, and other all-source information, to conduct more
comprehensive analyses and draw better conclusions about the
absence of undeclared nuclear activities. Barletta stated

that his unit is quite capable on information collection, but
needs assistance with the analysis of this large volume of
information it collects. He recognized that many
commercially available systems, or perhaps tools developed
within the U.S. government, could assist the IAEA with its
efforts to develop enhanced analytic capabilities. Rather
than reinventing the wheel and wasting limited resources,
Barletta is seeking U.S. support or recommendations on what
systems are available, or what systems the agency should
build to meet this information integration challenge.


3. (C) For example, the Safeguards Department's latest
Research and Development plan identifies the need to expand
the IAEA's capability to digest non-English open-source
scientific and technical literature. In particular, the IAEA
needs translation software for Farsi that includes
nuclear-related terms. Barletta speculated that the U.S.
intelligence community may have already developed such
software and wondered whether it might be made available to
the IAEA.

--------------
Specific Requests
--------------


4. (C) Barletta floated several ideas for U.S. assistance in
promoting and expanding the IAEA's information analysis
posture. He said the IAEA's specific needs include:

- machine translations for Farsi, Arabic, and other key
languages (per the above)

- assistance building a well-developed lexicon of nuclear
terms in key foreign languages

- link analysis tools for scientific and technical literature

- an interactive Wiki-type system for internal use to make
information readily available to analysts

- a virtual reality tool for knowledge management to be
populated by all-source information. (This would be used to
maintain continuity of knowledge for inspectors and analysts
over many years, for example, to geo-locate where samples
were drawn, tag technologies and processes that may have
changed over the years, and integrate measurements, imagery,
and publications, in one place. This would also require

experts working in these various areas to rely on one another
and bring their knowledge together.)

- development of country profiles using open source info.
(Barletta suggested an idea he attributed to the U.S. of
using interns at the National Laboratories to put together
these analytical pieces as an NGSI activity. If done
properly, much of the legwork on data collection would be
completed, and the Agency could focus more resources on
analysis. These country profiles could be posted on Open
Source Center (OSC),for example, which could then be
accessed by the IAEA.)

- working with the OSC to focus their efforts on certain
countries of interest, targeting nuclear fuel cycle
technologies, specific non-English conferences, and other
occasional IAEA specific requests.

--------------
IAEA-Funded Activities on
the R&D Project
--------------


5. (C) SGIM's John Hilliard later joined the discussion with
Barletta desribed three projects below that are to receive
regular budget funding via the Department's Research and
Development plan. These include:

- development of a department-wide geographic information
system

- reaching out to retired experts as consultants (Hilliard
noted the lack of knowledge transfer and the need to retain
continuity of knowledge to help concepts and planning.)

- developing a "virtual state file" Hilliard noted that the
information on Additional Protocol information, satellite
imagery, environmental sample analysis, and country-specific
information are all on separate LAN systems. Thus a major
effort is required to integrate all of the computer systems
in one Ops room, and have all of the analysis done in a
multipurpose briefing room, similar to a "situation room."
This should encourage collaborative analysis among the
various sections and experts in various areas. Hilliard
added that DDG Heinonen was supportive of this idea.
(Comment: Such a well-appointed capability would also make
for effective presentations to member states should an issue
arise on which the IAEA would like to impress one or more
member states with the credibility of its information.)

--------------
Continuing Need
--------------


6. (C) The key message from both Barletta and Hilliard was
the need for U.S assistance in developing Safeguards
Department information analysis resources. Mission is
reporting these specifics to give Washington experts a
snapshot of the kinds of assistance the working-level in SGIM
believes they need. Mission has not discussed Barletta's
suggestions with DDG/Safeguards Heinonen, so cannot vouch for
whether specific requests have his support. That said,
Mission welcomes guidance as to any proposals that may be
good candidates for U.S. support; we and/or the Agency may
pursue one or more via the United States Support Program to
Safeguards (USSP) or other means. For example, Mission will
contact OSC through appropriate channels to inquire whether
the above consultation might be possible on the margins of a
planned visit to Washington in late January by SGIM Division
Director Jacques Baute.
DAVIES