Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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09USUNNEWYORK1060 | 2009-11-21 00:51:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | USUN New York |
VZCZCXRO4831 PP RUEHDH RUEHSL DE RUCNDT #1060 3250051 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 210051Z NOV 09 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7679 INFO RUCNDSC/DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHYY/GENEVA CD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0001 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY 0208 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 0283 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA PRIORITY 0001 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0014 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 2045 RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR PRIORITY 0540 |
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001060 |
1. (C) Summary. A delegate with the Singapore Mission to the
UN has requested that the USG work with moderate members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to rein in the extremists elements in the Movement. The delegate, reflecting views from his Mission in Vienna, said Singapore is concerned that the extreme views in NAM are overshadowing the more reasonable views in NAM regarding nuclear disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). These same elements, he said, have tried to undermine support for Security Council resolution 1887, passed in September, on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The delegate recommended reaching out to moderate NAM countries Guatemala, Chile, Jamaica, Colombia, Panama and Mongolia. End summary. 2. (C) Poloff on November 18 and 20 met with Singapore First Secretary Jonathan Tow, the Singapore Mission's expert on disarmament and non-proliferation. Tow explained that as a moderate country, Singapore is isolated in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on issues related to disarmament and the NPT. He said that recent moves by some extreme NAM members--Egypt, Cuba, Iran, and Syria--such as sending letters to the IAEA and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), stating erroneously that their views represented the common position of the NAM, distorted the variety of opinion in the NAM. He said that a core group in Vienna--the Vienna Chapter of NAM--is made up of these countries and without strong resistance from moderate members they are taking the lead in the NAM on disarmament issues. Tow urged the United States to lobby moderate NAM states to voice their opinions in these discussions because Singapore cannot continue to go at it alone. "We need cover," he said, "Or we may find ourselves in a position where we just acquiesce" to the extreme positions because it is politically dangerous to do otherwise. 3. (C) Tow recommended that the U.S. engage with Guatemala, Chile and Jamaica, countries he described as the most consistently moderate delegations in the NAM and those with the best likelihood of speaking out in favor of reasonable positions. When pressed, he admitted that Colombia, Panama and Mongolia would also be good candidates but they need more "pushing." He assessed that the "magic number" in NAM meetings (which usually draw 20-25 countries) on these issues to oppose the extreme positions was three to four--that is, one delegation alone would not be sufficient, but that three to four delegations arguing for moderation would be sufficient to derail the extreme statements and positions and ensure that NAM consensus was not achievable. He said the African countries were "useless" and never stayed long enough during negotiations. He judged that given the long sessions of the NAM caucuses, most delegations do not stay late enough to make an impact when a final decision is made. 4. (C) Regarding UNSC resolution 1887, he said Singapore fully supports the resolution. Moreover, he said Singapore would like to have more resolutions like 1887 because they would provide Singapore with legal cover for its export-control regime. He said that, for example, Singapore does not want bad relations with Iran, but resolutions like 1887 provide it with an excuse to be more strict in its trade with Iran. However, he said that 1887 is not popular with most developing nations because they view disarmament as a General Assembly issue. That issue, he said, was made most obvious during the statements made by Council members during the adoption of 1887, when Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK was aiming to reduce its submarine fleet by one submarine in the coming years. He said Brown's statement confirmed to many in the NAM--including moderates--that (in their view) the summit was a sham and that the nuclear-weapon states were not serious about disarmament. 5. (C) Regarding the upcoming NPT Review Conference, Tow advised that the U.S. engage broadly and transparently with a positive message, particularly to the smaller delegations. He that said by doing so, the extremists will be highlighted as obstructionists. RICE |