SINGAPORE ASSESSES NAM DYNAMICS ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001124

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2019
TAGS: PREL PARM SN EG
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE ASSESSES NAM DYNAMICS ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR
PROGRAM AND THE NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE

REF: USUN 1060

Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (C) Summary. A delegate with the Singapore Mission to the
UN on December 14 provided USUN with a summary of a meeting
of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),
which was chaired by Egypt and meant to provide the Iranian
delegation an opportunity to present its case before NAM
members on its "peaceful" nuclear program. The delegate said
the Iranian Permanent Representative delivered Iran's points,
which he described as "technical" and "legalistic," and to
which most NAM members unfamiliar with Iran's case found no
reason to object. No outcome document or paper was presented
at this meeting. The Singaporean official also analyzed the
dynamics in the NAM in the lead-up to the NPT Review
Conference in 2010 and judged that a small group in the NAM
aims to defend Iran's nuclear program to shift the focus away
from Iran and onto Israel as the key nuclear proliferation
issue in the Middle East. India and South Africa, he said,
may prove helpful in guiding the NAM to more moderate
positions, but only if pushed and engaged early. Although
unlikely, the NAM might consider a consolidated position for
the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington. End
Summary.


2. (C) Poloff on December 14 met with Singapore First
Secretary Jonathan Tow--the third meeting in less than one
month (reftel)--to discuss the attempts by Iran and a cohort
of NAM members (namely Egypt, Cuba, Syria and Venezuela) to
push an extremist position in the NAM regarding nuclear
disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, a position that is
out of step with the opinions of many moderate NAM states.
Tow requested the meeting to provide a summary of the NAM
Coordinating Bureau meeting, which was held on December 10 at
the UN. Egyptian Perm Rep Maged Abdelaziz chaired the
meeting, which gave Iran an opportunity to present to NAM
members its case for its "peaceful" nuclear program. Iranian
Perm Rep Mohammad Khazaee presented what Tow described as a
technical and legalistic briefing, leaving the moderate
states in attendance, who were unfamiliar with Iran's nuclear
file, little opportunity to object. Tow said the attendees
were in listening mode, no debate took place, and no document
was circulated for consideration or adoption.


3. (C) Despite Egypt's apparent support for Iran's
presentation, however, the Egyptian Perm Rep pointedly asked
the Iranian why Iran had so defiantly announced the planned
construction of ten additional enrichment sites following the
IAEA Board of Governors' resolution on November 27, which
censured Iran's nuclear program. Tow said the Iranian Perm
Rep seemed "stunned" by the question and could not provide an
adequate response. Iranian press was stationed outside the
meeting room, and Tow said that despite the apparent
discreetness of the event, it was clearly staged to show that
Iran had ample support among the NAM membership. He said
that Egypt's Perm Rep seemed irritated by Iran's premeditated
attempt at publicity. Following the meeting, Tow said he
spoke with Iranian Perm Rep Khazaee and asked him what Iran
would consider a successful NPT RevCon. He said Khazaee
responded, "No double standards," an indication that Iran
would not settle for an indictment of its nuclear program
while Israel's nuclear program and non-signatory status were
left unexamined. Tow said Iran ended its presentation by
emphasizing that the Middle East was threatened not so much
by Iran but by "Israel's possession of nuclear weapons and
its refusal to be part of the NPT."


4. (C) Tow said that in preparing for the NPT RevCon, Egypt
and other NAM members will defend Iran, not because its case
is convincing but because it provides negotiating leverage.
He judged that Egypt "does not buy the Iranian argument" and
its procedural support of Iran in the NAM is a "marriage of
convenience." "It is all show," he said, "and it is geared
toward a balanced Middle East issue for the RevCon." In
spite of the frequent references to Israel's non-signatory
status, Tow said that attendees never mentioned India or
Pakistan during the meeting, and he noted that he has never
attended a NAM meeting where the issue of these two
non-signatory states is raised.


5. (C) Regarding India, Poloff asked if
India--notwithstanding its never having signed the NPT--could
be a moderate and helpful voice in the NAM during Iran- and
NPT-related discussions. Tow said that India can "throw its

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weight around" and usually takes a tough stand on Iran's
nuclear program. In addition, he said South Africa is a
major player whose NAM credentials are strong, and he
assessed that the new Zuma government would be more favorable
to engagement with the U.S. However, Tow said that as with
many disarmament experts based in Geneva, the South Africans
based there likely will be in a traditional mindset and
antagonistic to a changed environment. Because of that, he
recommended we and others approach the South Africans in
capital, rather than Geneva.


6. (C) Tow said the Cuban representative at the NAM
Coordinating Bureau meeting requested that those NAM states
planning to attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington
in April 2010 brief the non-attending NAM states on the
substance of discussions. Cuba requested that members
consider drafting a NAM position paper to deliver at the
Summit and specifically asked Egypt to deliver the NAM
position (if one is forthcoming). Tow, however, judged it
unlikely that the Coordinating Bureau would agree to a NAM
position for the Summit.
RICE