Identifier
Created
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10CDGENEVA27
2010-02-09 08:58:00
SECRET
US Mission CD Geneva
Cable title:  

START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VII):(U)

Tags:  PARM KACT MARR PREL RS US 
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S E C R E T CD GENEVA 000027 

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR T, VCI AND EUR/PRA
DOE FOR NNSA/NA-24
CIA FOR WINPAC
JSCS FOR J5/DDGSA
SECDEF FOR OSD(P)/STRATCAP
NAVY FOR CNO-N5JA AND DIRSSP
AIRFORCE FOR HQ USAF/ASX AND ASXP
DTRA FOR OP-OS OP-OSA AND DIRECTOR
NSC FOR LOOK
DIA FOR LEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/09
TAGS: PARM KACT MARR PREL RS US
SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VII):(U)
INSPECTION PROTOCOL WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, DECEMBER 14, 2009

REF: 09 GENEVA 1212(SFO-GVA-VII-162 CABLE 4 OF 12 CABLES)

CLASSIFIED BY: Rose A. Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, Department
of State, VCI; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

S E C R E T CD GENEVA 000027

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR T, VCI AND EUR/PRA
DOE FOR NNSA/NA-24
CIA FOR WINPAC
JSCS FOR J5/DDGSA
SECDEF FOR OSD(P)/STRATCAP
NAVY FOR CNO-N5JA AND DIRSSP
AIRFORCE FOR HQ USAF/ASX AND ASXP
DTRA FOR OP-OS OP-OSA AND DIRECTOR
NSC FOR LOOK
DIA FOR LEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/09
TAGS: PARM KACT MARR PREL RS US
SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VII):(U)
INSPECTION PROTOCOL WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, DECEMBER 14, 2009

REF: 09 GENEVA 1212(SFO-GVA-VII-162 CABLE 4 OF 12 CABLES)

CLASSIFIED BY: Rose A. Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, Department
of State, VCI; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (U) This is SFO-GVA-VII-138.




2. (U) Meeting Dates: December 14, 2009

Time: 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Place: U.S. Mission, Geneva



Time: 3:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.

Place: U.S. Mission, Geneva

--------------

SUMMARY

--------------


3. (S) The Inspection Protocol Working Group (IPWG),co-chaired by
Secretary of Defense Representative Dr. Warner and Russian Ministry
of Defense Representative Col Ilin, met twice on December 14, 2009,
to review Article XI of the treaty and Sections VI-X of Part V of
the Protocol. Discussion focused on inspection activities
regarding converted systems, particularly the B-1B and to a lesser
extent the SSGNs; ways of making the Protocol less specific and
wordy; and parameters and rules for inspections. Of note, the
Russian side confirmed that it would list the RS-24 as an existing
type of ICBM in the START Follow-on Treaty. End summary.


4. (U) SUBJECT SUMMARY: Article XI - Discussion and to
Conforming; Sections VI and VII; Afternoon Session, Section VII;
Section VIII-X; The Full Part V of the Protocol to Conforming;
Annexes; and Russian Decision-Making on Mobiles.


--------------
ARTICLE XI - DISCUSSION AND TO CONFORMING
--------------


5. (S) The meeting began with a review of Article XI. The U.S.
side accepted the Russian formulations in Paragraph 1. For
Paragraph 2, the sides discussed the inspection regime for B-1Bs in
the "intermediate period" between entry-into-force (EIF) and the
full reconversion of the B-1Bs. Warner emphasized that the United

States would not accept a prohibition on the co-location of nuclear
and non-nuclear heavy bombers. Warner and Ilin agreed to defer to
the Agreed Statement being drafted on this matter. Having made
some wording changes, the sides agreed to the remainder of Article
XI, with the exception of outstanding substantive brackets on the
B-1Bs and conversion or elimination exhibitions. The sides agreed
to send the Article to conforming.

--------------
SECTIONS VI AND VII
--------------


6. (S) The sides worked through Section VI of Part V of the
Protocol. Debate focused on the regime for inspections at
submarine bases, particularly with respect to the SSGNs, and on
inspections of heavy bombers. Warner took time to encourage the
Russians to accept the application of unique identifiers to all
systems.


7. (S) Ilin devoted special attention to the B-1B issue throughout
the morning session, underlining that the conversion process
outlined under START had not been satisfactory to the Russians and
had left a lingering mistrust. He outlined a proposed three-stage
process for the conversion of the B-1Bs, beginning with
confirmation by the sides of the procedures to be used;
inspections, within the overall quotas, of the conversions of
individual B-1Bs; and, finally, a regime for the "intermediate
period" during which converted B-1Bs would be co-located with those
still awaiting conversion.


8. (S) The sides also discussed the matter of measuring covers for
reentry vehicles. The Russian side argued for removing discussion
of such covers from the Protocol, while the U.S. side pushed for
inclusion. Warner explained that it was important to discourage
the use of very large, obscuring covers. The sides agreed to
return to the issue at a later time.


9. (S) The Russians also once again asked for greater specificity
in the notifications to be provided on heavy bomber movements. The
issue remained unresolved.


10. (S) The sides concluded the morning session with a lengthy
debate on the necessity of listing facilities in Section VII. The
sides were able to agree on some reformulations to accommodate the
Russian desire for generality, but other passages remained in
brackets.

--------------
AFTERNOON SESSION, SECTION VII
--------------


11. (S) Resuming discussion of Section VII at the afternoon
session, the U.S. side handed over a revised version of Section
VII. Warner continued to insist that elimination exhibitions not
be subtracted from the inspection quota totals. Warner emphasized
that this position came from the highest levels of the U.S.
Government.


12. (S) The U.S. side highlighted revised language on Type 2
inspection rights for formerly declared facilities, noting that
heavy bomber air bases would be treated separately at greater
length under the proposed Agreed Statement. Warner took pains to
emphasize that the U.S. side would not countenance considering
converted heavy bombers nuclear strategic offensive arms following
their conversion. A long dispute ensued on the question of
inspections of heavy bombers equipped for non-nuclear armaments,
without significant progress.


13. (S) Continuing on with Section VII, Ilin argued for less
specificity in the document's treatment of items subject to
pre-inspection movement restrictions. Warner pushed back, arguing
that detail was important to avoid ambiguity. Ilin called for
bracketing the list of items in Section VII, Paragraph 3 of Part V
to the Protocol (Reftel),but in the end the sides came to an
agreement on a modified list.


14. (S) The sides concluded Section VII, leaving some brackets
reflecting major outstanding issues, including on the treatment of
heavy bombers equipped for non-nuclear armaments.

--------------
SECTION VIII-X
--------------


15. (S) After the U.S. side handed over a revised version of
Section VIII on exhibitions, the sides worked through the text.
Warner pointed out that regardless of whether it was declared as a
new or existing type, the United States would need a technical
characteristics exhibition of the RS-24. The Russian side
clarified that it would declare the RS-24 as an existing type and
so agreed to the U.S. formulation that exhibitions would be
required of all systems not exhibited under START. The sides
worked through the remainder of the text, deferring some issues to
the Conversion or Elimination Working Group.


16. (S) The sides then worked through Sections IX and X and agreed
on the text, with a few minor changes.

--------------
THE FULL PART V OF THE PROTOCOL TO CONFORMING
--------------


17. (S) The sides agreed to send the full Part V of the Protocol,
albeit with brackets reflecting remaining significant issues to be
resolved at a higher level, to the Conforming Group. Warner
commented that the principal outstanding issues clustered around
the number of annual inspections allocated and how to handle
eliminations.

--------------
ANNEXES
--------------


18. (S) Ilin then handed over a very short version of Annex 7,
noting that it was more of a "working paper" than a comprehensive
text. He urged Warner to agree to defer working on the annexes
until a later date. Warner responded that the sides would need to
work through the annexes sooner or later and certainly before
beginning the formal ratification process. A discussion followed
regarding the level of detail required in the annexes, with the
U.S. side pushing for greater and the Russian side less.

--------------
RUSSIAN DECISION-MAKING ON MOBILES
--------------


19. (S) During the afternoon session, Ilin criticized the United
States for singling out mobiles in one of the Sections of the
Protocol. Warner commented that the Russian side had developed an
allergy to any mention of mobiles, however reasonable. Col
Zaitsev, sympathetic to Warner's point, admitted that, initially,
the Russian side had been willing to be more flexible but that
"somebody talked to Moscow" and Moscow then instructed the Russian
delegation to be allergic to any focus on mobile systems. Ilin
then cut Zaitsev off.


20. (U) Documents exchanged:

- U.S.:

-- U.S. Revised Proposal for Section VII


- Russia:

-- Russian Working Paper on Annex 7



21. (U) Participants:


UNITED STATES



Dr. Warner

Mr. Brown

Mr. Buttrick

Mr. Colby (RO)

LTC Leyde

Ms. Pura

Mr. Rust

Ms. Gesse (Int)



RUSSIA

Col Ilin

Mr. Izrazov

Col Petrov

Col Zaitsev

Ms. Voldopolova

Mr. Pogodin (Int for AM Session)

Ms. Komshilova (Int for PM Session)




22. (U) Gottemoeller sends.
LARSON