Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10MADRID191
2010-02-19 14:18:00
SECRET
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS
how-toVZCZCMDI660 PP RUEHC RUCNIRA RUEHDM RUEHLA RUEAIIA RHEHNSC RUEKJCS RUEHBS RUEHGV RUEHNO RUEHUNV RUCNDT DE RUEHMD #0191 0501418 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 191418Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1975 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0381 RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 4389 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0007 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1611 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0170 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0551
S E C R E T MADRID 000191
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MCKNIGHT, ZERDECKI),NEA/FO
(CATALANO),ISN/RA (NEPHEW, ALLEN-CLOSE, MONGIELLO),
EUR/ERA (DEAN),
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NSC (RYU, MAGSAMEN, HOLGATE, CONNERY,
SAMORE, BRADLEY)
FOR USUNVIE/IAEA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2025
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA SP SY IR KNNP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS
"GAME-CHANGER"
REF: SECSTATE 10111
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold A. Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
S E C R E T MADRID 000191
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MCKNIGHT, ZERDECKI),NEA/FO
(CATALANO),ISN/RA (NEPHEW, ALLEN-CLOSE, MONGIELLO),
EUR/ERA (DEAN),
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NSC (RYU, MAGSAMEN, HOLGATE, CONNERY,
SAMORE, BRADLEY)
FOR USUNVIE/IAEA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2025
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA SP SY IR KNNP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS
"GAME-CHANGER"
REF: SECSTATE 10111
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold A. Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
1. (C) During a wide-ranging discussion with Post officials,
the senior nuclear expert at the Spanish MFA on February 10
expressed considerable unease with Iranian President
Amadinejad's early February announcement that Tehran would
begin to enrich uranium to 20 percent. Carlos Torres,
Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
within the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs and Terrorism,
POLOFF and Deputy ECONCOUNS, said that, with Ahmadinejad's
announcement, Iran "has crossed the line." Speaking from a
technical perspective, he argued that making the political
decision to pursue enrichment up to 20 percent is a
"game-changer," that the Iranian nuclear program's
capabilities will proceed at an "exponential rate," and now
"it is just a question of time" until Iran is capable of
making nuclear weapons. Torres suggested that Iran's gradual
path to becoming a nuclear power is similar to what happened
in India and Pakistan. He asserted that the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the real power behind
Ahmadinejad and suggested there are no limits to what the
IRGC will try. Concluding his thoughts on the subject,
Torres said the situation in Iran "doesn't look good" and
asked Embassy officials to tell Washington, "We (the Spanish
MFA) understand perfectly well what's going on in Iran."
2. (S) On a separate subject, Torres received the Ref
demarche on the Spanish firm Coll Vilaro's business dealings
with the Syrian firm Business Lab. He indicated he would
share the information with the Ministry of Industry, Tourism
and Commerce and would provide Post an answer after the
Government of Spain had looked into the matter.
CHACON
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MCKNIGHT, ZERDECKI),NEA/FO
(CATALANO),ISN/RA (NEPHEW, ALLEN-CLOSE, MONGIELLO),
EUR/ERA (DEAN),
DEPARTMENT PASS TO NSC (RYU, MAGSAMEN, HOLGATE, CONNERY,
SAMORE, BRADLEY)
FOR USUNVIE/IAEA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2025
TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA SP SY IR KNNP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS
"GAME-CHANGER"
REF: SECSTATE 10111
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold A. Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)
1. (C) During a wide-ranging discussion with Post officials,
the senior nuclear expert at the Spanish MFA on February 10
expressed considerable unease with Iranian President
Amadinejad's early February announcement that Tehran would
begin to enrich uranium to 20 percent. Carlos Torres,
Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
within the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs and Terrorism,
POLOFF and Deputy ECONCOUNS, said that, with Ahmadinejad's
announcement, Iran "has crossed the line." Speaking from a
technical perspective, he argued that making the political
decision to pursue enrichment up to 20 percent is a
"game-changer," that the Iranian nuclear program's
capabilities will proceed at an "exponential rate," and now
"it is just a question of time" until Iran is capable of
making nuclear weapons. Torres suggested that Iran's gradual
path to becoming a nuclear power is similar to what happened
in India and Pakistan. He asserted that the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the real power behind
Ahmadinejad and suggested there are no limits to what the
IRGC will try. Concluding his thoughts on the subject,
Torres said the situation in Iran "doesn't look good" and
asked Embassy officials to tell Washington, "We (the Spanish
MFA) understand perfectly well what's going on in Iran."
2. (S) On a separate subject, Torres received the Ref
demarche on the Spanish firm Coll Vilaro's business dealings
with the Syrian firm Business Lab. He indicated he would
share the information with the Ministry of Industry, Tourism
and Commerce and would provide Post an answer after the
Government of Spain had looked into the matter.
CHACON