VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #2464 3232129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 182122Z NOV 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0000
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0000

UNCLAS STATE 122464 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IR KNNP MNUC PARM TRGY
SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP ON IRAN'S UPCOMING NUCLEAR CONFERENCE 
ON 30 NOVEMBER 2008 
 
REF: A. STATE 112229 
     ¶B. OTTAWA 1453 
 
 ¶1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 6. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) OBJECTIVES:  In coordination with French 
counterparts in country, Posts should reinforce the message 
that countries should not attend the 30 November 2008 &First 
International Conference on Nuclear Power Plants, 
Environmental and Sustainable Development8 hosted by Iran, 
particularly in light of Iran,s continued defiance of its 
international obligations regarding its nuclear program (REF 
A). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) BACKGROUND: Following our initial effort to 
encourage countries not to participate in Iran,s upcoming 
nuclear conference (REF A), the United States is also 
encouraging partners to deliver similar demarches to 
reinforce the U.S. effort. (Note: For further background on 
the Iranian nuclear conference, see REF A.)  As a result of 
these discussions, France has agreed to approach Abu Dhabi, 
Bangkok, Islamabad, New Delhi, and Riyadh to remind those 
governments of the risks involved in participating in this 
conference. In addition, Canada has expressed its support for 
the overall demarche effort, though has recently declined to 
conduct demarches in tandem with our own (see REF I). These 
demarches can be handled directly or jointly as part of a 
trilateral process as Posts deem appropriate. 
 
¶4. (SBU) BACKGROUND CONTINUED: Per ref A, Iran is expected to 
host a major international conference on nuclear energy, the 
environment and sustainable development from 30 November to 1 
December 2008. According to the conference website, 
www.nppesd.org, the purpose will be to reassess the 
environmental, safety, and health aspects of nuclear power 
plants in line with sustainable development. This event will 
be the result of a collaborative effort between the Islamic 
Azad University, the Center of Environment and Energy 
Research and Studies (CEERS) and the Nuclear Power Production 
and Development Company of Iran. 
 
¶5. (SBU) BACKGROUND CONTINUED: Given Iran,s proclivity to 
use such events as a display of widespread endorsement of its 
nuclear program and demonstrate its defiance of UN Security 
Council resolutions, Washington believes international 
participation at this conference should be discouraged. 
Moreover, participation would likely undermine the P5 1 
updated incentives package by providing Iran with an 
opportunity to have normal international interactions on 
nuclear technology absent compliance with its nuclear 
obligations.  Such interactions also present a latent 
proliferation risk due to the level of expertise that could 
be present at the conference.  For example, one of the 
sessions on the agenda pertains to  Advances in Nuclear 
Power Technology and Development., 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
ACTION REQUEST FOR ABU DHABI, ALGIERS, AMMAN, BANGKOK, CAIRO, 
ISLAMABAD, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, NEW DELHI, AND RIYADH: 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6. (SBU) (ABU DHABI, ALGIERS, AMMAN, BANGKOK, CAIRO, 
ISLAMABAD, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, NEW DELHI, AND RIYADH) In 
close coordination with their French counterparts in country, 
posts in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, New Delhi, and Riyadh are 
requested to inform host governments about this conference 
and to urge interlocutors to prevent participation by their 
representatives. Posts in Algiers, Amman, Cairo, Islamabad, 
Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur should also approach host 
governments bilaterally to discourage participation. Posts 
should use the background in paras 3-5 and the nonpaper in 
para 7 as a reference. 
 
----------------------- 
¶7. BEGIN U.S. NON-PAPER 
----------------------- 
 
-- On 30 November 2008, Iran will host &The First 
International Conference on Nuclear Power Plants, 
Environmental and Sustainable Development.8 This conference 
pledges to address the need for nuclear power, nuclear power 
plants and world energy markets, safety and security in 
nuclear power plant development, and nuclear waste issues, 
among others. 
 
-- As a general matter, these are laudable goals, all of 
which the United States fully supports. 
 
-- However, given the current status of the Iran nuclear 
issue, the United States believes that international 
participation in this conference would give an inappropriate 
sense of normalcy to Iran's interactions with the 
international community on nuclear issues. 
 
-- Now is not the time for business as usual with Iran. The 
Iranian government continues to refuse to comply with its 
UNSC obligations to suspend its proliferation sensitive 
nuclear activities and cooperate fully and transparently with 
the IAEA. Iran has also failed to provide a clear, positive 
response to the P5 1 incentives package. 
 
-- The UN Security Council has adopted five resolutions in 
less than two years to address the ongoing threat posed by 
Iran,s nuclear program.  Iran,s actions ) including its 
open disregard for the concerns of the international 
community ) serve only to reinforce the serious nature of 
this threat. 
 
-- This defiance extends to refusing to answer the IAEA,s 
questions regarding its serious concerns about Iran's past 
work on a nuclear warhead. In his latest report to the Board 
of Governors in September 2008, the IAEA Director General 
noted with concern the possible military dimensions to 
Iran,s nuclear program. In this report, the IAEA 
characterized the documentation and other information it had 
amassed regarding these possible military dimensions as 
 sufficiently comprehensive and detailed, that it must be 
taken seriously. The report specifically noted that the 
documentation presented to Iran  appears to have been 
derived from multiple sources over different periods of time, 
is detailed in content and appears to be generally 
consistent., 
 
-- Iran's failure to be fully open and transparent with the 
IAEA reinforces the concern that it is attempting to hide the 
nature of this work in order to preserve a future nuclear 
weapon's option. 
 
-- Participating in a conference hosted by Iran on the 
advancement of nuclear technology would be perceived by Iran 
as legitimation of its claim that its nuclear activities are 
exclusively peaceful. 
 
-- The United States believes that participation in this 
conference would be highly counterproductive and urges states 
to decline any invitation. 
 
------------------ 
END U.S. NON-PAPER 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (U) Please slug all replies to ISN and provide 
substantive responses by 24 November 2008.  Risa Mongiello 
(ISN/RA, 202-736-4730, mongiellorn@state.sgov.gov) and 
Richard Nephew (ISN/RA, 202-647-7680, 
nephewrm@state.sgov.gov) will serve as the Department,s 
POCs. Please include SIPDIS in your response. 
RICE