VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #5953 0222231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 222222Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0000
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0000

UNCLAS STATE 005953 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM AORC FR PTER PINR
SUBJECT: DOE REQUEST FOR ASSURANCES IN ORDER TO TRANSFER 
URANIUM IN SUPPORT OF NUCLEAR FORENSICS EXERCISE 
 
¶1.  (U) DOE REQUEST FOR ASSURANCES:  We wish to inform post 
that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has sent a request 
for assurances to Mr. Jacques Figuet at the French Embassy in 
Washington (para 4) to facilitate the Commissariat a 
l'Energue Atomique's (CEA) request to participate in a 
nuclear forensics exercise in support of the International 
Technical Working Group (ITWG) on Nuclear Smuggling.  The 
exercise will involve the transfer of between 10-14 grams 
highly enriched uranium under a contract with the United 
States Department of Energy (DOE) to a CEA facility.  Title 
will transfer to the Government of France for the 
laboratory's exclusive use during the ITWG exercise.  Because 
the CEA laboratory is not considered an eligible facility for 
international safeguards under the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA), the DOE has requested, through the 
French Embassy in Washington, that the Government of France 
provide assurances to the DOE that the nuclear material will 
be used only for peaceful uses and exclusively for the 
purpose of this sampling exercise.  Without such assurances, 
DOE cannot enter into a contract with the CEA laboratory to 
supply the highly enriched uranium for receipt, sampling and 
analytical analysis and reporting.  No post action is 
required at this time; this cable is for informational 
purposes. 
 
¶2.  (U) CEA POINT OF CONTACT:  Mr. Andre Chabre, Nuclear 
Energy Division, Commissariat a l'Energue Atomique 
(CEA)/Saclay (Bt. 121), 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France. 
 
¶3.  (U) ITWG BACKGROUND:  Chartered in 1996 by the G-8, the 
Nuclear Smuggling International Technical Working Group 
(ITWG) is an international group of policy and decision 
makers, law enforcement personnel, and scientists with 
expertise in, and responsibility for, nuclear forensics.  The 
group is co-chaired by U.S. and European Union (EU) experts 
and includes members from more than 20 countries that have 
been nominated by their governments on the basis of their 
expertise in different facets of nuclear forensics.  The 
objective of the ITWG is to combat illicit trafficking of 
nuclear material by promoting international cooperation in 
the field of nuclear forensics, particularly with regard to 
supporting prosecutions of smugglers.  To this end, the ITWG 
has adopted a general framework to guide nuclear forensics 
investigations which includes: recommendations for nuclear 
crime scene security and analysis, the best application of 
radio-analytical methods, the conduct of traditional forensic 
analysis of contaminated materials, and effective data 
analysis to interpret the history of seized nuclear 
materials.  These techniques have been adopted by experts in 
many nations (e.g., Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, others) 
as they respond to incidents of illicit nuclear trafficking. 
These multilateral efforts directly support the principles 
and mission of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear 
Terrorism which also seeks to share expertise and best 
practices. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Begin text of letter: 
 
Mr. Jacques Figuet 
Counselor for Nuclear Affairs 
Embassy of France 
4101 Reservoir Road, NW 
Washington, DC 20007 
 
Dear Mr. Figuet: 
 
Commissariat a l'Energue Atomique (CEA) has expressed an 
interest in participating in a nuclear forensics exercise in 
support of the International Technical Working Group (ITWG) 
on Nuclear Smuggling.  The exercise will involve the transfer 
of between 10-14 grams of highly enriched uranium under a 
contract with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to 
their facility.  Title will transfer to the Government of 
France for the exclusive use of participating in the ITWG 
exercise.  Because the CEA laboratory is not considered an 
eligible facility for international safeguards under the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), prior to the DOE 
entering into a contract with the laboratory to supply the 
enriched uranium for receipt, sampling and analytical 
analysis and reporting, the United States Government requests 
that the Government of France provide assurances to the DOE 
that the nuclear material will be used only for peaceful uses 
and exclusively for the purpose of this sampling exercise. 
 
Please confirm your receipt of this notice acknowledging the 
facility's responsibility to use this material for peaceful 
uses and exclusively for the purpose of the subject ITWG 
exercise, and furthermore, subject to a contract with DOE, 
the facility will account for the nuclear material in 
accordance with the contract to be executed between the DOE 
and the Government of France.  You may confirm receipt by 
faxing or emailing a signed copy of this form to Mr. Sean 
Oehlbert.  He may be reached at 202-586-3806 or 
sean.oehlbert@nnsa.doe.gov. 
 
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this 
matter. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Richard. S. Goorevich 
Director 
Office of International Regimes and Agreements 
U.S. Department of Energy 
 
End text of letter. 
CLINTON