VZCZCXYZ0011
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0363/01 2440937
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 010937Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6033
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0039
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2888
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0094
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0243

S E C R E T BERN 000363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS (B.MARWAHA), P (R.RANGASWAMY), NEA/IR 
(R.SPRING), ISN/RA, EB, AND EUR/CE (Y.SAINT-ANDRE) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2024 
TAGS: CASC PREL PHUM PGOV KNNP SZ IR
SUBJECT: SWISS AMBASSADOR TO IRAN COMMENTS ON ASSISTING 
U.S. CITIZENS AND DEALING WITH POST-ELECTION TEHRAN 
 
REF: STATE 88826 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Donald S. Beyer; reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Ambassador Leu emphasized that Switzerland, 
in its capacity as Protecting Power for the USG in Iran, 
continues to press for access and information about U.S. 
citizens detained or missing in Iran.  Regarding the recent 
case of the three U.S. hikers (Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, 
and Sarah Shourd), Leu noted that the Iranian MFA had 
provided conflicting information.  She underlined that she 
nevertheless is pressing for access to the three U.S. citizen 
hikers, and expects to meet with Iranian MFA Deputy Minister 
for American Affairs, Alireza Salari, next week to pursue the 
matter further.  Ambassador Beyer commended Leu for her 
efforts, and thanked her for SPP's continued engagement on 
behalf of U.S. citizens in Iran. 
 
¶2. (S) Summary continued:  Leu said the situation in Tehran 
currently is quite confused, as re-elected Iranian president 
Ahmadinejad works to form his new administration amidst the 
fallout of the post-election demonstrations.  She said that 
the elections and their aftermath had resulted in political 
fissures in Iranian society that were vertical, running from 
elites to the street, forming various factions competing for 
power.  Terming the P5 1 proposal for talks with Iran "very 
important," Leu said that the P5 1 process nevertheless could 
not serve as a substitute for direct U.S.-Iranian talks, 
which she maintained would be essential to successfully 
resolving the nuclear problem with Iran.  In that context, 
she reiterated that the Iranian government had told the Swiss 
government that Iran would be interested in re-establishing 
direct flights between Iran and the United States.  Leu said 
that she feared that opportunities could be missed for 
solving problems with Iran, due to the fallout from the 
Iranian elections.  As objectionable as the rhetoric and 
policies of Ahmadinejad can be, Leu said that she still 
believes that it is possible to deal with him.  End Summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Swiss Ambassador to Iran, Livia Leu, met August 31 
with Ambassador Beyer in Bern to provide an update on Swiss 
efforts to gain access to and information about U.S. citizens 
detained or missing in Iran.  Leu also used the opportunity 
to convey her views regarding dealing with the Iranian 
government following the June 12 Iranian national elections 
and their aftermath.  Leu is in Switzerland for summer leave 
and to participate in the annual Swiss Chiefs of Mission 
conference.  She returns to Iran September 3. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
SWISS PRESSING FOR ACCESS/INFO IN U.S. CITIZEN CASES 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4. (U) Ambassador Leu emphasized that Switzerland, in its 
capacity as Protecting Power for the USG in Iran, continues 
to press for access and information about U.S. citizens 
detained or missing in Iran.  The current cases include the 
three U.S. citizens reportedly detained by Iran while hiking 
in the vicinity of the Iraq-Iran border, U.S. scholar Kian 
Tajbakhsh, and Robert Levinson. 
 
¶5. (C) Regarding the recent case of the three U.S. hikers 
(Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, and Sarah Shourd), Leu noted 
that the Iranian MFA had provided conflicting information. 
(Note:  After Iranian MFA Deputy Minister for European 
Affairs, Mehdi Safari, confirmed to Leu on August 11 that 
Iran had detained the three U.S. citizens, Iranian MFA 
officials subsequently denied the confirmation.  End Note) 
She attributed this to the fact that the new Ahmedinejad 
administration has not yet formed, and that the responsible 
ministries therefore are in a period of bureaucratic 
uncertainty and confusion.  Leu assessed that, until it is 
clear who will be in charge of which ministries, and which 
senior officials will remain in place, Iranian government 
contacts are being very cautious.  She underlined that she 
nevertheless is pressing for access to the three U.S. citizen 
hikers, and expects to meet with Iranian MFA Deputy Minister 
for American Affairs, Alireza Salari, next week to pursue the 
matter further. 
 
¶6. (C) Leu commented that the Iraq-Iran border seemed like a 
 
strange place for U.S. citizens to be on a hiking tour.  She 
added that the apparently Jewish identity of one or more of 
the three hikers also probably would prompt increased 
suspicion of Iranian security services.  More broadly, she 
surmised that the Iranians are taking a "tit-for-tat" 
approach to the cases, still upset about the 2007 arrest and 
detention of Iranian "diplomats" by U.S. forces in Irbil, 
Iraq. (Note:  The Iranian personnel detained in Irbil were 
returned to Iran by Iraqi authorities on July 12, 2009.  End 
Note) 
 
¶7. (C) Leu also referred to Iranian complaints about alleged 
lack of access to Iranian citizens arrested in the United 
States.  DCM emphasized that there was no equivalency 
whatsoever between the detention of the Iranian personnel in 
Irbil and the U.S. hikers, who by all accounts appeared to be 
simply adventuresome world travelers, though apparently 
underestimating the risk.  Consul informed Leu that the USG 
last week (while Leu was on leave in Switzerland) had passed 
the Swiss Protecting Power (SPP) a message for the Iranian 
authorities (reftel), confirming that the USG respects its 
obligations to provide consular access to arrested Iranian 
citizens in the United States.  That message further noted 
that the USG is not currently aware of any cases in which 
access has been requested and denied, and invited the GoI, 
via its Pakistani Protecting Power in Washington, to bring 
any problematic cases to the attention of the USG. 
 
¶8. (C) Regarding Kian Tajbakhsh, Leu remarked that providing 
assistance is difficult, because the Iranian government does 
not recognize dual-nationality, and views Tajbakhsh strictly 
as an Iranian citizen.  She emphasized that the SPP 
nevertheless continues to press for access and to provide 
assistance to Tajbakhsh, just as it always has done in the 
cases of U.S.-Iranian dual nationals, such as the case of 
Roxana Saberi.  Leu remarked that the Iranian government 
views U.S. Congressional appropriations for the promotion of 
democracy in Iran as aimed at undermining the government, and 
is very suspicious of who is getting the funding in Iran and 
how the funds are being used.  Leu had no updates to provide 
in the case of Robert Levinson.  DCM underlined that the 
SPP's constant pressing of Iranian officials in 
detained/missing U.S. citizen cases, even if access is never 
granted, reduces the likelihood of mistreatment of the 
detained U.S. citizens.  Ambassador Beyer commended Leu for 
her efforts, and thanked her for SPP's continued engagement 
on behalf of U.S. citizens in Iran. 
 
--------------------------------- 
DEALING WITH POST-ELECTION TEHRAN 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (S) Leu said the situation in Tehran currently is quite 
confused, as re-elected Iranian president Ahmadinejad works 
to form his new administration amidst the fallout of the 
post-election demonstrations.  She assessed that the Iranian 
government was attempting to make some concessions to the 
demonstrators with certain measures, such as the closing of a 
detention center that had come under public scrutiny and the 
nomination of three women to serve as ministers in the next 
cabinet. 
 
¶10. (S) Leu said that the demonstrators had shown 
unprecedented courage in their actions in June and July, but 
now appeared for the most part to be intimidated by the 
Iranian security forces and were lying low.  She said that 
the elections and their aftermath had resulted in political 
fissures in Iranian society that were vertical, running from 
elites to the street, forming various factions competing for 
power.  Leu observed that there also are some generational 
factors in play.  The older Iranian generation that 
experienced Iran's revolution that deposed the Shah generally 
has no desire to live through the upheaval of another 
revolution, regardless of their political views.  At the same 
time, the younger Iranian generation remains one of the most 
pro-American groups in the Middle East, and remains hopeful 
for change. 
 
¶11. (S) Terming the P5 1 proposal for talks with Iran "very 
important," Leu said that the P5 1 process nevertheless could 
not serve as a substitute for direct U.S.-Iranian talks, 
 
which she maintained would be essential to successfully 
resolving the nuclear problem with Iran.  She said that, 
while sanctions had hurt Iran (particularly in the financial 
sector), the Iranian government continued to find ways to 
adapt, and still enjoys strong commercial relations with 
China and Russia.  Per Leu, the ongoing sanctions in some 
ways serve to strengthen the current Iranian regime, as they 
reinforce the image of foreign adversaries.  In Leu's view, 
the Iranian government will never bend to external pressure, 
and thus dialogue is the only way to achieve success. 
 
¶12. (S) In that context, she reiterated that the Iranian 
government had told the Swiss government that Iran would be 
interested in re-establishing direct flights between Iran and 
the United States.  Leu noted that she had raised this 
previously with USG interlocutors, and that the Iranian Vice 
Transportation Minister (and Iran Air Chairman) had told her 
several months ago that Iran remains interested.  The Vice 
Minister had suggested that perhaps the Swiss government 
could facilitate U.S.-Iran talks on this topic in 
Switzerland.  Leu noted that the flight issue presumably 
would include questions related to U.S. sanctions on Iran 
that affect the availability of aircraft parts.  She added 
that, in her view, a discrete bilateral issue such as direct 
flights could lend itself to building confidence and 
preparing the ground for discussing other issues. 
 
¶13. (S) In concluding her comments, Leu said that she feared 
that opportunities could be missed for solving problems with 
Iran, due to the fallout from the Iranian elections.  As 
objectionable as the rhetoric and policies of Ahmadinejad can 
be, Leu said that she still believes that it is possible to 
deal with him.  Calling him a political "daredevil" who is 
looking for ways to assuage domestic criticism and mark his 
place in history, Leu said she thinks Ahmadinejad is more 
open to engagement with the West than Khamenei is.  She 
stressed that she increasingly has become convinced during 
her time in Iran that it does not make sense to try to begin 
engagement with the Iranian government at the top -- i.e., 
with Supreme Leader Khamenei.  While Khamenei's consent for 
engagement with the West/USG ultimately would be needed -- 
and is not currently given -- he listens and responds to the 
various competing power centers below him, which is where the 
West/USG should begin its engagement, in Leu's view. 
 
¶14. (SBU) Leu said that no dates have been set, but that she 
hopes to travel to Washington for meetings with USG 
counterparts in late October or early November. 
BEYER