VZCZCXRO5914
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #3180 2811516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081516Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2012
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 003180 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IR KNNP MNUC PARM AF
SUBJECT: AFGHAN GOVERNMENT: "WE HAVE ENOUGH NUCLEAR 
NEIGHBORS" 
 
REF: STATE 1001053 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On October 7, Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone and the 
Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs 
(CDDEA) Wayne, together with the French Ambassador and 
British Deputy Head of Mission,  briefed FM Spanta, NSA 
Rassoul, and three MFA officials on the Iranian uranium 
enrichment facility near Qom, per reftel instructions.  (The 
French had received instructions to make the demarche 
jointly, if possible, with the US and UK.)  They also 
discussed the recently-concluded Geneva talks.  The Deputy 
Ambassador shared U/S Burns' background briefing on the 
talks, and pressed Spanta likewise to make a public statement 
urging Iran to comply with its international obligations 
regarding the NPT and UNSCRS. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Minister Spanta said that he shared U.S. concerns 
regarding the Qom facility, and told us that "we agree we 
have enough nuclear powers in our neighborhood."  He called 
the scheduled IAEA visit to the facility "encouraging." 
Spanta directed his spokesman, Zahir Faqiri, to find "a good 
journalist" who would pose a question to the MFA regarding 
Iranian nuclear enrichment.  Spanta would take the 
opportunity to respond "in a positive way."  He would attempt 
to "encourage Iran to cooperate further with the IAEA." 
 
EIKENBERRY