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O 250926Z NOV 09
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000915 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2029 
TAGS: PGOV PREL INRA SA YM AJ IR
SUBJECT: ALLEGED IRANIAN SNSC DEBATE ON SAUDI, USG ISSUES 
 
REF: BAKU 909 
 
Classified By: ACTING POL/ECON COUNSELOR SHANNON ROSS, FOR REASONS 1.4 
(B) and (D) 
 
 Rising Saudi Tensions 
---------------------- 
 
¶1.  (S) On November 23, Baku Iran watcher held a follow-up 
meeting with the Baku-based Iranian contact who provided the 
information related reftel.  At the meeting source provided 
additional information concerning the alleged content of a 
November meeting of the Iranian Supreme National Security 
Council (SNSC), recent alleged bilateral incidents adding 
fuel to the fire, and other issues supposedly flowing out of 
a November 10 meeting of the Iranian Supreme National 
Security Council (SNSC).  Source reported that approximately 
80 Iranians on a pilgrimage to Mecca were detained in Saudi 
Arabia o/a November 20.  The source said he did not know the 
reason for the detention, but speculated that these were 
indeed simply pilgrims, possibly with some kind of technical 
documentation problems.  He claimed that, as of November 24, 
the Saudis have not deported, charged, or released the 
detained Iranian "pilgrims."  He claimed that that Tehran is 
furious, but is attempting to resolve the issue quietly via 
negotiation.  He cited a XXXXXXXXXXXX working in the Haj Office in 
Tehran as his source for much of this information, but said 
it was confirmed by others. 
 
Alleged Rock Throwing at Saudi Embassy 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (S) As an example of concrete evidence backing his reftel 
reporting, source related that on the afternoon of November 
22 a crowd of about 200 Iranians, demonstrated in front of 
the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and pelted it with stones.  He 
said that this incident has also not yet been reported in the 
Iranian media, but may be later that day or the next.  Note: 
A google check after this interview did not turn up any 
reports concerning this event; however an Embassy Baku FSN 
subsequently related that Iranian government-run Press TV ran 
a story on the Saudi Embassy incident on the night of 
November 23, including some footage of students denouncing 
alleged Saudi killing of Yemeni Sh'ia  End Note. 
 
Saudi UNGA Vote Angers Tehran 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Source added that on November 20 Saudi Arabia voted 
in favor of a UNGA Human Rights resolution critical of Iran. 
He noted that this was the first time it has done so (in 
previous years Saudi Arabia either abstained, or voted 
"absent" on such resolutions), and claimed (citing 
conversations with inside-the-beltway type Iranians) that the 
Saudi vote was received with "shock and anger" by some in 
Tehran. 
 
More on Recent SNSC Deliberations 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (S) Source reiterated reftel claim that stepped-up 
confrontation with Saudi Arabia was discussed at a meeting of 
the Supreme Security Council of Iran on November 10.  He 
repeated that one option discussed at the meeting (attended 
by President Ahmedinejad, Speaker Larijani, and about fifteen 
others) was an Iranian "student seizure" of the Saudi 
Embassy, but claimed that this option was put on hold for 
now, due to strong opposition from some SNSC members, 
including Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani. 
 
¶5.  (S) He related that some in favor of the deploying the 
Embassy student occupation option argued that such an 
incident would help galvanize youth support for the regime. 
Apropos of this suggestion, source related that Ali Larijani 
observed sarcastically (either during or after the meeting, 
this was not clear) that "one experience occupying a foreign 
embassy is enough - in fact we have not yet extricated 
ourselves from the last (such) experience." 
 
¶6.  (S) Source again discussed the supposed "USG needs a war" 
policy memorandum and discussion referenced reftel, which 
allegedly called on preparation for American and/or Israeli 
attacks and a stepped-up anti-America media campaign.  He 
said that recently announced military training exercises to 
defend nuclear sites flows directly from this document, 
adding that less-publicized Persian gulf naval exercises are 
also pending and flow from the November 10 meeting, as does 
an instruction to prepare options for attacking sites in 
Israel.  He said that the decision document was strongly 
backed by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the Chairman of the Security 
Committee of the Milli Majlis.  He described Boroujerdi as a 
former Marxist activist (known to him personally as such 
during their student days) who remains dogmatically 
anti-capitalist and anti-American, and who regards Western 
compromise overtures as "imperialistic  tricks."  Baku 
contact said that Boroujerdi attends all SNSC meetings, and 
is regarded by some (and portrays himself) as an expert on 
understanding the U.S. and its goals. 
 
¶7.  (S/NF) FYI.  The Baku contact provided more detailed 
information on the alleged source of his information on 
recent SNSC deliberations, as well as certain operational 
facts about the Council.  This sensitive information will be 
provided septel.  End FYI. 
 
CIS Watch Group in Foreign Ministry 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (S) Source noted that the SNSC sometimes turns to a 
strategic unit headed by former Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahad 
Gazayi for expert advice on Russia and CIS issues (although 
Gazayi does not attend SNSC meetings).  He explained that 
Gazayi, whom he has known since student days, now heads a CIS 
coordination center or think tank within the Foreign 
Ministry, which has branches in several Iranian Embassies in 
CIS countries.  He said that Gazayi travels frequently to CIS 
countries, and at least once a month to Baku, where the main 
branch office of his CIS analysis group is situated.  He 
remarked that Gazayi comes from a respected family in 
Ardebil, and is personally courteous and rather liberal. 
 
Information on Baku Source 
-------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (S) Baku Iran watcher has known this contact for over a 
year.  He was very helpful in networking with Iranians in 
Iran after the election fiasco, including a figure connected 
to the Rafsanjani clique.  He also assisted a local Baku NGO 
in organizing a successful tri-nation conference on Iranian 
women's issues held in Istanbul last November, recruiting 
many of the Iranian participants (some prominent).  He was 
formerly a journalist and magazine editor XXXXXXXXXXXX, and was 
imprisoned for a year followed by judicial exile for his 
cultural nationalism (although he considers himself 100 
percent Iranian, and is no separatist or autonomist).  As a 
student he was Marxist anti-Shah organizer, though he says he 
no longer believes in Marxism.  Some of his contacts in his 
disparate network result from these three experiences, e.g. a 
Rafsanjani circle contact who was a prominent figure in the 
National Religious (Melli Mazhabi) group was in prison with 
him. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (S) Baku contact identified the purported main source 
for the alleged SNSC deliberation information.  Specific data 
on this and other sensitive details concerning supposed SNSC 
operational practices will be conveyed septel.  What can be 
said in this cable is that the purported original source of 
most of the above information is credibly in a position to 
have access to the information provided.  However, while our 
strong impression is that the Baku contact genuinely believes 
his information is accurate, Iran we cannot yet assess the 
credibility of the information itself, or that the purported 
original source of the information is indeed the real one. 
End Comment. 
LU