VZCZCXRO1963
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #1004/01 3102108
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 062108Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7555
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1394
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 1219
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2354
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0301

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USUN NEW YORK 001004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL UNGA CU KN KS RS IS IR
SUBJECT: UNGA MEETS ON IAEA REPORT: ELBARADEI'S SWAN SONG, 
IRAN, DPRK, CUBA, ISRAEL, AND OTHERS DEBATE THE AGENCY AND 
NON-PROLIFERATION 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  The UN General Assembly met in plenary to 
discuss the Report of the International Atomic Energy (IAEA), 
hearing for the last time from its outgoing Director-General, 
Mohammad ElBaradei, who emphasized the importance of not 
isolating countries, using diplomatic means to address 
proliferation, and congratulated President Obama for the 
recent steps taken by the U.S to begin reducing weapons 
stocks in cooperation with the Russian Federation.  After 
ElBaradei,s remarks, the following countries spoke: 
Malaysia, Sweden, the Russian Federation, Egypt, Belarus, the 
Islamic Republic of Iran, Cuba, Indonesia, Sudan,  Republic 
of Korea, Mongolia, Switzerland, South Africa,  Kuwait, 
Japan, Singapore, Ukraine, Ethiopia, China, Pakistan, the 
United States, Venezuela, and Libya.  The Republic of Korea 
accused the DPRK of provocative actions, while the DPRK 
defended its weapons program and blamed the U.S. for leading 
it to develop a nuclear deterrent. Iran defended its nuclear 
program as existing only for peaceful means and cautioned 
against double standards that allow leniency towards Israel. 
Major themes included criticism of Israel,s alleged nuclear 
program, a call to use nuclear technology to assist 
developing nations, an emphasis on the right of all countries 
to develop peaceful nuclear technology, and warm words for 
both the role of the IAEA and its out-going Director General. 
 The U.S. statement emphasized strong support for the IAEA 
and called for an approach to the Middle East to proceed in a 
non-politicized way. The United States and dozens of other 
countries co-sponsored draft Resolution A/64/L.7, entitled 
"Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency,8 which 
passed without a vote. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) ELBARADEI  REFLECTS ON DEVELOPMENT, DIPLOMACY, IRAN, 
THE DPRK, IRAQ, AND THE UNITED STATES:  Mohammad ElBaradei 
delivered his final address to the United Nations as IAEA 
Director General and affirmed that the Agency has "gained 
universal respect for its independence and objectivity in 
nuclear verification, safety and security."  He praised 
efforts to bring nuclear technology to the developing world 
and encouraged even more work in this sector calling energy 
"the engine of development."  He highlighted the Program of 
Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT) and the Technical 
Cooperation Program as two initiatives that have well served 
those most in need. ElBaradei commented that "the gravest 
threat the world faces today, in my opinion, is that 
extremists could get hold of nuclear or radioactive 
materials" and called for an expansion of the IAEA,s legal 
authority, technology, and most critically funding to assist 
the IAEA in its mandate.  ElBaradei addressed the war in 
Iraq, and noted that he will "always lament the fact that a 
tragic war was launched in Iraq, which has cost the lives of 
possibly hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians." He 
referred to the situation with the DPRK as a "glaring example 
of the fragility and shortcomings of the non-proliferation 
regime" and suggested that both Iraq and the DPRK prove that 
countries should not be isolated and diplomacy should run its 
course.  ElBaradei urged Iran to be forthcoming and said that 
there are "a number of questions and allegations relevant to 
the nature of their program" that must be "clarified by Iran 
through transparency and cooperation with the Agency." He 
called President Obama,s recent non-proliferation agenda a 
"courageous initiative" and said that the efforts of the 
weapons states to reduce their stock will help grant them 
"the moral authority to call on the rest of the world to curb 
the proliferation of these inhumane weapons." 
 
¶3. (U) WARM WORDS FOR THE IAEA AND MOHAMMAD ELBARADEI:  Many 
countries praised the IAEA and the leadership of its outgoing 
Director General. South Africa commented that ElBaradei "had 
virtues that contributed towards building confidence about 
the work of the Agency." Egypt thanked ElBaradei for his 
"balanced role" and helping to develop "this most important 
and sensitive international body." The Republic of Korea told 
delegates that ElBaradei will "undoubtedly leave a lasting 
legacy" thanks to his "commitment to professional 
impartiality, transparency and equitable cooperation." 
Sweden, speaking on behalf of the E.U., noted that 
ElBaradei,s 2005 Nobel Peace Prize was a "just recognition 
of the achievements both of the Director General and of the 
Agency." South Africa lauded the "commendable activities 
undertaken by the Agency in strengthening international 
cooperation in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste 
safety, as well as in nuclear science, technology and 
applications." 
 
¶4. (U) MANY COUNTRIES REITERATE RIGHT OF ALL COUNTRIES TO 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001004  002 OF 004 
 
 
PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY:  A theme stressed by 
nearly all of the countries speaking was the importance of 
preserving the right of countries to develop nuclear 
technology for peaceful purposes. Countries posited this as a 
basic right enshrined in international law.  Belarus affirmed 
its stance that efforts must be made to "promote equal, 
non-discriminatory access of all countries concerned to the 
benefits of the nuclear energy."  Egypt painted the expansion 
of peaceful nuclear technology as critical to address poverty 
since "developing countries face growing needs to clean and 
affordable sources of energy."  China took a similar view 
noting that both economic-development needs and climate 
change have led to the increase in countries seeking nuclear 
technology. 
 
¶5. (U) CALLS FOR NON-PROLIFERATION AND THE IAEA ROLE:  Most 
countries emphasized the need to strengthen the 
non-proliferation regime. Venezuela stressed the IAEA,s role 
in non-proliferation and criticized the recent Security 
Council Resolution 1887, by noting that Venezuela rejects 
initiatives that take legitimacy away from the international 
disarmament system.  Sweden called the IAEA "an essential 
part of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime as its 
prime objective is to detect and deter the diversion of 
nuclear materials for use in nuclear weapons." Ukraine 
reaffirmed the importance of the IAEA and called it the 
corner-stone of the non-proliferation regime. Pakistan took 
an opportunity to "reiterate Pakistan,s firm commitment to 
nuclear non-proliferation" and added that efforts globally 
must be "strengthened on the basis of moral, political and 
international commitments."  South Africa maintained - along 
with others - that radioactive waste management ought to be 
considered a high priority. 
 
¶6. (U) CUBA SAYS U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE PREVENTS ITS ABILITY 
TO ACQUIRE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY: Cuba called attention to the 
U.S. economic "blockade" of its country, noting that it 
prevents the IAEA from operating there since U.S. firms are 
unable to sell their equipment to Cuba, fearing potential 
sanctions.  Referring to Iran, Cuba said the world must do 
away with double standards. Cuba affirms "the inalienable 
right for countries to use nuclear technology for peaceful 
purposes" and "rejects any attempts" to use the issue as a 
"means of political coercion." Cuba contended that the only 
road to peace and security is the total elimination of all 
nuclear weapons. Lastly, Cuba bemoaned the bloated size of 
the war industry in some countries and praised ElBaradei for 
his impartiality. 
 
¶7. (U) SEVERAL COUNTRIES CRITICIZE ISRAEL FOR ALLEGED WEAPONS 
PROGRAM: Egypt mentioned the most recent IAEA General 
Conference, which adopted a resolution entitled "Israeli 
Nuclear Capabilities" and referred to it as a document 
"alerting the international community of the dangers 
represented by those capabilities which remain outside any 
international control in the area of safeguards, nuclear 
safety or security." Libya stated that there can be no 
progress in making the Middle East free of nuclear weapons as 
long as Israel refuses to relinquish its own supply.  Kuwait 
referred to "Israeli intransigence" and requested "the 
international community to pressure Israel to join the NPT." 
Indonesia expressed a "deep concern of continued failure to 
establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East" and 
contended that "progress will only happen if Israel places 
all its nuclear weapons under Agency control."  Sudan said 
the inability to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the 
Middle East is due to Israel,s unwillingness to cooperate. 
 
¶8. (U) IRAN CALLS TREATMENT OF ISRAEL A DOUBLE-STANDARD AND 
DEFENDS ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS PEACEFUL:  Iran criticized the 
IAEA for spending too much time being used as a "verification 
tool" and said that this function was directly related to a 
"few countries" that "have attempted to degrade it to a 
uni-purpose entity during the last decade." But in speaking 
to this very role, Iran called the IAEA "the sole competent 
body for verification activities in accordance with the 
provisions of the Statute and the NPT."  Iran blamed "certain 
nuclear-weapon States and their allies" for creating "various 
restrictions and limitations on the way of transfer of 
nuclear material, equipment and technology to developing 
countries with peaceful activities." Iran characterized those 
states cooperating with the "Zionist regime" as an example of 
"non-compliance both to the letter and spirit of the NPT" and 
said that the treatment towards Israel represents "double 
standards and discriminatory approaches."  Iran blamed Israel 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001004  003 OF 004 
 
 
for thwarting efforts to remove a nuclear threat from the 
Middle East and declared that Israel is "the main obstacle in 
establishing the nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle 
East." Finally, Iran stressed that its nuclear program "is, 
and has always been, for peaceful purposes." 
 
¶9. (U) SEVERAL COUNTRIES WEIGH IN ON IRAN: Kuwait encouraged 
Iran, which it referred to as the "friendly Islamic Republic" 
to "continue its cooperation with the IAEA with transparency" 
and encouraged a diplomatic solution including the 
discussions between the group of 5 1 in Geneva and Iran. 
Japan noted that "Iran,s nuclear program is a source of 
concern for the international community." 
 
¶10. (U) RUSSIAN FEDERATION LAUDS COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED 
STATES:  The Russian Federation highlighted its recent 
cooperation with the U.S. and commented that the joint 
statement "confirmed the commitment to the buildup of 
cooperation aimed at prevention of nuclear-weapons 
proliferation and preclusion of acts of nuclear terrorism." 
Russia went on to say that it hopes the steps will lead to a 
decrease in the use of highly enriched uranium for civilian 
applications. Russia also praised the effectiveness of the 
Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, put forward by 
the Presidents of Russia and the United States in 2006, and 
said that it has now reached a "global dimension." Russia 
noted its efforts working with the U.S., the IAEA and partner 
countries to return to Russia spent highly enriched uranium. 
Russia discussed other positive steps it is taking in 
conjunction with the IAEA - including its implementation of 
the IAEA International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors 
and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) - a 
nd endorsed the body,s work as "strengthening international 
security." 
 
¶11. (U) THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA BLAMES DPRK FOR "PROVOCATIVE 
ACTIONS" AND "BLATANT VIOLATIONS": The Republic of Korea 
emphasized that "the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear 
issue is vital to securing lasting peace and prosperity of 
the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia." It expressed 
concern that recently "the international efforts for 
verifiable denuclearization of the DPRK have faced a series 
of provocative actions taken by the DPRK" and accused the 
country of blatantly violating the Six-Party Talks agreements 
as well as UN Security Council Resolutions. ROK also noted 
the IAEA General Conference Resolution of last September, 
which it hopes will lead to the "DPRK,s realization that its 
nuclear ambition will not be tolerated."  It urged the DPRK 
to return to the Six-Party Talks, to abandon its nuclear 
program, and to return to the NPT regime. 
 
¶12. (U) DPRK DEFENDS ITSELF IN EXPLANATION OF VOTE:  The DPRK 
delivered an explanation of vote and called the IAEA,s 
position prejudiced and urged the IAEA towards impartiality. 
The DPRK blamed U.S. policy for the behavior of the DPRK, 
including its testing of a second nuclear weapon, and accused 
the U.S. of maintaining a hostile policy towards the DPRK. 
The DPRK accused the U.S. of aggravating the Korean peace 
process, and offered a commitment to continue talks with the 
U.S., possibly within a multi-lateral setting. 
 
¶13. (U) U.S. STATEMENT:  The U.S. delivered a statement 
reiterating its support for the IAEA in "all facets of its 
work" and added its commitment to finding multilateral 
solutions to global challenges.  The U.S. noted its support 
for the IAEA role of expanding the peaceful use of nuclear 
energy, while at the same time preventing proliferation of 
weapons. With respect to the Middle East, the U.S. emphasized 
that any efforts to address nuclear-related issues there must 
be done in a "comprehensive and non-politicized" way.  The 
U.S. noted reservations on the adoption of the Israeli 
Nuclear Capabilities text at the recent IAEA General 
Conference. Full text of the U.S. statement can be found at 
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/200 9/131211.htm. 
 
¶14. (U) ISRAEL EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE IAEA GENERAL 
CONFERENCE IN EXPLANATION OF POSITION: Following the adoption 
of the resolution, Israel explained its position and noted 
disappointment in the recent IAEA General Conference 
resolution, and calledthe "Israeli Nuclear Capabilities" text 
as completely one-sided. Israel also complained that other 
nations in the Middle East have shown unwillingness to 
promote regional talks aimed at establishing a 
nuclear-weapons-free zone. Israel disassociated itself from 
the reference in the report to the attack of Israel on the 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001004  004 OF 004 
 
 
"Dir Azour" site in Syria and noted that this was a 
politically motivated reference that contrasts the usual 
professionalism of the Agency. 
Rice