S E C R E T USUN NEW YORK 000211
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017
TAGS: ENRG, IR, KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL, TRGY
SUBJECT: IRAN RELATED BRIEFINGS
REF: A. STATE 27549
B. USUN 174
Classified By: Ambassador Jackie W. Sanders. E.O. 12958. Reasons 1.4 (
B&D)
1. (S) On 09 March Ambassador Sanders and Chief of Station's
(COS) senior representative at USUN delivered reftel
sensitive briefing on Iran's nuclear weapons program to
Panama's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN)
Ambassador Ricardo Arias and to Italy's Permanent
Representative to the UN Ambassador Marcelo Spatafora.
Ambassador Arias described the information as convincing and
did not pose any follow-up questions. Ambassador Spatafora
likewise found the material to be valuable and only asked if
the information contained in the briefing had been recently
acquired. Both Ambassadors accepted the nonpaper and stated
they would review it carefully.
2. (S) At the conclusion of the Iranian weapons program
briefing, Ambassador Spatafora took the opportunity to
forcefully describe his level of frustration at being
excluded from the P-5 plus 1 negotiations of the Iran
sanctions resolution. Pulling out a just received
instructions cable from Rome, Spatafora launched into an
emphatic warning regarding the possible consequences of not
involving Italy in the early negotiations of the sanctions
resolution. Spatafora noted that while Rome and the Italian
Embassy in Washington may appear compliant and unconcerned
with the negotiations, that he had received clear
instructions from the Foreign Minister to object to the
resolution if the economic sanctions in that resolution make
Italy "pay more" than other nations. Spatafora emphasized
that Italy agreed with the need for a sanctions resolution
but that Italy will not simply go along with a resolution it
has not been a party to negotiating. Spatafora vehemently
complained about being kept in the dark by his EU colleagues
and noted repeatedly that what information he has on the
status of the resolution comes from the open press and not
his EU colleagues.
3. (S) Ambassador Sanders thanked Ambassador Spatafora for
his candor and encouraged him to express his views to his EU
colleagues. Additionally, Ambassador Sanders provided a
general update on the status of the negotiations and assured
Spatafora that USUN would take his views into account.
WOLFF