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