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Cablegate: Iran Press: Ahmadinejad Website Goes 'Behind the Scenes' In

Published: Tue 13 Oct 2009 12:09 PM
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TAGS: IR PGOV PREL PARM
SUBJECT: IRAN PRESS: AHMADINEJAD WEBSITE GOES 'BEHIND THE SCENES' IN
GENEVA TALKS
DUBAI 00000433 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) "Sanyehnews" (sanyehnews.com) is an Iranian website
closely affiliated the views of President Ahmadinejad. On
Monday, October 12 it posted a story titled, "What Wasn't Said
and Published About the Geneva Talks," that puts forward a
version of the October first Geneva negotiations that is worth
noting for its indication as to how the Ahmadinejad
administration is portraying events in Geneva for its core
supporters.
2. (U) (rough translation of article as follows:)
Iran presented its proposal to the P5+1 countries at a time
when the press atmosphere was severely against Iran's nuclear
program, citing a final deadline of the end of September for
Iran to carry out discussions with the West. But behind this
propaganda, other events were taking place.
According to Saniyeh News, former NATO Secretary General and
current EU Foreign Minister Javier Solana contacted IRIG Supreme
National Security Council Secretary Dr. Said Jalili, citing the
western media atmosphere to convince Iran to carry out
discussions in September concerning "the nuclear file." Jalili
did not succumb to Solana's pressure, responding firstly that
his schedule for the month of September was full and he didn't
have any free time, and secondly that the subject for
discussions could not be Iran's nuclear file. Finally Solana
accepted that the discussions would take place in October with
the subject being Iran's proposed package.
[in Geneva on October 1] In the first round of discussions every
time that the 5+1 delegation, contrary to prior agreement, spoke
about Iran's nuclear file, Jalili put his pen down and looked at
them to show his displeasure at this departure from the thrust
of the talks. Jalili's wise stance met with a reaction by the
six countries, especially the UK representative who protesting
sharply, characterized the talks as returning to a starting
point of zero. Responding to these protests, Jalili pointed out
that the UK representative was the third person to represent the
UK with whom Jalili has talked [i.e. during Jalili's tenure] and
cited him as a newcomer in these negotiations and ignorant of
the past progression of these talks. Jalili said that Iran is
not seeking to return to zero, and that Iran has pursued a
course over the last six years and has made achievements that it
is not willing to turn from or negotiate over. Jalili showed
the P5+1 delegations several English-language newspapers that
had news stories featuring the statement of 239 Iranian Majlis
representatives warning the P5+1 and supporting Iran's nuclear
program. Without mentioning Obama's name, he quoted to the P5+1
members' Obama's prior comments that "one must speak to the
representatives of the people," and cited himself as the
representative of the Iranian nation, a nation that sees nuclear
energy as its undeniable right.
After these statements, the other side requested a break. Dr.
Jalili agreed and went to relax and sit down in a green area
outside the meeting site. After a while a Swiss Deputy Foreign
Minister (Switzerland being the host country for the meetings)
came hurriedly looking for Jalili and excitedly told Jalili that
"Nicholas Burns [sic] the US Deputy Secretary of State has
invited you for bilateral talks." Mindless of his [i.e. the
Swiss diplomat's] excitement, Jalili said there is no need for
this, and the US representative can speak his words in front of
all when talks resume. After continued insistence the Swiss
official met with a stern response by Jalili, who invited him to
perform [only] his role as the host of the gathering. After him,
Javier Solana came and spoke of the urgency of taking advantage
of this historic opportunity and even took Jalili's hand to
encourage him to go for discussions [i.e. with Burns]. But he
met with a decisive negative answer from Jalili who implied that
he wished to renounce such a historic opportunity, in that the
other meeting participants were not strangers and it was better
that the US representative speak in front of all.
DUBAI 00000433 002.2 OF 002
Jalili stood firm, and next Nicholas [sic] Burns came and asked
to talk, but met with the same answer. Burns insisted that he
had something else to say. Jalili asked Burns to speak at that
very location and next started walking towards the place where
lunch was going to be held, with Burns following him. This
process was taking place with the representatives of the five
countries (Russia, China, France, Germany, UK) along with Solana
staring from the building's balcony at the discussion between
Burns and Jalili, a discussion in which Jalili characterized
Iran's nuclear file as verified, solved and sealed.
After the end of this discussion, Solana came towards Jalili and
asked about the results. Jalili saying that he'd not yet prayed
nor had lunch, and left the area. While eating, Solana
announced to Jalili that the 5+1 was prepared to continue
discussions after lunch. Jalili said that he had to reflect and
went outside for a walk, taking 15 minutes to do so. Solana
came looking for him saying, "with your walking you are
concentrating your thoughts but are also deranging ours!"
Finally the next session of discussions started and was carried
out quickly, with both sides agreeing to cite the process of
discussions as positive and to prepare conditions for expert
discussions so that experts can prepare proposals for the future
of the seven-sided discussions.
EYREAE
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