Cablegate: Latest Rafsanjani Statements

O 230431Z APR 87
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS STATE 121525

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

THE HAGUE FOR CROOK

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: IR US NL PREL
SUBJECT: LATEST RAFSANJANI STATEMENTS

1. WE ARE NOW AWARE OF AT LEAST TWO RAFSANJANI
STATEMENTS, ASSERTING LINKAGE BETWEEN THE AMERICAN
HOSTAGES IN LEBANON AND THE DISPOSITION OF IRANIAN
ASSETS, THAT HAVE APPEARED IN THE PRESS SINCE THE APRIL
3 U.S. LETTER TO BOCKSTIEGEL: THE INTERVIEW BY A
CORRESPONDENT FROM KEVAN HAVA'I; AND THE RAFSANJANI
PRESS CONFERENCE REPORTED BY IRNA ON APRIL 20. AS NEAR
AS WE CAN TELL, THE LATTER PRESS CONFERENCE IS PROBABLY
THE SOURCE FOR THE ARTICLES IN THE WASHINGTON POST AND
THE HERALD-TRIBUNE. (YOU SHOULD ALREADY HAVE RECEIVED
THESE STATEMENTS BY DATAFAX.)

2. THIS PERSISTENT REPETITION BY RAFSANJANI OF THE
HOSTAGE THEME MAKES IT NECESSARY FOR US AGAIN TO PUT ON
RECORD WITH THE TRIBUNAL THE UNACCEPTABILITY OF SUCH
STATEMENTS, AND THE NECESSITY FOR THE TRIBUNAL TO
ADDRESS THE HOSTAGE ISSUE ADEQUATELY IN ITS FINAL
ORDER. THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING TO
THE TRIBUNAL, IN WHATEVER WRITTEN FORM YOU JUDGE MOST
APPROPRIATE.

3. BEGIN TEXT. THE UNITED STATES REGRETS THAT IT IS
AGAIN NECESSARY TO CALL THE ATTENTION OF THE TRIBUNAL
TO FURTHER PUBLIC STATEMENTS ISSUED BY A HIGH-LEVEL
OFFICIAL OF THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT WHICH CLEARLY
SUGGEST THAT IRAN WILL WITHHOLD ITS ASSISTANCE IN
SECURING THE RELEASE OF AMERICAN HOSTAGES IN LEBANON
UNTIL THE RELEASE TO IRAN OF ASSETS WHICH ARE THE
SUBJECT OF VARIOUS TRIBUNAL PROCEEDINGS. THESE
STATEMENTS (COPIES ATTACHED) WERE MADE BY MAJLIS
SPEAKER RAFSANJANI AND APPEARED IN THE PRESS DURING THE
MONTH OF APRIL, MAKING A TOTAL OF AT LEAST THREE SUCH
STATEMENTS SUBSEQUENT TO THE LATEST ASSURANCES OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF IRAN THAT NO SUCH LINKAGE TO THE ILLEGAL
DETENTION OF HOSTAGES EXISTS.

THE REPEATED REITERATION OF SUCH STATEMENTS BY
HIGH-LEVEL IRANIAN OFFICIALS POINTS EVEN MORE STRONGLY
TO THE CLEAR NEED FOR THE GRANTING OF THE RELIEF
REQUESTED IN THIS REGARD BY THE UNITED STATES IN ITS
SUBMISSION OF 19 MARCH. SUCH LINKAGE IS UNACCEPTABLE
TO THE UNITED STATES AND, WE BELIEVE, IS AN AFFRONT TO
THE TRIBUNAL AS WELL. END TEXT.

SHULTZ

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