US embassy cable - 03OTTAWA2355

S E C R E T OTTAWA 002355 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP/RA, NP/MNA, IO/T, NEA/NGA, DRL AND WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2013 
TAGS: KNNP, PHUM, IR, CA, IAEA, Iran 
SUBJECT: IRAN: CANADA WOULD SUPPORT IAEA NON-COMPLIANCE 
RESOLUTION, STILL REVIEWING OVERALL RELATIONSHIP IN WAKE OF 
JOURNALIST'S DEATH 
 
REF: (A) OTTAWA 2115 (B) OTTAWA 2109 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Brian Flora, 
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) Canada's Foreign Ministry (DFAIT) informed us on 
August 15 that should the USG decide to press for a 
resolution of non-compliance at the September IAEA Board of 
Governors meeting, Canada will "fully and actively" support 
us.  Foreign Minister Graham has written to IAEA DG El 
Baradei, urging him to take a tough approach in his report on 
Iran's nuclear program.  The case of Canadian photojournalist 
Zahra Kazemi, who died in Iranian custody in June, continues 
to be a flash point for reformists and conservatives in 
Tehran.  Iran's inquiry into Zazemi's death and Canada's 
review of the bilateral relationship (also looking at the 
nuclear issue) are still ongoing. END SUMMARY. 
 
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IAEA 
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2. (C) On August 12, FM Graham signed a letter to IAEA DG El 
Baradei expressing Canada's deep concern over the Iranian 
nuclear program, which poses a "grave challenge to regional 
and international peace and security."  Graham's letter tells 
El-Baradei that Canada and other countries have bent over 
backwards in funding IAEA verification and safeguards, and 
that the Agency in turn must be prepared to use all the means 
at its disposal in Iran, including special inspections. 
 
3. (S) Graham also informed El Baradei that arrangements are 
being made for Canada to share sensitive information on Iran 
(ref. A) with the IAEA in time to be taken into account in 
the August 25 report.  Terry Wood, DFAIT Deputy Director for 
Non-Proliferation, told us that the Canadian Security 
Intelligence Service (CSIS) recently signed an information 
sharing agreement with the IAEA, and that CSIS would send a 
high-level official to Vienna in September to launch this 
process.  In the meantime, CSIS would provide some "very 
fresh information" on Iran's nuclear program to the IAEA 
Secretariat through British or U.S. officials. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
4. (C) DFAIT Iran Desk Officer Chrystiane Roy told us that 
Iran's internal debate continues over whether to sign an 
additional protocol.  She said that reformists were trying to 
decide whether signing the protocol would relieve external 
pressure, while Ayatollah Khameni did not care what the rest 
of the world thought on this issue.  Roy speculated that the 
government might try to sidestep Khameni through de facto 
implementation of an additional protocol without actually 
signing. 
 
5. (C) Wood noted that an effort to adopt a resolution of 
non-compliance at the BOG meeting might not be successful, 
but that the onus should be on others to show why this should 
be put off.  Should a resolution not be possible, Wood 
continued, we might pursue two interim steps: invoking 
Article 18 of Iran's safeguards agreement and/or Article 77. 
Wood felt these steps would keep the heat on Iran and build 
momentum in the BOG. 
 
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KAZEMI INQUIRY 
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6. (C) In the Kazemi case (ref. B), Roy told us that Canada's 
Ambassador remains in Ottawa and that the bilateral 
relationship is still under review.  Of the five officials 
Iran detained in July in connection with Kazemi's death, two 
female prison officials were released on bail.  The other 
three, all from the Ministry of Intelligence, apparently 
remain in custody.  Judge Esmaili has not yet issued his 
report on Kazemi's death.  Roy said that Esmaili has a fairly 
good reputation, and is perceived as neutral in the battle 
between reformists and conservatives. 
 
7. (C) Roy said that the Kazemi case continues to attract 
much attention in the Iranian parliament and media.  She 
noted that at an annual demonstration held in early August to 
remember the death of Iranian journalists at the hands of the 
Taliban, the journalists also commemorated the death of 
Kazemi.  Some Iranian MPs, she continued, have called for the 
prosecution of Tehran Prosecutor General Mortazavi, who was 
present during Kazemi's interrogation. 
CELLUCCI