US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE3155

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 003155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR T, AC, AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP 
JOINT STAFF FOR DD, PMA-1 FOR WTC 
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) 
NSC FOR CHUPA 
WINPAC FOR LIEPMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, KNNP, LY, CWC 
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): OPCW READY TO 
ACT ON LIBYA'S AGREEMENT TO ABANDON CW 
 
REF: STATE 345870 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Pete Ito, U.S. Delegation to the OPCW.  Reasons: 1.5 (B, 
 D) 
 
This is CWC-137-03. 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  USDel briefed the OPCW Chief of Staff and 
Director for Verification December 22 on Libya's agreement to 
abandon its chemical weapons, and conveyed U.S. readiness to 
provide more detailed information in the near future.  The 
OPCW officials welcomed the offer and congratulated the U.S. 
for the success at bringing Libya around.  They said the 
Libyans had not yet contacted the OPCW but that the 
organization is "ready and willing " to help the GOL prepare 
for accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention.  The first 
step would be a preparatory visit to Tripoli by members of 
various offices of the organization's Technical Secretariat 
to explain to the Libyans their obligations and work on their 
initial declaration of chemical weapons and facilities.  They 
anticipated that the OPCW had adequate resources for this 
effort, but that it would be more taxing on personnel than on 
finances in the long run.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (C)  USDel met with OPCW Chief of Staff Rafael Grossi and 
Director for Verification Horst Reeps December 22 to brief 
them on Libya's agreement with the U.S. and UK to abandon its 
weapons of mass destruction and allow international 
verification of the process (REF).  We conveyed the offer of 
an in-depth briefing by USG officials for the OPCW in the 
near future.  Grossi thanked us for the information and 
welcomed the offer of a detailed briefing.  On behalf of, and 
on instructions from, Director General Pfirter (who is away 
from The Hague), he congratulated the U.S. for the success of 
its "long, silent, persistent" efforts at bringing Libya 
around, and said that the OPCW would issue a press release 
the same day welcoming the agreement.  He added (in 
confidence) that UK Foreign Minister Straw had attempted to 
contact the DG over the weekend on this matter, but had been 
unable to reach the DG for technical reasons. 
 
3.  (C)  Asked how soon the OPCW would be prepared to respond 
to an invitation to visit or a request for assistance from 
the Libyan government, Reeps said the Libyans had not yet 
contacted the Organization, but that the OPCW was "ready and 
willing to play our part" in helping the GOL prepare for 
accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).  He was 
ready "to sacrifice Christmas" if need be, but guessed that 
it would take at least several weeks before the stage was set 
for inspections.  The first step, Reeps said, would be a 
preparatory visit to Tripoli by representatives of the 
Industry Verification Branch, Chemical Demilitarization 
Branch, Policy Review Branch, Declarations Branch, and Legal 
Office to explain to the Libyans their obligations and assist 
in preparing their initial declaration.  The Organization was 
preparing for a Technical Assistance Visit (TAV) along these 
lines in anticipation of an invitation from the GOL.  He said 
the Technical Secretariat would take the lead, but welcomed a 
full briefing by the USG as part of that effort. 
 
4.  (C)  Grossi said that while there was a "clear political 
linkage" with the IAEA's activities with Libya and Pfirter 
would be in touch with IAEA DG El-Baradei in the coming days, 
the two organizations' processes "cannot be compared." 
Libya, he pointed out, was in violation of the NPT, but was 
not a signatory to the CWC.  The OPCW would be "starting from 
scratch" with a TAV to "explore what is there" and put the 
pieces in place for initial inspections.  Asked if the OPCW 
could support inspections "if they were invited tomorrow," 
Reeps responded, "of course."  But he and Grossi both 
re-iterated that conditions did not appear to be quite ready 
for that step -- which Reeps guessed might be one month away. 
 
 
5.  (C)  In response to queries about how great a strain 
additional inspections and assistance activity would pose for 
the Organization, Reeps was relatively sanguine.  In the 
short run, he said 8-10 officials could be mobilized for the 
TAV.  In the longer run, there would be a greater strain on 
personnel (mainly inspectors) than on financial resources. 
Ironically, he added, delays in the U.S. CW destruction 
program would free up some resources for Libya, though not 
sufficiently to prevent some strain.  There would have to be 
some re-allocation of industry inspections, which had been 
planned through the first quarter of 2004.  (Note:  Reeps' 
comments are part of his now-familiar lament over what he 
regards as the adverse impact of DG Pfirter's method of 
implementing the tenure policy at the organization.  He has 
consistently stated that reductions in his branch will 
degrade his ability to conduct inspections.  End Note.) 
 
6.  (C)  The meeting with concluded with further discussion 
of scheduling a briefing for selected OPCW officials by the 
U.S.  Grossi reported that Deputy DG Hawtin would return to 
The Hague during the first week of January, and DG Pfirter 
about a week later.  Reeps added that he would be there 
during this period, and "we are prepared." 
 
7.  (U)  Ito sends. 
RUSSEL