US embassy cable - 87STATE121525

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