US embassy cable - 04ROME2363

S E C R E T ROME 002363 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, IR, IZ, UK, IT, EUN, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: IRANIAN DIPLOMAT SOUNDS OUT THE BRITS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINISTER COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS.  REASON: 1.5 (B)( 
D). 
 
1. (S) ON JUNE 17, UK EMBASSY POL COUNS FRANCIS CAMPBELL 
(STRICTLY PROTECT) BRIEFED POLOFF ON HIS MEETING THE PREVIOUS 
DAY WITH IRANIAN EMBASSY SECOND SECRETARY ALI GHOLAMPOUR. 
THE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN CAMPBELL'S OFFICE IN THE UK 
EMBASSY. 
 
2. (S) ACCORDING TO GHOLAMPOUR, IRAN IS "THANKFUL" THAT 
COALITION FORCES HAVE REMOVED SADDAM AND THE THREAT HE POSED 
TO REGIONAL SECURITY, BUT DOES NOT WANT COALITION TROOPS TO 
REMAIN "ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY" IN IRAQ.  THE FOREIGN 
MILITARY TROOPS ACT AS A "MAGNET FOR TERRORISTS" AND THOSE 
DETERMINED TO DESTABILIZE THE REGION, ACCORDING TO 
GHOLAMPOUR.  HE DID NOT COMMENT ON CAMPBELL'S REMINDER THAT 
THE COALITION HAD NO INTEREST IN REMAINING IN IRAQ ANY LONGER 
THAN NECESSARY, BUT WOULD STAY UNTIL THE JOB THERE WAS 
FINISHED. 
 
3. (S) CAMPBELL SAID THAT GHOLAMPOUR WAS "VISIBLY UPSET" OVER 
THE WAY IRAN WAS BEING TREATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
IN REGARD TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM, WHICH IS "STRICTLY 
CIVILIAN."  IRAN WANTS TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE WEST AND WANTS 
EUROPEAN BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE ENERGY SECTOR, TO 
INVEST IN IRAN.  THE HARD LINE REPRESENTED BY THE US AND MOST 
RECENT IAEA BOG REPORT WAS PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF THE 
FUNDAMENTALISTS IN TEHERAN.  IRAN HAS A CHOICE, GHOLAMPOUR 
CONTINUED; IT COULD MOVE SLOWLY TOWARDS "WESTERNIZATION" OR, 
IF FORCED, "BECOME LIKE NORTH KOREA."  HE WONDERED WHETHER 
THE US HAD AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE IN THIS APPROACH, HOPING TO 
PAINT IRAN IN SUCH A NEGATIVE LIGHT THAT IT COULD JUSTIFY AN 
"IRAQ STYLE" ARMED INTERVENTION.  CAMPBELL NOTED THAT GIVEN 
IC FOCUS ON IRAN,  GOING DOWN THE SAME PATH AS NORTH KOREA 
WOULD NOT BE IN IRAN'S BEST INTERESTS. 
 
4. (S) GHOLAMPOUR WAS ALSO NEGATIVE ON THE GME INITIATIVE, 
NOT SO MUCH FOR ITS GOALS BUT FOR ITS METHODS.  DESPITE 
CAMPBELL'S EXPLANATION THAT THE GME WAS A PROJECT TO 
ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST CHANGE FROM WITHIN, HE INSISTED THAT THE 
GME WAS AN ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE CHANGE ON A REGION THAT "WAS NOT 
READY FOR WESTERN STYLE DEMOCRACY."  IRAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED 
TO MAKE PROGRESS "IN ITS OWN WAY," GHOLAMPOUR SAID. 
 
5. (S) CAMPBELL LEARNED AFTER THE MEETING THAT GHOLAMPOUR HAD 
MET WITH THE FRENCH EMBASSY'S POLITICAL FIRST SECRETARY AND 
HAD MADE SIMILAR POINTS.  CAMPBELL'S IMPRESSION WAS THAT 
GHOLAMPOUR MIGHT BE MAKING THE ROUNDS WITH THE EU-3, PERHAPS 
EVEN AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE ITALIAN MFA,  IN AN ATTEMPT TO 
TRY TO MOVE EU-3 GOVERNMENTS TOWARDS A "MORE ITALIAN" 
APPROACH TOWARDS IRAN, I.E. TAKING A TOUGH LINE ON ANY 
NUCLEAR ARMS PROGRAM BUT ENGAGING TEHERAN ON OTHER REGIONAL 
ISSUES AND KEEPING LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN.  NOTE: POLOFF 
WILL FOLLOW UP WITH FRENCH AND GERMAN EMBASSY CONTACTS.  END 
NOTE. 
 
6. (S) SOME BIO INFORMATION:  CAMPBELL SAID THAT GHOLAMPOUR 
APPEARED TO BE IN HIS THIRTIES.  THIS IS HIS FIRST POSTING 
ABROAD - HE PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN THE IRANIAN MFA'S 
NONPROLIFERATION BUREAU.  HE INDICATED TO CAMPBELL THAT HE 
HAD "SOME TECHNICAL TRAINING" IN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY BUT WAS 
NOT SPECIFIC ON HIS DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE.  HE IS MARRIED WITH 
TWO CHILDREN AND HAS A TOURIST VISA APPLICATION PENDING WITH 
THE UK EMBASSY IN ROME, WHICH THE CONSULAR OFFICER IN CHARGE 
OF HIS CASE HAS FORWARDED TO LONDON FOR EVALUATION (STANDARD 
PROCEDURE FOR SUCH CASES). 
 
7. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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2004ROME02363 - Classification: SECRET