US embassy cable - 04ANKARA6167

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, TU, IR 
SUBJECT:  IRAN REQUEST FOR BOEING PARTICIPATION IN KISH 
AIR SHOW 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Following, for the record, are the texts of 
three documents given to DCM by the Swiss defense attache 
in Ankara, who is also accredited to Tehran.  The 
documents relate an Iranian desire to encourage the 
participation of the Boeing Company in the Kish Air Show, 
which will be held November 24-27. 
 
2.  (SBU)  DOCUMENT 1: Memcon of Swiss Defense Attache's 
meeting with Director of Kish Air Show. 
 
Aide memoire 
 
Subject:  Meeting of the Swiss Defense Attache with the 
Director of the Iran Air Show Kish 
 
Via the Swiss Embassy in Teheran the director of the 
above mentioned Air Show, Mr. Bijan BONAKDAR, requested 
to meet the writer of this aide memoire, that is the 
Swiss Defense Attache in Turkey and Iran with seat in 
Ankara, while he was on a visit in Teheran (27.09.- 
07.10.2004). 
 
This requested meeting took place on the 3rd of October 
04 in the office of the a.m. director and lasted 
approximately 1 1/2 hour. 
 
After a short introduction Mr. BONAKDAR expressed his 
sorrow, that the Swiss Pilatuswerke would not participate 
in the Air Show. Iran would have been very much 
interested to see the PC-12 as well as the PC-21. 
 
For the control of the border to Afghanistan as well as 
for the control of the drug routes, the PC-12 could be of 
great use. From their point of view the PC-12 would be an 
ideal and above all a low priced instrument for the 
control of long borders and large areas. 
 
After this introduction, which was directly related to 
the Swiss visitor, the director raised the issue of the 
non-participation of Boeing and in relation with this 
also the non-participation of Airbus. 
 
In the course of the conversation it became obvious that 
Mr. BONAKDAR wanted the Swiss visitor to be the submitter 
of following message to a high level US representative: 
 
Iran air is in big material trouble and needs urgently 
new planes (more than 100 in tota1!).  According to Mr. 
BONAKDAR the Iranian Minster of Transport resigned from 
his position at the beginning of October especially due 
to the extreme difficult material situation of Iran Air. 
The financial volume of this renewal would amount to 20 
billion USD (!) for the next 10 years. 
 
According to the information given by the director, the 
necessary money is available. 
 
If, contrary to the first cancellation, Boeing would be 
still allowed to participate on the Air Show in Kish, 
then Iran-Air would decide to replace their aircraft with 
Boeing-planes(!). 
 
The Swiss visitor did clearly further query, if Mr. 
BONAKDAR would vouch for the following proposal which he 
wanted to be submitted via the Swiss Defense Attache. The 
proposal is: Participation of Boeing in the Iran Air Show 
04 and in contrary replacement of more than hundred (!) 
airplanes of Iran Air through products of the company 
Boeing. Mr. BONAKDAR affirmed expressly and precisely 
that the few in service Airbus planes shall be replaced 
again through Boeing in order to allow continuity in the 
maintenance of the aircraft fleet. 
 
Furthermore the fact emanated from the conversation, that 
Iran wants the whole matter to be kept "outside the 
politics", since this is a very specific and a very 
urgent matter. 
 
The signatory of this letter promised on Wednesday, 6th 
of October 2004, that on the occasion of a meeting he 
will inform the Swiss Ambassador in Teheran, Mr. Ph. 
Welti (happened already in the meantime), and that he 
will also inform the Swiss Ambassador in Ankara, Mr. W. 
Gyger, after his return to Turkey, and otherwise, that he 
will maintain silence.  The signatory promised 
furthermore to inform personally after his return to 
Ankara if possible the Deputy Chief of Mission of the 
Embassy of the United States of America in Ankara 
 
In a personal evaluation of the matter, the signatory 
told his Iranian conversational partner, that because of 
the general political situation he does not rate the 
possibility of success to more than 3%. The very urbane 
Mr. BONAKDAR (who apparently seems to have very good 
contacts to Mr. Leo J. PETKA from BOEING, Project 
Manager, Strategy and Development and Analysis), who in 
no way comes across as ideological agreed but added: 
nevertheless we will try because from economic point of 
view, it is not little that the Americans will receive. 
Who knows, may be for the first time both parties would 
manage to take of their ideological glasses for something 
good and urgent. 
 
3.  DOCUMENT 2: Text of Letter from Director of Kish Air 
Show to "Aerospace Industry Subcommittee in the Congress 
of the United States." 
To : Esteemed Member of Aerospace Industry Subcommittee 
in the Congress of the United States of America 
From: Secretariat of Iran Kish Airshow 2004 
 
Dear Sir / Madam: 
 
The first International Iran Kish Airshow held on OCT 
2002 marked a new beginning in our effort to reach out 
and join the rest of the aerospace industry in the world. 
The second biannual airshow is due on Nov. 24th this year 
and will run until Nov 27th . The venue is the beatiful 
island of Kish in the Persian Gulf. Kish Island is a free 
Trade Zone and as such removes most of the barriers 
associated with Visa and other challenges facing visitors 
who come to Iran. 
This event present an ideal opportunity in part for start 
of a reconciliation process aimed at remedying the urgent 
commercial aviation requirements of Iran, most of which 
are American origin. 
The presence of Boeing Aircraft company and demonstration 
of its latest technology would go a long way in 
persuading the commercial airline operation in Iran, to 
buy American, specially as we are moving towards a 
separation of sanction that are putting innocent peoples 
lives at high risk due to lack of spare parts and those 
that are harmless in this sense. 
We are aware of similar efforts being made by the 
commercial aviation industry lobby in U.S.A and we 
appreciate a great deal. 
We would like you to press on for this change of policy 
and look forward to a positive response to our request 
for presence of the American Aviation Industry at Iran 
Kish Airshow 2004 . It is an ideal opportunity to mend 
fenses and take another step in reconcilliation along the 
commercial route, and more importantly safeguarding human 
life. 
We would like to thank you in advance for your efforts in 
this matter and look forward to a positive response. 
 
Yours truly, 
 
Bijan Bonakdar 
Secretariet of Iran Kish Airshow 2004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
cc : Esteemed colleagues in Boeing corporation U.S. A 
cc : U.S . Federal Aviation Administration 
 
4.  DOCUMENT 4: letter from Director of Kish Air Show to 
UN Secretary General Annan. 
 
Kind attention 
His Excellency Mr; Kofi Annan' Secretary General of the 
United Nations 
 
Your Excellency, 
 
We are pleased to inform you that the second Iran Kish 
Airshow is going to be held from 24 to 27 of Nov. 2004 in 
Kish island in the Persian Gulf. 
 
As you are completely aware of current situation in 
Iranian Aviation System, there is a great demand to 
upgrade and modernize the existing Airfleet with new 
aircrafts which they may endanger the human life, in 
Iran. 
 
The Second Iran Kish Airshow presents an ideal 
opportunity in part for start of a reconciliation process 
aimed at remedying the urgent commercial aviation 
requirements of Iran, most of which are American origin. 
 
The presence of Boeing and Airbus companies and 
demonstration of their latest technology, would go a long 
way in persuading the commercial airline operation in 
Iran, to buy new aircrafts both from Boeing and Airbus 
specially as we are moving towards a separation of 
sanction that are putting innocent people's lives at high 
risk due to lack of spare parts. 
 
We are aware of similar efforts being made by the 
commercial aviation industry lobby in U.S.A. and we 
appreciate a great deal. 
 
We would like you to press on for this change of policy 
and look forward to a positive response to our request 
for presence of Boeing and Airbus, at Iran Kish Airshow 
2004. 
 
It is an ideal opportunity to mend fences and take the 
commercial route, and more importantly safeguarding human 
life. 
We would like to thank you very much in advance for your 
efforts in this matter and look forward to positive 
response. 
 
Yours truly, 
 
Bijan Bonakdar 
Secretariat of Iran Kish Air Show 2004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EDELMAN