US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN542

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PHUM 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES CHINA ARMS EMBARGO, IRA WITH 
PRIME MINISTER AHERN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James C. Kenny; Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (U) Ambassador and DCM called on Irish Taoiseach (Prime 
Minister) Bertie Ahern May 5.  They gave the Taoiseach photos 
from President Bush of the June 2004 EU Summit at Dromoland 
Castle and the March 2005 Shamrock ceremony in Washington. 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador raised the China arms embargo, noting 
that lifting the embargo at this time would be a blow to 
efforts to improve human rights conditions there and would 
negatively affect security in East Asia.  Ahern said that no 
one in the EU wanted to sell the Chinese more weapons and 
that the EU sought to achieve that goal by strengthening the 
"protocol" embodied in the Code of Conduct.  The Ambassador 
noted that the amount of weapons in the recent past going to 
China from EU states is an indicator that a Code of Conduct 
will not necessarily restrict sales.  Ahern responded that he 
thought action might not be taken in the near term by the EU, 
and said he clearly understood the depth of U.S. feeling on 
the subject, including on Capital Hill. 
 
3.  (C) The Taoiseach was aware of the possible transit of 
President Bush through Shannon airport on May 10.  The 
Ambassador told him it was a technical stop only, and noted 
that the advance teams, in Shannon already to work on a 
contingency basis, were receiving good cooperation from local 
Irish authorities.  The Taoiseach understood, and asked only 
to be notified if the situation changed.  He expected to see 
the President in Moscow in any event. 
 
4.  (C) On Northern Ireland, the Taioseach said the Irish 
government did not expect to hear anything definitive from 
the IRA in response to Gerry Adams, call last month for 
unilateral IRA disarmament until results of the UK election 
sunk in.  After the meeting, Ahern advisor Michael Collins 
told the Ambassador that, in fact, Irish government contacts 
with Sinn Fein had been sparse lately, and they have had no 
indications of upcoming movement by the IRA in response to 
Adams, call.  In discussions with Embassy officials, Sinn 
Fein representatives have expressed their hope for a positive 
response from the IRA soon, but say they do not yet know 
when.  They cite Gerry Adams' re-election in Westminster 
elections May 5 by an apparently increased percentage as a 
positive sign of republican support for his call on the IRA. 
KENNY