US embassy cable - 05DHAKA3943

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 003943 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE 
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, 
AND PASS TO USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON) 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45 
(MAJ NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Iran; Dhaka 
 
Summary: On the reported U.S. move to deny visa to the 
Iranian President to attend the U.N. conference, independent 
"New Age" says that it would create a dangerous precedent. 
 
On the Iranian decision to resume conversion of uranium into 
nuclear fuel, "Bangladesh Observer" notes that the U.S. 
still hopes for a diplomatic solution and urges Iran to 
avoid confrontation. 
 
 
 
 
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Iran 
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"Ahmadinejad and a Visa" 
Independent English language newspaper "New Age" editorially 
comments (8/11): 
 
The Bush administration will be making a terrible mistake if 
it refuses to grant a visa to Iranian President Mahmoud 
Ahmadinejad for next month's UN General Assembly session. 
While it is still a little too early to comment on whether 
such a dire happening will come to pass, one cannot but be 
worried at reports that the American authorities are 
actually in the process of considering the issue.... But if 
President Bush and his officials now decide, on the basis of 
their belief that Mr. Ahmadinejad may have been involved in 
the hostage-taking affair in 1979, that the Iranian leader 
does not qualify for an American visa, they will not only be 
breaking with convention but will also be setting a 
dangerous new precedent. The current administration in 
Washington has already become known for the arch 
conservatism it has chosen as its policy plank. It has sent 
controversial men such as John Bolton to the United Nations 
despite the fact that his nomination had been stalled in the 
Senate. 
But the conservatism which the administration symbolizes may 
finally reach an incendiary point should President 
Ahmadinejad be denied a visa. As it is, the strains relating 
to Iran's nuclear program have done good damage to the 
prospect of good relations between Tehran and Europe on the 
one hand and Tehran and Washington on the other. In such 
circumstances, raising the visa issue can only compound 
matters. 
----------- 
"Iran's Nuclear ambitions and the U.N." 
Independent English language newspaper "Bangladesh Observer" 
editorially comments (8/11): 
In light of Iran's rejection of EU offers of trade 
incentives in exchange for a suspension of all nuclear work 
that could be used to build weapons, U.S. Secretary of 
Defense Donald Rumsfeld's interest in Azerbaijan can be 
understood.  American over flights of Iranian soil are 
already reported to be taking place using pilotless drones 
and other more sophisticated, capabilities, thus the battle 
with Iran appears to have gone way beyond the intelligence 
gathering phase.  And to the north, in neighboring 
Azerbaijan, the U.S. military is preparing a base of 
operations for a massive military presence that will 
foretell a major land based campaign designed to capture 
Tehran. 
Iran still insists its nuclear program is for peaceful 
energy purposes, and says it is keeping its freeze on 
another, more advanced, process in the program to enrich 
uranium... the United States maintains -- and European 
countries have come agree that -- Iran intends to make 
nuclear weapons. 
Tied into this is the proliferation challenge that has 
engulfed the world -- including non-compliance by North 
Korea and Iran and the revelation of illicit nuclear 
procurement networks.  If Iran could hide its nuclear 
enrichment program from IAEA for nearly two decades before 
officially declaring it in 2003, other countries could do 
that too....  As reported, the U.S. is still pinning its 
hopes on finding a diplomatic solution rather than engage in 
open confrontation, that hope seems to be fading fast as 
European diplomats now say they would have little choice but 
to ask for the agency, the international Atomic Energy 
Agency, to place the issue before the United Nations 
Security Council for possible political and economic 
sanctions. 
Chammas