US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI6638

S E C R E T NEW DELHI 006638 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015 
TAGS: KNNP, PARM, PREL, IR, IN, India_Iran 
SUBJECT: INDIAN QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAN WMD BRIEFING OFFER 
 
REF: A. STATE 158145 
     B. NEW DELHI 6397 (NOTAL) AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: A/PolCouns Atul Keshap for reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (S) In response to the USG offer to brief the GOI on 
Iran's weaponization program and pursuit of the nuclear fuel 
cycle (Ref A), MEA Deputy Secretary (Americas) Santosh Jha 
told PolMilOff on August 29 that MEA is generally interested, 
but would like more information before it could formally 
accept the offer.  Jha raised three questions:  1) Would the 
briefing go beyond what had already been presented to India 
in Vienna?  2) What would be the level of the briefing team? 
3) What kind of flexibility would the team have to do the 
briefing later in the week, e.g., 1-2 Sept, to ensure 
higher-level participation? 
 
2.  (SBU) PolMilOff subsequently relayed these questions to 
NP/RA and their responses to Jha later the same day: 1) The 
classified briefing would include information not previously 
given to the GOI; 2) The briefing would be given by experts 
at the Office Director level; and 3) The team could be 
available 1-2 Sept.  In response, Jha stated the GOI would 
likely be represented at the Joint Secretary level (Assistant 
Secretary equivalent), although MEA Additional Secretary 
 
SIPDIS 
(International Security) Meera Shankar may attend, pending 
her availability.  Jha promised to give us a formal answer by 
August 30. 
 
3.  (S) Assuming the GOI agrees formally to the briefing, 
Post recommends the team brief A/S Shankar as well as Deputy 
NSA Nambiar and an appropriate level at the National Security 
Council staff.  Shankar, however, may also ask the briefing 
team about the status of USG reconsideration of sanctions 
against Indian scientists Drs. Prasad and Surrendra based on 
the GOI's robust insistence that neither was involved in 
Iran's WMD program (Ref B).  It would be useful for the team 
to be prepared to give her a response. 
 
4.  (U) Please slug responses to Embassy New Delhi PolMilOff, 
Stacy Gilbert. 
 
5.  (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: 
(http//www.state.sgov/p/sa/newdelhi) 
MULFORD