US embassy cable - 05VIENNA2931

S E C R E T VIENNA 002931 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NP/CBM, EUR/AGS, AND EUR/PRA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2015 
 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, MNUC, ETTC, AU, MTCRE 
SUBJECT: MTAG 5-96: POTENTIAL UAV COOPERATION BETWEEN AN 
 
 
AUSTRIAN FIRM AND IRAN (S) 
 
REF: STATE 158054 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips 
 
for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (S) On August 30, EconPolCouns and Econ Unit Chief 
 
delivered reftel talking points to Helmut Krehlik, Head of 
 
the Ministry of Economy's Export and Import Control Division, 
 
and to Dorothea Auer, Head of the Foreign Ministry's 
 
Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Division.  Krehlik said he 
 
was aware Qods Aviation Industries was interested in 
 
obtaining unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Schiebel 
 
Electronische Geraete GmbH, but he was unaware of an imminent 
 
visit by a Qod's delegation to Austria.  Krehlik said he was 
 
surprised Schiebel wanted to proceed with the export license 
 
application.  According to Krehlik, he had cautioned Schiebel 
 
management that doing business in Iran could affect Schiebel 
 
business operations in the U.S.  Krehlik told us that 
 
Schiebel would have "no chance" of receiving the license from 
 
his office. 
 
2.  (S) Post has heard from other GoA sources and from 
 
Schiebel officials that Schiebel wanted to pursue a pro forma 
 
request for the export license, hoping the GoA would deny it. 
 
In this scenario, Schiebel could claim it was the GoA, not 
 
Schiebel, that had prevented the sale of UAVs.  Hans Schiebel 
 
has told us directly in the past that he would not "risk" his 
 
U.S. operations by doing business with Iran. 
 
Brown