US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS1920

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001920 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PTER, IR, AG, Algerian Views on Iran 
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN FM'S READOUT ON IRANIAN ENVOY'S VISIT TO 
ALGIERS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) In an August 31 meeting devoted to a number of 
issues, FM Bedjaoui gave Ambassador a readout of Iranian 
envoy Alaadine Broujardi's August 29 meeting with President 
Bouteflika in Algiers.  Bedjaoui, who attended the meeting, 
said Broujardi had given many facts and arguments to bolster 
Iran's case that it was not in violation of the IAEA rules. 
Bouteflika, according to Bedjaoui, told the envoy Iran had 
refused a good-faith deal offered by Germany, France, and the 
United Kingdom.  Citing the example of South Africa, which 
voluntarily gave up its nuclear program with no tangible 
results, Bouteflika thought the Iranians should consider 
themselves fortunate.  The President, however, said Algeria 
needed to consult other countries since the Iranian envoy 
emphasized Iran was not acting contrary to IAEA rules. 
Bouteflika appealed for a return to dialogue in order to 
resolve the dispute and told Broujardi Iran could, in 
Algeria's view, develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 
 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador responded to Bedjaoui by stressing that 
Iran was seeking mastery of the full nuclear fuel cycle. 
Historically, other countries, such as Pakistan and North 
Korea, that sought to master the nuclear fuel cycle had gone 
on to produce nuclear weapons.  For this reason, we were 
deeply concerned about the prospect that Iran was preparing 
for a nuclear weapons capability under the cover of a 
civilian nuclear program.  The IAEA, continued Ambassador, 
found that Iran had cheated and lied about its secret 
programs for more than 20 years.  Iran could not now expect 
the rest of the world to take Iran at its word.  The burden 
of proof was on Iran. 
 
3.  (C) At least the envoy himself gave a good impression and 
came across quite convincingly, interjected Bedjaoui with 
humor.  Ambassador concluded that countries belonging to the 
NPT have the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful 
purposes on the condition that they accept full inspections 
and transparency but none of us could afford to be naive when 
it came to Iran's record and intentions. 
 
ERDMAN