Wikileaks - CCCIV
61566 4/24/2006 16:57 06PARIS2683 Embassy Paris CONFIDENTIAL 06SECSTATE62850 VZCZCXRO2873 OO RUEHMR DE RUEHFR #2683 1141657 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 241657Z APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6625 INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0694 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0721 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0637 RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0263 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1208 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0659 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 5995 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 1755 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0326 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1559 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5672 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0428 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 1217 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1593 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0239 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0512 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0061 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 1174 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0602 RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0087 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 0468 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0214 RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 1051 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0457 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 6056 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 2311 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0205 RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 0215 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0376 RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0109 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0084 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 5249 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1085 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0908 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 1365 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0174 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1081 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0859 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 0298 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 7592 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0356 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0061 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1291 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 2445 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2283 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0746 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1546 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0785 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0374 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002683
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016 TAGS: PARM, PREL, FR SUBJECT: FRANCE UNDERSTANDS NEED TO EXTEND CWC DESTRUCTION DEADLINE, CONCERNED THAT IT MAY GIVE OTHERS A "PRETEXT" FOR NONCOMPLIANCE
REF: SECSTATE 62850
Classified By: Acting Political Minister-Counselor Bruce Turner for rea sons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) Reftel points were delivered to French MFA Director for chemical and biological weapons disarmament issues, Arnaud Roux, and desk officer, Etienne Sur. In follow up discussions April 24, Sur said that the French were well aware of the issue. He said that the GoF appreciated U.S. efforts to be transparent in dealing with the sensitive issue of pushing back the destruction deadline, as well as U.S. candor in acknowledging that it was unlikely to meet the final deadline. He added that the GoF fully understood the practical issues behind extending the deadline, and that it had no difficulty with them.
2. (C) Sur said the GoF was nonetheless concerned about the example the U.S. extension (and subsequent non-compliance if the 2012 deadline was not met) would set for less-responsible countries that were obligated to destroy their own chemical weapons stockpiles. He said the GoF feared that other countries might use the U.S.'s inability to comply, especially after the 2012 deadline was passed, as a pretext to avoid destroying their own chemical weapons, possibly for reasons more nefarious than concerns over public safety.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Stapleton
