Cablegate: Uranium in Dar Common Knowledge to Shipping

VZCZCXRO1511
PP RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHDR #1593 2700838
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 270838Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4811
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0116
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0214
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 001593

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF/E FOR BYODER, AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK
ALSO VCI FOR HHEINTZELMAN AND KWALKIN

EO 12958 DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS PTER, PINR, IAEA, PGOV, CG, TZ
SUBJECT: URANIUM IN DAR COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO SHIPPING
COMPANIES, PER SWISS DIPLOMAT

REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 01376 B. UNVIE VIENNA 00601 C. KINSHASA 01309

Classified By: Charge d’Affaires D. Purnell Delly for reasons 1.4(b),(d) and (e).

1. (C) According to a senior Swiss diplomat, the shipment of uranium through Dar es Salaam is common knowledge to two Swiss shipping companies. Hans Peter Schoni, Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania, referred to the allegations of uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) passing through Zambia and Tanzania en route to Iran, but did not attribute to the shipping companies any opinion of the source or destination of the alleged uranium. Poloff pointed out that the reports were unsubstantiated, but Schoni repeated that transport of uranium is common knowledge to the two companies, though no one at either company would admit it in writing. XXXXXXXXXXXX are both based in Geneva and conduct verification and inspection work in Tanzania.
2. (C) Mission has shared this information with all relevant agencies at post which were unable to substantiate this or any other such reports of uranium shipments. Nevertheless, given the potential significance of such allegations we believe it is important to report nonetheless. DELLY

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