VZCZCXRO8560
OO RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRK #0162 1291507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091507Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2752
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0061
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM IR IC
SUBJECT:  ICELAND/HUMAN RIGHTS: SKEPTICAL OF IRAN, BUT 
SEEKING CLEARER U.S. VISION 
 
REFS:  (A) STATE 55461, (B) STATE 57036, (C) STATE 54484, 
(D) STATE 66050 
 
¶1. (SBU) Since April post has regularly discussed the new UN 
Human Rights Council (refs A and B) and Iranian human rights 
violations (refs C and D) with Icelandic MFA Minister 
Counselor Nikulas Hannigan, who is both the International 
Institutions director and Middle East director in Iceland's 
small MFA.  Hannigan said it would be difficult for Iceland 
to offer commitments concerning Icelandic intentions with 
respect to the Human Rights Council and related issues so 
long as the U.S. does not explicitly name the states "that 
systematically abuse human rights" against which we say we 
wish to campaign.  POLOFF assured Hannigan that Iran would 
be one such and encouraged him to draw additional 
conclusions based on country human rights practices on which 
we have demarched him in the past. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Hannigan referred POLOFF to Foreign Minister Geir 
Haarde's April 6 foreign policy speech to Iceland's 
parliament, in which Haarde contended that "states which 
systematically violate their human rights commitments, or 
are subject to sanctions by the Security Council as a result 
of human rights violations, should not be supported for a 
seat on the (Human Rights) Council."  (Note:  Haarde also 
said that the Council "did not entirely meet the 
expectations of the Icelandic government" and that 
"(l)asting peace and security will only be established 
through effective democracy and respect for human rights and 
international human rights legislation."  End note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment:  Reykjavik would be highly unlikely to 
vote for Iranian membership on the Human Rights Council.  FM 
Haarde clearly shares our antipathy for state violators of 
human rights with pretensions to serve in the world's most 
important new human rights institution.  End comment. 
 
KOSNETT