Cablegate: Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai On Next Steps

P 070033Z JAN 99
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ALMATY PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BONN PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY
AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 002487

ALMATY ALSO PASS DUSHANBE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/6/09
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF PK
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: HAMID KARZAI ON NEXT STEPS

(U) CLASSIFIED BY MICHAEL E. MALINOWSKI, DIRECTOR, SA/PAB.
REASON: 1....

SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: HAMID KARZAI ON NEXT STEPS

(U) CLASSIFIED BY MICHAEL E. MALINOWSKI, DIRECTOR, SA/PAB.
REASON: 1.5 (B AND D).

1. (U) SA/PAB DIRECTOR MALINOWSKI AND DESKOFFS RAPOPORT AND HUSHEK HAD EXTENSIVE JANUARY 6 TOUR D'HORIZON WITH INTRA AFGHAN DIALOGUE FIGURE AND FORMER RESISTANCE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HAMID KARZAI, WHO IS SON OF AN IMPORTANT AFGHAN TRIBAL LEADER.

CRITICAL OF MOJADDEDI/GAILANI INITIATIVE
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2. (C) KARZAI WAS EXTREMELY CRITICAL OF THE NEW INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY TWO FORMER AFGHAN RESISTANCE LEADERS, EX-PRESIDENT MOJADDEDI AND PIR GAILANI, TO ESTABLISH A THIRD FORCE, PARTICULARLY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDING BOTH THE TALIBAN AND MASOOD FROM PARTICIPATING IN THEIR PROPOSED MEETING. THIS, HE BELIEVED, WOULD MAKE THE FACTIONS LOOK UPON THEM AS ANTAGONISTS AND NEGATE THEIR PEACE EFFORT. HE WAS ALSO SKEPTICAL OF THEIR CLAIMS THAT THE FORMER KING WOULD ATTEND THE SESSION AND PARTICIPATE IN THEIR PROGRAM. THE FACT THAT AFGHAN NEUTRALS CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE FORMER KING, KARZAI NOTED, IMPEDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALTERNATIVE PASHTUN LEADERSHIP THAT COULD CHALLENGE THE TALIBAN. FOCUSING ON ALLEGED CLOSE LINKS BETWEEN MOJADDEDI AND GAILANI AND THE GOP, HE OPINED THAT THEY WERE BEING USED AS A TOOL BY PAKISTAN IN THAT THEIR RESTRICTIVE POLICY REGARDING THEIR NEW GROUPING WOULD ALIENATE OTHERS, NEGATE THE DIALOGUE EFFORT, AND LEAVE THE TALIBAN AS THE SOLE PASHTUN ALTERNATIVE.

DISILLUSIONED WITH DIALOGUE
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3. KARZAI NOTED SOME DISILLUSION ON THE PART OF INTRA- AFGHAN DIALOGUE ORGANIZERS AS WELL, CITING ABDUL HAQ IN PARTICULAR. KARZAI CRITICIZED THE LEADERSHIP OF DIALOGUE CHAIRMAN SIRAT, NOTING THAT HE HAD NOT TAKEN AN AGGRESSIVE ROLE AND WAS DEVOTING HIMSELF TO THE EFFORT ONLY PART TIME, STILL TEACHING HIS CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY IN MECCA.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF JIRGA
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4. (C) KARZAI RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF A TRIBAL JIRGA, AS DISTINCT FROM A LOYA JIRGA (GRAND ASSEMBLY) AS AN INTERMEDIATE STEP. AFTER NOTING THAT A PASHTUN TRIBAL JIRGA COULD PRESENT PROBLEMS FOR PAKISTAN, AS PASHTUN TRIBES FROM WITHIN PAKISTAN WOULD HAVE TO BE INCLUDED, HE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERAL REGIONAL/PROVINCIAL JIRGAS. HE ASKED FOR USG SUPPORT FOR THIS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS WAS PROVIDED FOR THE BONN DIALOGUE, A PUBLIC STATEMENT ENDORSING IT AS AN EFFORT TO BRING PEACE TO AFGHANISTAN. MALINOWSKI REPLIED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. KARZAI ADDED THAT SUCH A BODY COULD ALSO ISSUE A STATEMENT OPPOSING THE PRESENCE OF USAMA BIN LADEN IN AFGHANISTAN AND CALL FOR HIS EXPULSION. IN THIS CONTEXT, KARZAI SUGGESTED THAT THE PASHTU AND DARI SERVICES, WHICH HAVE WIDE AUDIENCES WITHIN AFGHANISTAN, INTERVIEW TRIBAL LEADERS, QUESTIONING THEM PARTICULARLY REGARDING THEIR VIEWS CONCERNING BIN LADEN'S PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN, AND AIR THE DENUNCIATIONS THAT WOULD LIKELY RESULT. WE AGREED TO PASS THIS ON BUT ALSO ADVISED HIM TO BE IN CONTACT WITH USIS ISLAMABAD.

VISIT OF TRIBAL FIGURES TO U.S.
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5. (U) KARZAI ALSO RAISED A PROPOSED VISIT BY TRIBAL LEADERS, INCLUDING PROMINENT CLERGY, TO THE U.S. WE SAID WE AWAITED HIS LIST OE NAMES AND ALSO ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT USIS ISLAMABAD AND CONSULATE PESHAWAR REGARDING THIS PROJECT.

ALBRIGHT

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