Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI1329
2006-04-04 15:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAEG REGISTERS CONCERN OVER TENSION BETWEEN

Tags:  PREL AF PK AE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001329 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2016
TAGS: PREL AF PK AE
SUBJECT: UAEG REGISTERS CONCERN OVER TENSION BETWEEN
AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001329

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2016
TAGS: PREL AF PK AE
SUBJECT: UAEG REGISTERS CONCERN OVER TENSION BETWEEN
AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: On March 29, U.S. Ambassador to
Afghanistan, Ronald Neumann, visited Abu Dhabi and met with
MFA U/S Abdullah Rashid al Noaimi. Al Noaimi expressed
concern about growing tension between Afghanistan and
Pakistan, and suggested including India in trilateral talks
to ease the friction. Ambassador Neumann acknowledged the
growing tensions, but stated that the Coalition (and NATO)
was in a better position to act as a third party facilitator.
Al-Noaimi pressed Neumann for intelligence regarding
Afghanistan, particularly about the possibility of an
Afghan-Indian conspiracy. Neumann dismissed the possibility
of a conspiracy, encouraging al-Noaimi to take advantage of
the UAE's relationship with Pakistan to press Musharref to
calm his rhetoric against Afghanistan. Al-Noaimi opined that
Musharref is insecure and acting from a sense of personal
vulnerability. End Summary.


2. (C) Citing "alarming signals" that the UAEG had received
from Pakistan, al-Noaimi spoke of increased tensions between
Pakistan and Afghanistan, and stated that Pakistan had
expressed growing suspicion of Afghanistan and of an
"Afghan-Indian conspiracy." He described these tensions as
"very dangerous" stating that the UAEG was worried that they
may "get out of hand" and called for a security meeting
focused on getting the three countries together. Neumann
explained that although each side was suspicious of the
other, there was no evidence of any such conspiracy, agreeing
the only way to move forward was to get Afghanistan and
Pakistan to work together.


3. (C) Al-Noaimi suggested that it may be beneficial to
establish trilateral meetings between Afghanistan, Pakistan,
and India as a way to ease current tensions. Neumann noted
that while it would be useful to add a third party to the
discussion, including India would likely introduce a long
history of bilateral issues that would only serve to distract
and impede any real progress. He suggested that involving
the Coalition as the third party would be more beneficial,
since the Coalition is in a better position to encourage
security and intelligence cooperation. As NATO takes over it
may logically take this role over as well. Al-Noaimi warned
that the closeness of the U.S. and India might push Pakistan
towards China, which the UAEG sees as a dangerous movement,
and that the UAEG wants to see more political and security
engagement between the two countries. Neumann said that the
U.S. is in a trilateral security agreement with Pakistan and
Afghanistan, and agreed that it would help build a more
stable relationship by extending the trilateral arrangement
into other fields.


4. (C) Al-Noaimi stated that internal troubles would likely
continue to be a distraction for Pakistan. He warned
Ambassador Neumann not to view any Musharref's action as
representative of Pakistan as a whole, explaining that
Musharref is justifiably concerned for his own safety from
his military and intelligence sectors, and that all of his
words and actions are colored by a sense of personal
vulnerability. Neumann noted that neither Musharref nor
Karzai had a domestic political price to pay for verbal
attacks on the other country, thereby exacerbating the
situation. He urged al-Noaimi to use the UAE-Pakistani
relationship to press Musharref to moderate his tone. Embassy
Kabul will continue to press Karzai to do the same.


5. (U) This message has been cleared by Ambassador Neumann
in Kabul.

MINIMIZED CONSIDERED.

SISON