AFGHANISTAN: EUR A/S FRIED AND SCA DAS FEIGENBAUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 004158 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2011 TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREF PGOV AF SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: EUR A/S FRIED AND SCA DAS FEIGENBAUM PRESS AFGHANS TO TAKE THE LEAD IN INCREASING EU AND NATO SUPPORT Classified By: Political Counselor Theodore H Andrews, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) IN A MEETING REQUESTED BY THE AFGHAN SIDE ON THE MARGINS OF THE OSCE MINISTERIAL IN BRUSSELS, EUR A/S DANIEL FRIED AND SCA DAS EVAN FEIGENBAUM TOLD DAVOOD MORADIAN, AFGHAN SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR TO FM SPANTA, THAT WHILE THE USG WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS AND DONORS, THE GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN (GOA) RATHER THAN THE USG WOULD BE ITS OWN BEST ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED EUROPEAN MILITARY AND OTHER COMMITMENTS TO AFGHANISTAN; THE GOA MUST BE PROACTIVE IN PURSUING SUCH SUPPORT. IN RESPONSE TO MORADIAN'S REPEATED REQUESTS FOR A LONG-TERM ("FIFTEEN YEARS") USG COMMITMENT TO AFGHANISTAN TO STAVE OFF POSSIBLE THREATS FROM RUSSIA, IRAN AND OTHERS, FRIED TOLD MORADIAN THAT PRESIDENT BUSH IS COMMITTED TO AFGHANISTAN,S FUTURE; OF COURSE, HE ADDED, DECISIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC POLICIES TOWARD AFGHANISTAN WOULD DEPEND ON PROGRESS ON THE GROUND. FRIED URGED AFGHANISTAN TO TAKE THE LEAD IN REACHING OUT TO THE EUROPEANS FOR GREATER MILITARY SUPPORT. DAS FEIGENBAUM URGED AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN TO MOVE FORWARD JOINTLY ON PLANNING FOR CROSS-BORDER JIRGAS. MORADIAN NOTED THAT SPANTA AND PAKISTANI FM KASURI WOULD BE WORKING ON THE JIRGAS BUT ALSO REQUESTED MORE U.S. PRESSURE ON PAKISTAN TO COOPERATE IN AFGHANISTAN,S VISION OF THE JIRGAS. MORADIAN ARTICULATED A VISION OF A DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE ACROSS SOUTH ASIA JOINING THE NEWEST DEMOCRACY AFGHANISTAN WITH THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY INDIA. FEIGENBAUM FOCUSED ON AFGHANISTAN'S NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN AREAS SUCH AS THE DEFENSE COOPERATION FORUM AND FRAMEWORK CONDUCIVE TO PRIVATE-SECTOR ENGAGEMENT. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) IN INTRODUCING HIMSELF, MORADIAN SAID HE HAD BEEN IN THE POSITION OF SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR TO FOREIGN MINISTER SPANTA FOR SIX MONTHS, SINCE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN FROM EXILE IN SCOTLAND (HE HAS UK CITIZENSHIP). HE THANKED A/S FRIED FOR TAKING TIME TO MEET AND FOR ALL OF THE HELP THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD AND CONTINUED TO GIVE TO HIS COUNTRY. FRIED NOTED THAT AFGHANISTAN HAD BEEN THE MAJOR TOPIC OF THE PRECEDING WEEK'S DISCUSSIONS AT THE NATO SUMMIT IN RIGA, LATVIA. AFGHANISTAN HAD BEEN A SHOW OF NATO'S ABILITY TO DEPLOY OUT OF ITS TRADITIONAL GEOGRAPHIC REGION. UNFORTUNATELY, FRIED REPORTED, SOME NATO MEMBERS WERE RELUCTANT TO "GET INTO THE FIGHT." HOWEVER, AS THE GOA REACHED OUT AND SOLIDIFIED GOVERNANCE IN THE COUNTRY, AFGHANISTAN COULD GENERATE GREATER EUROPEAN INVOLVEMENT, HE PREDICTED. RECENT BATTLES IN THE SOUTH AGAINST THE TALIBAN, FRIED CONTINUED, SHOWED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOA ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) PARTNERS. IN RIGA, MUCH OF ASIA AND ALL OF EUROPE WERE HOPEFUL THAT THE NEW AFGHANISTAN SUCCEED. HE ADDED THAT THE GERMANS AND SPANISH WERE WILLING TO COMMIT IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. MORE THAN ONE-STOP SHOPPING -------------- ¶3. (SBU) BOTH FEIGENBAUM AND FRIED URGED PROACTIVE AFGHAN ENGAGEMENT WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS AND DONORS TO FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WITH THE GOA. FEIGENBAUM NOTED THAT THE UNITED STATES HOPED TO WORK WITH THE GOA ON A "PROJECT MENU" THAT COULD BE SHOPPED AROUND WITH THE EUROPEANS AND WHICH MIGHT "HELP US HELP YOU" TO FACILITATE COMMITMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMITMENTS. FRIED URGED THE GOA TO "ASK DIRECTLY" FOR SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEANS, NOTING THAT IT WAS AFGHANISTAN THAT NEEDED TO TAKE THE LEAD; THE ISSUES AT HAND WERE ABOUT AFGHANISTAN SO IT COULD BEST PROMOTE THEM. A DIRECT APPROACH WOULD ALSO ENHANCE THE GOA'S CREDIBILITY AMONG THE EUROPEANS. MORADIAN DID NOT RESPOND TO FEIGENBAUM'S QUESTION ON HOW GOA EFFORTS VIS-A-VIS EUROPE WERE PROGRESSING. SEEKING A STRATEGIC PARTNER -------------- ¶4. (C) MORADIAN THANKED THE UNITED STATES FOR ALL OF ITS SUPPORT, NOTING THAT AFGHANISTAN BELONGED TO A "GRATEFUL REGION: WE DO NOT FORGET OUR FRIENDS ... OR OUR ADVERSARIES." HE MENTIONED SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT, UK AND BRUSSELS 00004158 002 OF 002 NATO TROOPS IN THIS CONTEXT. THE GOA'S ONLY CONCERN, HE COMMENTED, WAS THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FUTURE AMERICAN COMMITMENT. AFGHANISTAN WANTED A "STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP" WITH THE UNITED STATES. HE URGED THE USG TO STATE CLEARLY THAT IT WAS IN AFGHANISTAN FOR THE LONG TERM. OTHERWISE, NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES SUCH AS RUSSIA AND IRAN MIGHT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION. HE PRESSED FOR A PUBLIC COMMITMENT OF "AT LEAST FIFTEEN YEARS" AND PREDICTED INTERNAL PROBLEMS IF THE U.S. WERE NOT A CLEAR LONG-TERM PARTNER. THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE MIGHT SEEK OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT, FOR EXAMPLE. ¶5. (SBU) FRIED REPLIED THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE SOPHISTICATED AND WOULD BASE THEIR OPINIONS ON THE STEADY SUCCESS AND PROGRESS ON THE GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN, WHICH COULD BE A PRODUCT ONLY OF AFGHAN LEADERSHIP. PRESIDENT BUSH, HE SAID, WAS COMMITTED TO AFGHANISTAN,S FUTURE. AMERICAN LEADERS WOULD MAKE THEIR SPECIFIC JUDGMENTS ABOUT POLICIES TOWARD AFGHANISTAN BASED ON THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION. MORADIAN NOTED THAT IRAN, RUSSIA, THE TALIBAN AND NORTHERN ALLIANCE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN POLITICS. HE REPEATED A RECENT RUMOR IN AFGHANISTAN THAT THE UK WAS ABOUT TO DISENGAGE, CRITICIZING THE UK FOR ITS ACTIONS IN HELMAND PROVINCE AND ADDING THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO LOSE SUCH A CRITICAL ALLY. FRIED AND FEIGENBAUM RESPONDED THAT NEITHER OF THEM WERE WORRIED THAT THE UK WOULD DISENGAGE. BEFORE DEPARTING THE MEETING EARLY TO CATCH HIS TRAIN, FRIED REITERATED THAT IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE FOR AFGHANISTAN TO EXPRESS ITS APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THE CANADIANS, DUTCH AND OTHERS HAVE GIVEN IN SUPPORT. CROSS-BORDER JIRGAS? -------------- ¶6. (C) FEIGENBAUM ASKED MORADIAN ABOUT THE STATUS OF PLANNING WITH PAKISTAN FOR CROSS-BORDER JIRGAS. HE NOTED THE U.S. HOPE THAT FOREIGN MINISTERS SPANTA AND KASURI WERE WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A JOINT VISION OF THE JIRGAS AND TO PUSH THEM FORWARD. MORADIAN REPLIED THAT THE GOA WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT COOPERATION WITH PAKISTAN, GIVEN THE MILITARY NATURE OF ITS REGIME. HE SAID THAT AN IMMINENT DECEMBER 7, 2006, MEETING WITH KASURI IN AFGHANISTAN WOULD AIM TO PREPARE A LARGER 2007 GATHERING TO REVIEW INITIATIVES FOR CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION, ESPECIALLY IN TRIBAL AREAS. PAKISTAN WANTED TO DELAY THE LARGER MEETING UNTIL LATE SPRING OR EARLY SUMMER WHEREAS THE GOA WOULD LIKE IT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2007 TIMEFRAME. MORADIAN NOTED THAT PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN HAVE DISTINCT VISIONS OF THE JIRGAS, WITH PAKISTAN SEEKING TO RESTRICT PARTICIPATION TO THE TRIBAL AREAS WHEREAS AFGHANISTAN WOULD PREFER MORE COMPREHENSIVE PARTICIPATION FROM PAKISTAN GIVEN THAT ITS REAL DECISION-MAKERS AND LEADERS HAIL FROM OTHER PARTS OF PAKISTAN. IN CLOSING, MORADIAN REMARKED THAT U.S. PRESSURE ON PAKISTAN TO COOPERATE, AS WELL AS U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE TRIBAL AREAS THROUGH LIAISON TEAMS, WERE ESSENTIAL TO PROGRESS IN CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION. ¶7. (C) FEIGENBAUM NOTED THAT UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE BURNS HAD BEEN SORRY TO POSTPONE HIS TRIP TO AFGHANISTAN. BURNS, HE SAID, LOOKED FORWARD TO RESCHEDULING THE VISIT AND TO THE NEXT U.S.-AFGHAN DIALOGUE. THE U.S. HOPE, HE ADDED, WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH EXISTING DISUCSSIONS AND PROJECTS, SUCH AS AFGHAN PARTICIPATION IN THE DEFENSE COOPERATION FORUM AND AN ENHANCED FRAMEWORK TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT. BEFORE LEAVING, MORADIAN RAISED THE VISION OF A FUTURE REGIONAL SECURITY ARRANGEMENT THAT WOULD BRING TOGETHER THE NEWEST DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION, AFGHANISTAN, WITH THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD, INDIA, AND THE OLDEST DEMOCRACY, THE UNITED STATES, IN A BROAD SPAN OF SECURITY COOPERATION AGAINST THREATS BORDERING THE REGION. FEIGENBAUM RETURNED MORADIAN TO AFGHANISTAN'S IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE. KOROLOGOS .