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
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