KARZAI DISSATISFIED; WORRIES ABOUT NEWSWEEK; PLANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 000116

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2035
TAGS: MOPS PREL SNAR AF
SUBJECT: KARZAI DISSATISFIED; WORRIES ABOUT NEWSWEEK; PLANS
MORE WAR AGAINST NARCOTICS

Classified By: AMB RONALD E. NUMANN FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary: President Karzai is flailing at Newsweek
for writing that one of his brothers is a drug dealer.
Karzai will make a new push on narcotics eradication. The
President criticized our announcing the withdrawal of U.S.
forces after NATO comes in. This suggests he has had
negative feedback since our initial conversation where he
was more relaxed. He once again claimed he was moving on
the removal of the governor of Oruzgan He is concerned
about the disarmament of legal groups, feeling that there
is talk but no substance. He is right. We will meet again
on this next month. End Summary.


2. (C) President Karzai met with the Ambassador Neumann
and UK Ambassador Marsden January 9. His main topic of
conversation was the recent Newsweek story accusing his
brother, Ahmed of being a narcotics trafficker. Karzai
asked both U.S. and British intelligence whether they had
any evidence to back that up and repeated the question to
the ambassadors. We all said that we had numerous rumors
and allegations to the effect that his brother is corrupt
and a narco-trafficker but that we have never had clear
evidence that one could take to court. Karzai fulminated,
talked about taking the case to court for libel.
Ambassador Neumann made the point that there are two
issues; one legal, but the other is political and the
President needs to deal with both.


3. (C) Although originally comfortable with our decision
to announce a withdrawal of troops in the south after NATO
expands, Karzai is now getting less comfortable. He said
the announcement was a mistake and should have been held
longer. He complained that we do not consult on the
tactics in detail before we make announcements. He did not
seem too worked up about this and I think this is more a
reflection of Karzai's nervousness about whether weQll have
the will to fight than a real problem with our withdrawal.
His concern came in the context of a newspaper story in
radical papers that the governor of Helmand was removed
because of UK pressure. This makes the Karzai government
look like a puppet of the British -- an old story in
Afghanistan -- and has got him rather worked up.


4. (C) Karzai asked Ambassador about his trip to
Oruzgan and the bomb near him. Ambassador said
that all of our people believed the governor and
the police chief should be replaced; they are
detrimental to security and our military and State
people in the PRT said they would prefer to forego
new aid in the province until the governor is gone.
Karzai seemed more serious than in our last conversation
about removing Governor Jan Mohammed. He said he
has decided to appoint him to be the head of security
for the Kandahar-Herat Road. Comment: Jan Mohammed
likes to fight more than to govern. Security is going
to be needed and this may work well.


5. (C) Disarmament of illegal groups: (DIAG) Karzai
worried that there is talk but no real policy. Ambassador
told him the new director of DIAG, Deputy Minister
Nuristani is not sure of his political support. Karzai
exclaimed, "how could that be? The minister of defense has
full authority to back him," etc. (but did not bother to
note that Nuristani has not yet had a meeting with the
President who has characterized Nuristani as not good
but the best we had). Karzai said that he wanted to
come back to work on the DIAG subject with new seriousness.
Neumann noted questions among Afghans as to whether the
government is serious about DIAG since many in the
government are accused of having their own ties to
illegal armed groups. Karzai admitted this was a problem
but was focused more on questions about whether the U.S.
was seriously fighting terrorism because of Pakistan and so
turned the question back on us as to seriousness. In any
event, he agreed that the DIAG strategy would be a major
subject of discussion in the security coordination forum
after London. This will give some time for the new head of
DIAG and the international community to pull together and
set some solid plans in front of the President. Comment:
Ambassador recently called on new DIAG head Nuristani and
reviewed DIAG with the Minister of Interior (septels). We
are consulting with the UK, UN and will be talking to the
Japanese who are very involved. A lot of work is necessary
but the political will starts with Karzai.

NORLAND