DEPUTY SECRETARY, GEN HYAT, AND GEN UL-HAQ STRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002856 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER PK MOPS AG SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY, GEN HYAT, AND GEN UL-HAQ STRESS THE CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST TERROR REF: ISLAMABAD 2798 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter W. Bodde, reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte, Assistant Secretary Boucher, and Charge d,Affaires Bodde met with Vice Chief of Army Staff GEN Ahsan Saleem Hyat and then separately with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff GEN Ehsan ul-Haq on June 16. Both sides emphasized the importance of continued and enduring cooperation in the war on terror. GEN Hyat focused on Pak-Afghan military cooperation and terrorism's effects on Pakistan. GEN Ehsan ul-Haq discussed the situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas FATA) and the holistic approach to fighting terrorism along the Pak-Afghan border. END SUMMARY. -------------- VCOAS GEN AHSAN SALEEM HYAT -------------- ¶2. (C) Hyat outlined the 28 years of strife that have consumed Afghanistan, including the Soviet invasion, the civil war that followed, and finally 9/11. He gauged that, outside of Afghanistan, the effects of this strife have been felt most acutely in Pakistan. For Pakistan these events have bred extremism, militancy, and sectarianism. These themes were first co-opted to incite people against the Soviets; however, now these same ideas are undermining the fabric of Pakistan. Additionally the large presence of refugees in Pakistan is a significant destabilizing force. Refugees are an issue in camps and also in cities. According to GEN Hyat, the refugees are not all "bad" people, but they cause a significant change in demography. He stressed that solving the severe problems in Afghanistan is the only road to peace and democracy in Pakistan. ¶3. (C) Hyat said that Pakistan does not want to destabilize Afghanistan. However, from his recent talks with President Karzai he inferred that the Afghan president believes there are elements in Pakistan who want to interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs. Hyat insisted that there was no evidence or intelligence that showed Pakistan trying to destabilize Afghanistan and that such suspicions just waste energy on both sides. On the contrary, the stability of Afghanistan would be beneficial to Pakistan. ¶4. (C) The Deputy Secretary asked about the Afghan National Army (ANA). Hyat responded that GEN Bismillah Khan of the ANA is a close friend of his and that they visit each other and share ideas; the VCOAS has now invited the ANA to join the joint US-Pakistan special operations training. Hyat commented that the Afghans are "natural fighters" and they are trying very hard, but training them to become a professional military will take time. He has invited the ANA to take advantage of any and all of Pakistan's training resources. Hyat told the Afghans, "we will go to any length to provide what we have;" however, the Afghans have not accepted the offered military training. ¶5. (C) Hyat discussed the importance of building a strong military relationship with Afghanistan and increasing trust over time. The Deputy Secretary noted that any long term solution in Afghanistan required an increase in the quantity and quality of Afghan troops. Hyat noted that service tenure in the ANA was only 4 years, and afterwards most soldiers do not re-enlist. In this manner, the ANA is losing trained soldiers. Hyat encouraged increasing the service tenure in the ANA, improving service conditions, and providing benefits as incentives to stay in the armed forces. -------------- CJCS GEN EHSAN UL-HAQ ISLAMABAD 00002856 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶6. (C) GEN Haq said his areas of emphasis were to establish peace and security in Afghanistan and stop terrorism and extremism. This meant not allowing terrorism to take place in Pakistan and not allowing Pakistan to become a base to launch terrorism. He acknowledged the significant remaining challenges but also stressed that Pakistan had come a long way with strong national resolve. He asked the Deputy Secretary for US support and understanding as Pakistan SIPDIS continues to fight terrorism. 7.(C) Haq described his approach in the FATA as holistic by utilizing political, administrative, economic, and military tools in a robust manner. On the military front, he said his forces are effectively employed wherever they have actionable intelligence. Additionally, his forces are seeking to increase tactical capacity with better division of command and delegation of authority, which hopefully will enable them to react to intelligence more quickly. ¶8. (C) Haq noted that, with so many people living on and crossing over the border daily, the military needs very strong measures to properly police the border. These include the use of biometric technology and careful fencing. He stressed that Afghanistan must at least recognize the border if the Pakistanis are expected to seal and protect it. Moreover, Haq said that for long lasting stability the Pakistanis need strong Afghan support and coordination for their actions along the border. He hoped that this could be reached through the Tri-Partite Military Group (US, Pakistan, Afghanistan). ¶9. (C) Haq also commented on the importance of the Frontier Corps and their many sacrifices in the war on terror. The Frontier Corps, according to Haq, were great soldiers under a lot of pressure: being tribesmen themselves this fight was very personal for them. They have been active in the area since 9/11 and have scarce resources. Haq stressed that the Frontier Corps needs help and recognition. ¶10. The Deputy's staff has cleared this message. PATTERSON