UK AND US AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH INTERIOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 004652 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017 TAGS: ASEC PGOV PTER PINR PREL PK SUBJECT: UK AND US AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH INTERIOR MINISTER SHERPAO REF: A. ISLAMABAD 4599 ¶B. ISLAMABAD 4494 Classified By: Ambassador Anne W. Patterson for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) . ¶1. (C) Summary: UK and US ambassadors reiterated October 29 the offer of law enforcement assistance to Interior minister Sherpao and MOI secretary (and former Karachi police chief) Kamal Shah. Sherpao said the investigation into the October 18 Karachi bombing was proceeding well. A formal request for foreign help had become difficult because it would encourage a perception that the government could not do its job, he said. Sherpao and Shah agreed to suggestion of UK ambassador that they brief Benazir Bhutto on the progress of the investigation. MOI has already identified suspects with ties to terrorist groups. Sherpao pointed out previous suicide bombings in Karachi had been resolved. MOI has allowed Bhutto to use her own armed personnel and cars with tinted windows. GOP has also provided additional armored vehicles. Embassy is faxing to desk points from Musharraf,s chief of staff provided on security provided to Bhutto. RSO will also touch base with Shah and with Bhutto,s security personnel to follow up to his previous discussions. End summary. ¶2. (C) US and UK ambassadors called on Minister of Interior Sherpao and MOI secretary (and former Karachi police chief) Kamal Shah October 29 to reiterate offer of law enforcement assistance. UK ambassador recalled the Minister had already rejected assistance but noted that our law enforcement personnel might have capabilities that the Pakistani police lack. Ambassador said her interest was also a political one: she understood foreign law enforcement personnel did not have informants nor the language for direct involvement in Karachi, and she understood the government confronted a dilemma in that it could not appear as if it were caving in to international pressure. Still, outside assistance might help the government validate the results of its own investigation. And it did not have to come from the US or the UK. Sherpao said that Bhutto had closed out the option politically ) &if she had only made her request privately,8 he said, &and if only she had not focused it on the US and the UK.8 But he said he would ask the chief investigator in Sindh once again if there was anything he needed. ¶3. (C) UK ambassador recommended that Bhutto be briefed on the progress of the investigation. Kamal Shah said that he would have the Sindh chief investigator talk to her but ask her not to divulge details of an ongoing investigation to the press. Shah said that suicide bombings in Karachi, including those against Americans, had almost always been resolved: they already had some suspects with ties to terrorist groups. Regarding Bhutto,s specific concerns, they were allowing her people to have weapons, to use tinted windows, and were providing more armored vehicles and trying to work with her security personnel. ¶4. (C) RSO will follow up with Shah and with Bhutto's security personnell to see if any action has been taken regarding the hiring of a security firm as per reftel. PATTERSON