REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON JIRGA PREPARATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002133 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG NSC FOR AHARRIMAN OSD FOR SHIVERS CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A. CG CJTF-82 POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC MARR AF SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON JIRGA PREPARATIONS REF: A. ISLAMABAD 2835 ¶B. KABUL 2005 Classified By: Ambassador William Wood for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) The proposed date for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Crossborder Peace Jirga is less than four weeks away. Post remains concerned that the Afghans and Pakistanis have not come to agreement on several key outstanding issues. The Bilateral Technical Committee, which the Afghans had hoped would meet in Kabul the last week in June to address the outstanding questions, still has not met. The Afghans do not have a firm commitment from Pakistan on when their team will visit Kabul. ¶2. (C) Outstanding issues include: -- Date: The Afghan Commission Secretariat confirms that they still consider July 28 as the target start date for the jirga. They report that they are increasingly concerned with the short time available before that date to get agreement and complete planning. -- Duration: The Afghan Secretariat staff confirms that their planning and budget is based on three and a half day jirga. They report that Pakistan has said it believes the jirga should be limited to a day and a half. -- Representation: The Afghan participation list is with President Karzai. The Afghan's understand that the Pakistani list is with President Musharraf. There is an assumption that the two sides will exchange lists well before the jirga. We understand there was a positive Afghan/Pakistani exchange on this at the Rome Rule of Law Conference. -- Outcome: The Afghans and Pakistanis have not agreed on an "outcome" for the jirga. Post believes that a simple agreed oral or written declaration including acknowledgement of shared interest in ending violence (and possibly economic cooperation) and reinforcing the role of local leaders would suffice. ¶3. (C) Once the two sides have agreed on date, duration, and expected outcome and have exchanged participation lists, the Technical Committee will be in a better position to address the other outstanding issues, including agenda and format. ¶4. (C) Action Request: Given the lack of recent progress and the limited time remaining, we recommend instructions to both Islamabad and Kabul to deliver messages urging the respective governments to ensure that the Technical Committee meets no later than the week of July 9 and that it reaches agreement on date, duration, participation, and the anticipated outcome. We would underline the importance of both parties being urged to aim for a simple, principled declaration as the outcome. WOOD