GOA ADDITIONS TO UN1267 LIST NOT IMMINENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002300 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A NSC FOR AHARRIMAN OSD FOR SHIVERS CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A. CG CJTF-82 POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2017 TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PGOV PREL PTER UNSC AF SUBJECT: GOA ADDITIONS TO UN1267 LIST NOT IMMINENT REF: KABUL 1353 Classified By: Ambassador William Wood for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: GOA remains willing to cooperate with the UN 1267 Committee by updating biographic information and responding to specific requests to add names to the 1267 list, but expresses frustration with the Committee's inability to delist individuals, particularly Uruzgan Governor Monib. Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) representatives prefer to "go slow" when adding new names because there is no demonstrated mechanism for removal. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C) As reported in Reftel, on April 19, ONSC officials provided POLOFF a draft list of Taliban leadership for possible addition to the 1267 list but cautioned that the political decision to list these names had not been made. Since that time: -- Responsibility for 1267 issues was transferred within the ONSC to the Office of External Affairs, whose Director, Najeeb Tahmas, told POLOFF in a July 9 meeting that this was done to answer complaints that the previous office had been unresponsive. -- GOA provided updated biographic information on 11 individuals currently on the 1267 list and, in response to a specific request from the UN 1267 Monitoring Team, drafted a "Request for Enlisting Sirajuddin Haqqani" which it hopes to finalize and submit in the coming days. -- A series of bilateral meetings between GOA, the UN, and Russia (including most recently at a meeting between Deputy National Security Advisor Ibrahim and the Russian Ambassador) convinced ONSC leadership that Russia did not intend to lift its hold on delisting, even if new names are added. (Comment: This is a change from ONSC opinion reported Reftel and removes the "linkage" incentive for adding names. End Comment.) ¶3. (C) Tahmas stressed that one of the GOA's overriding national goals was advancing peace and reconciliation. The 1267 Committee's inability (due to specific member states' unwillingness) to remove reconcilees from the 1267 list was hindering this process. Consequently, ONSC officials are now hesitant to put forward large scale additions to the list. ¶4. (C) ONSC's number one UNSCR 1267-related priority, Tahmas confirmed, remains delisting (Uruzgan Governor) Monib. Tahmas placed blame on the Russians (particularly the Russian Ambassador) and UNSCR 1267 Committee leadership for letting Russia's political motivations interfere with advancing peace and stability in Afghanistan. ONSC is targeting the August 16 Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to reengage with the Russians on Monib. In the interim, the GOA will continue to respond to UN 1267 Committee requests but has signaled it is unlikely to be forward-leaning in adding new names. WOOD