U.S.-AFGHAN-PAKISTANI TRILATERAL: MOVING FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 003192

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER ECON AF PK
SUBJECT: U.S.-AFGHAN-PAKISTANI TRILATERAL: MOVING FORWARD
ON THE CROSS-BORDER JIRGA, COOPERATING AGAINST TERRORISM

Classified By: DCM Chris Dell, Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)

1.(C) SUMMARY: Afghan National Security Advisor (NSA)
Rassoul and Pakistani NSA Aziz, in a September 11
trilateral meeting with the Deputy Secretary, agreed on the
need to capitalize on the positive momentum created by the
August 9-12 Afghan-Pakistan cross-border Peace Jirga.
Rassoul pushed hard for the two nations to intensify work
through existing Afghan-Pakistan connections -- e.g., the
trilateral military committee, intelligence exchanges,
economic and trade links, and people-to-people exchanges --
to achieve concrete results, in particular with regard to
counterterrorism efforts against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
They agreed that once the 50 members (25 per side) of the
Jirga are named, its establishment could be announced at a
meeting between Presidents Karzai and Musharraf, to
demonstrate publicly improved Aghan-Pakistani bilateral
relations and to underscore their joint efforts against
terrorism. The three sides also discussed maintaining the
Rassoul-Aziz channel of bilateral communication, the
improved tone of public discourse between the two
governments, increasing Afghan-Pakistani cooperation on
facilitating border crossings, engaging tribes with ties on
both sides of the border to assist in monitoring illegal
border crossings by terrorists, developing border areas,
improving assistance for refugees returning to
Afghanistan from Pakistan, and the need to get the business
community more deeply engaged on both sides of the
border.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Deputy Secretary Negroponte and Pakistani NSA
Tariq Aziz were hosted by Afghan NSA Zalmai Rassoul on
September 11, 2007, in Kabul for a 90-minute
trilateral discussion focused on terrorism and how
best to capitalize on the positive momentum generated
by the August 9-12 Afghan-Pakistani Peace Jirga.

Terrorism and Extremism -- the Common Enemy


3. (C) Rassoul recalled that Aziz at an earlier
encounter had said that terrorism is a major threat to
Pakistan, and he urged that the two nations work
together and with the U.S. to "defeat the villain."
Aziz agreed that terrorism and extremism are the
common enemy. Pakistan has suffered from it. Aziz
noted that the fight against the Soviets was a fight
against infidels. Now illiterate people in Pakistan
are confused because the enemy is also Muslim. The
Pakistani military is still more prepared to fight a
regular war than a war in the FATA, but the military
is now realizing that terrorists are the enemy. It is
not a religious war, he added, but a political war in
which the extremists want to impose their own way of
life using un-Islamic means -- suicide bombings,
killing of innocents. Aziz noted that after five
years in power, the Taliban's governance was marked by
anarchy and brute force. Rassoul agreed, noting that
although majorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan oppose
the extremist vision, the people are afraid of
extremist brutality. Rassoul urged that if the GOP
has information on things happening in Afghanistan, it
should share them. For example, the IRoA had
information from human sources that Mullah Omar is
staying near Peshawar. Two or three solid exchanges of
intelligence will demonstrate the good relations between the
two
countries. Aziz noted that perceptions may differ on
whether some individuals were involved in terrorism
and violence, but he welcomed help from Afghanistan
from time to time.


4. (C) Rassoul said President Karzai is prepared to
accept Taliban who are ready to drop their weapons and
accept the new vision of Afghanistan. There is a need
to separate those who joined the Taliban out of
poverty or ignorance from those who are dedicated to
extremism and violence. Also, the Taliban and
al-Qaida need to be denied sanctuary and assistance.

This was discussed at the Peace Jirga, Rassoul said,
adding that the question is how to make it work.


5. (C) Rassoul summarized the counterterrorism
discussion with three points: the security and
stability of Pakistan is vital to Afghanistan; neither
Afghanistan nor Pakistan can defeat al-Qaida and the
Taliban without each other; and al-Qaida can only be
defeated in this region -- it cannot survive any where
else. Defeating the terrorists is not only necessary
for Afghanistan, but also for the sake of the security
of the world. Afghanistan and Pakistan need to find
practical ways, step by step, to address security
issues. Rassoul was convinced that strong cooperation
between Afghanistan and Pakistan will defeat al-Qaida and
the Taliban.

Moving Forward on the Jirga


6. (C) Rassoul praised the outcome of the Peace Jirga,
saying it created a new dynamic on issues ranging from
counterterrorism, economic and trade issues to
bilateral contacts. He suggested the two sides use
the Jirga to make progress in the FATA, in exposing
the connections of terrorists, and in improving
bilateral communications.
Afghan-Pakistani connections exist for cooperation:
the tripartite military committee is working well; the
regular meetings to exchange intelligence are
"serious" but are not yet giving the results the IRoA
want; bilateral trade is going well. The two sides
need to make these connections work.


7. (C) Aziz said Pakistan was still
selecting the 25 Pakistani members of the Jirga. The
fifty members should be people with a real stake in
cross-border Afghan-Pakistani relations. Rassoul said
the Afghan side is finalizing its list of 25. They
agreed that once the 50 members of the Jirga (25 per
side) are named, its establishment should be announced
in the context of a meeting between Presidents Karzai
and Musharraf in order to demonstrate publicly
improved Aghan-Pakistani bilateral relations. Aziz
added that such a meeting would underscore the two
governments' resolve to finish off al-Qaida together.


8. (C) The Deputy Secretary thanked Rassoul and Aziz
for letting the U.S. participate. He underscored the
deep interest of the President in encouraging this
dialogue, starting with the Iftar dinner with Karzai
and Musharraf in fall 2006. The President is very
mindful of the challenges facing Afghanistan and
Pakistan in coming to grips with al-Qaida and creating
a united front. The U.S. will do what it can to be
supportive, including with regard to the tripartite
military commission, intelligence sharing, the Jirga,
and economic development in the border areas. He said
that the fact that the two sides are discussing a
joint commitment against al-Qaida, if publicized,
would weaken al-Qaida. al-Qaida survives by
exploiting the wedge issues in Afghan-Pakistani
relations, making public messages of solidarity very
important. A/S Boucher added that al-Qaida is not
only playing the two governments off each other, but
also tribal groups along the border. "Sub-Jirgas"
might be a way to engage tribes along both sides of
the border.


9. (C) Other Issues:

-- Continuing the Rassoul-Aziz Channel: Rassoul urged
that he and Aziz meet regularly; they can talk frankly
with one another about what is working and what is
not, and it is less bureaucratic. Aziz did not
respond directly, but acknowledged later in the
conversation Rassoul's offer to travel to Pakistan
if/when they meet again.

-- Improved Tone of Public Remarks: Noting that

Afghan-Pakistani problems are so huge that some cannot
help venting their frustration in public, Aziz said he
was pleased that in the last several months neither
side has spoken out critically against the other ("it
has been quiet"). Rassoul agreed that past negative
public statements had been counterproductive, and it
was difficult to stop the exchanges.

-- Cooperation on Border Crossing: Noting U.S.
assistance in rebuilding crossing stations along the
Afghan-Pakistani border, A/S Boucher urged the two
sides to work together in managing border crossing by
the public.

-- Border Security: In response to Aziz's comment
about border fences, Rassoul said erecting fences is
ineffective and a temporary measure at best; the best
solution is to engage the local tribes with ties on
both sides to monitor border traffic for terrorists.

-- Tribal Areas Development Initiative: A/S Boucher said
the new funding and the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones
will help stimulate economic activity along the
Peshawar-Jalalabad highway
on the Pakistani side of the border. The new Afghan-
Tajikistani bridge will also help stimulate trade
between Pakistan and Tajikistan which will benefit
Afghanstan as well.

-- Refugees: At A/S Boucher's urging, the three sides
agreed to approach UNHCR about improving the
assistance to refugees returning to Afghanistan from
Pakistan.


10. (U) Assistant Secretary Boucher, Charge Dell,
Counterterrorism Coordinator Dailey, U.S. Ambassador to
Pakistan Patterson and a notetaker also participated for
the U.S. Aziz was unaccompanied. Rassoul was joined by a
notetaker.


11. (U) This message has been cleared by the Deputy
Secretary's

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