Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KABUL606
2007-02-25 11:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kabul
Cable title:  

KARZAI DISCUSSES SECURITY, PAKISTAN WITH CODEL

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER SNAR NATO AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6994
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHBUL #0606/01 0561114
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 251114Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6337
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3484
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3681
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000606 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/FO, SCA/A, S/CT, S/CR, SCA/PAB, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN
OSD FOR KIMMITT
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER SNAR NATO AF
SUBJECT: KARZAI DISCUSSES SECURITY, PAKISTAN WITH CODEL
DICKS

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Neumann for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000606

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/FO, SCA/A, S/CT, S/CR, SCA/PAB, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN
OSD FOR KIMMITT
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER SNAR NATO AF
SUBJECT: KARZAI DISCUSSES SECURITY, PAKISTAN WITH CODEL
DICKS

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Neumann for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (U) On February 21, Codel Dicks discussed security and
reconstruction issues with President Karzai. Karzai
expressed confidence about GOA and ISAF ability to succeed.
Attendees included Representatives Dicks, Kaptur,
Frelinghuysen, Rothman, Carney, and Murphy.

--------------
Afghans Confident About Winning the War
--------------

2. (SBU) Karzai was upbeat, and the tone of meeting was
relaxed. Karzai repeated several times that he was much more
confident about the current security situation than he was at
this time last year, and characterized himself as a
"relatively happy man." He emphasized that NATO needs to
"complete the win" that is "ours for the taking" this year.
Karzai explained that Afghans are at their best when they
have a clear vision and purpose to support. He added that
this spring they know clearly that the U.S. supports them and
will not abandon the fight to eliminate the Taliban. The
President commented that during his December trip to
Kandahar, locals told him they were upset that there was not
more engagement by NATO. "When we want to confront them," he
said, "they (the Taliban) are no match for us." Karzai was
clear that the spring offensive is coming, but he noted that
the population is a lot more confident about getting through
it than they were last fall. Karzai expressed strong support
for incoming General McNeill, stating that if McNeill says he
needs four more battalions, he is right. Pointing to the
issue of insurgents in the border region,
the President loosely suggested some form of trilateral
US-Afghan-Pakistan "treaty" to deal with the problem.

--------------
Narcotics A Concern, Not a Threat
--------------

3. (SBU) Karzai noted the importance of providing
alternative livelihoods (AL) for poppy growers, but said AL
must be understood to encompass "raising the quality of life
for all," including improved rule of law, infrastructure, and
security. Narcotics, he said, is a "concern, not a threat."
He said that while some narcotics money goes to fund
terrorism, a lot of it simply goes to finance the
narcotraffickers' lifestyles. He concluded that the Afghan
National Army is doing well, and the Afghan National Police
is just being built, noting that ANP training is three years
behind schedule.

--------------
Relations with Musharraf
--------------

4. (C) Karzai said that he had a "direct line" to
Musharraf, and noted that he called Musharraf more than vice
versa. Karzai emphasized that he makes a point to never go
on the personal attack, but rather focuses on the substantive
issues. He explained that they engage on subjects, not on
personalities. Karzai noted that Pakistani Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz "shares the same world view as we have here in
Afghanistan." Karzai criticized Musharraf's efforts to
handle terrorism, pointing out that Musharraf must take more
relevant steps. Putting 80,000 troops on the border is not
useful if they are not strategically placed. Karzai said
wistfully that the GOA and GOP could make a huge impact
against terrorism on the border areas, but Musharraf will not
take action, and "he won't let us take action (meaning to
strike across the border)." He said that for the first time
Pakistani tribal chiefs have come to visit him, mixing in
with Afghan delegations, to plead for assistance in combating
terrorists in their lands. The President sharply criticized
the Pakistani mass media for supporting the Taliban. He
explained that the former Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan
was on television just yesterday saying that the Taliban were
"fighting a war of liberation." He lamented that the GOP is
using radical Islam to achieve their objectives of national

KABUL 00000606 002 OF 002


cohesion and also to project its regional interests outside
of his borders. Karzai said that the biggest weapon to
counteract this trend is to support secular Pashtuns in
Pakistan. Engaging the right people in Pakistan is key.

--------------
Relations with Iran
--------------

5. (C) Karzai said relations with Iran have been virtually
"at a standstill" since President Khatami left-- until the
past two months. Now, he explained, they are actually going
down. Karzai said the GOA has reports of Iranian agents
engaging the Taliban and trying to supply them with weapons.
The President strongly encouraged the US to talk to Iran
about Iraq.
NEUMANN