ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY SCHWEICH BRIEFS FRENCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004314 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO INL FOR DANIEL WEISFIELD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017 TAGS: PREL FR MARR MOPS PINS SNAR AF SUBJECT: ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY SCHWEICH BRIEFS FRENCH MFA ON U.S. COUNTERNARCOTICS STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN Classified By: POL M/C JOSIAH ROSENBLATT FOR REASONS 1.4(B) and (D) ¶1. (C) On October 10, Acting Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Thomas Schweich briefed French officials on the 2007 U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy for Afghanistan. Ambassador Jean-Pierre Vidon, Ambassador for the Fight Against Organized Crime, and Jean-Hughes Simon-Michel, PDAS equivalent for Strategic, Security and Disarmament Affairs, responded favorably to the U.S. strategy. ¶2. (C) After Schweich concluded his initial briefing (in French),the French emphasized that drug-related corruption undermines every effort of the international community in Afghanistan. They sought the U.S. view of President Hamid Karzai, Balkh,s Governor Atta, and Deputy Minister of the Interior for Counternarcotics Dawood Daoud. Acknowledging that they do not understand Governor Atta's intentions, the French expressed concern over his character and past dealings. The French also asked for U.S. insights into Karzai,s commitment to the counternarcotics mission. Schweich recounted the strong anti-poppy statements made by President Karzai at Afghanistan,s third annual National Counternarcotics Conference in Kabul this August. Schweich also noted Afghan First Vice President Ahmad Zia Massood,s recent statements indicating that President Karzai may not have the political capital needed to control the poppy problem in the Pashtun-dominated south of the country, the region which comprises part of Karzai,s electoral base. ¶3. (C) Seeking clarification on the U.S.,s call for more robust ISAF engagement on counternarcotics, the French asked if the U.S. would be proposing changes to the ISAF Operations Plan. Schweich assured them that this is not currently the case. Agreeing that local-level engagement is critical in order to push farmers away from poppy cultivation, the French asked Schweich about the Afghan response to U.S. initiatives. Schweich explained the U.S./UK Good Performers Initiative in greater detail and indicated that the Afghan response has largely been favorable, particularly in the northern provinces. Simon-Michel asked about Afghan public sentiment and about the GOA,s internal dialogue on eradication, and pointed out that the international community should, in one sense, look forward to bad news: increasing governmental and popular dissension within Afghanistan will indicate that counternarcotics efforts are become increasingly effective. ¶4. (SBU) Acting A/S Schweich cleared this message. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton