AFGHAN SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT ASKS NAC FOR SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000165 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2017 TAGS: MARR NATO PREL PTER AF PK SUBJECT: AFGHAN SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT ASKS NAC FOR SUPPORT Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Ian Kelly, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. During a March 12 coffee with Permreps the Speaker of Afghanistan,s Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament)Yanus Qanuni challenged NATO to provide a long-term commitment to Afghanistan. He said the Afghan Parliament and people did not want NATO and international military forces to leave the country prematurely, but rather, welcomed a long-term presence that combined enhanced security assistance and increased civilian development aid. Qanuni thanked the U.S. administration for its recent $12 billion request to Congress that encompassed both civilian development and support for the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) and police. Qanuni offered specific suggestions: - NATO should share responsibility for planning and operations with the ANA; - NATO should increase training and equipment for ANA; - ISAF should take measures to prevent collateral damage to civilians from airstrikes; - NATO should enhance ISAF and PRT coordination with local populations, civil society and Parliament; - NATO should increase public awareness of NATO activities; - Deployment of PRTs should be balanced between both relatively peaceful as well as more unstable provinces; - Civilians should have a more prominent role in PRTs; END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Qanuni told PermReps that Afghanistan had made much progress in five years with the help of the international community, including: establishment of a national constitution, election of a President and Parliament: and establishment of civil society. Now enhanced long-term international support was needed to sustain the momentum and to overcome Afghanistan's main problems: terrorism; narcotics cultivation; corruption; and the need to convince citizens of the relevancy of their government and civil society. Terrorists are returning to Afghanistan from its neighboring countries, he asserted, and without international help Afghanistan could once again become a center for terrorism. ¶3. (C) Qanuni remarked that in spite of recent Afghan success in establishing national institutions, the government lacked the professional capacity to adequately staff and run those institutions. He urged each Ally to take responsibility for imparting technical skills and equipment to one ministry. He also noted that Allies could do more with regards to provincial development, remarking that PRTs should be established in all Afghan provinces. This, he said, would have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness of provincial governments. He urged each Ally to fully train five persons in provincial government each year, which would have a multiplier effect in producing (train the trainers) competent civil servants in the provinces. ¶4. (C) Qanuni urged Allies to commit more resources to training and equipping the Afghan National Army. While acknowledging that many Allies were supporting difficult international missions in Lebanon and Iraq, he said that by redirecting to the ANA the resources for an additional Allied deployment of 5,000 troops, NATO could train and equip 50,000 ANA soldiers, reduce Allied casualties, and allow the ANA "to stand on its own feet." ¶5. (C) Qanuni asked for NATO's help in "finding a solution to Pakistan's interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs." He said Allies needed to be courageous and put pressure on Pakistan. ¶6. (C) Ambassador Nuland asked Qanuni what more NATO could do to strengthen relationships between citizens, provinces, Parliament and the government? Qanuni replied that NATO could better coordinate its communication and media strategy towards Afghanistan's people, Parliament and civil society. He urged NATO to take a balanced approach in supporting both relatively peaceful provinces and provinces where there is conflict with the Taliban. Ambassador Nuland, along with the Italian and Spanish Ambassadors urged Qanuni to engage in media outreach throughout Europe. USNATO 00000165 002 OF 002 ¶7. (C) In bringing the meeting to a close, SYG Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Afghanistan's Parliament had a strong first year in governance. He noted that Parliaments must exercise an important oversight role. He said Afghanistan's own Parliament had not been timid in challenging government policies. KELLY