CODEL TIERNEY MEETS WITH ZARDARI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 001459

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL
SUBJECT: CODEL TIERNEY MEETS WITH ZARDARI


Classified By: Charge d' Affaires Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Summary: On March 27, CODEL Tierney met with Pakistan
People,s Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Zardari. Zardari
professed his appreciation for U.S. support for the election
and stressed that the U.S. should consider the new Parliament
the primary decisonmaking entity in the government. He
detailed his plans for the provincial governments and
described the economic challenges facing the new government.
Zardari said he would not allow Kashmir to hinder improvement
in the bilateral relationship with India. He said the new
government would continue vigorous counterterrorism
cooperation with the U.S. but explained that the new
government's approach to combating militancy may differ from
Musharraf's. End Summary.


2. (C) Codel Tierney (Representatives John Tierney, Keith
Ellison, Jim Moran, Betty McCollum, Maurice Hinchey, and
Barbara Cubin) accompanied by Polcouns met with Zardari at
his home on March 27. Also in attendance were Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Sherry
Rehman, Zardari's top advisor Husein Haqqani, and Zardari's
sister, Dr. Azra Fazal, an MNA from Nawabsha.


3. (C) After Codel expressed their condolences for Benazir
Bhutto's death, Zardari began by emphasizing his appreciation
for U.S. support for the restoration of democracy. His vision
for Pakistan, Zardari explained, was the same as that of his
late wife--he hoped to see Pakistan become a responsible and
safe democratic country. The PPP intended to "save
Pakistan," Zardari elaborated, by undercutting religious
fundamentalism with increased education and political
participation at the grassroots level.

Time to Deal with Parliament
--------------


4. (C) Representative McCollum discussed her eagerness to
foster closer relationships between the U.S. and Pakistani
legislative branches. Zardari responded by stressing
Parliament should be sovereign and given the opportunity to
prove it can handle Pakistan's problems. He said USG policy
in the past few years has focused on one individual; the new
Parliament would not accept being bypassed. Zardari said a
closer "democratic" relationship--that transcends military
assistance--is possible with the U.S. and asked Codel to
"find ways to help Pakistan help themselves."

Provincial Governments
--------------


5. (C) Zardari said the PPP is in the process of forming a
government in Balochistan; he said they could have made a
government alone in North-West Frontier Province but included
the Awami National Party (ANP) to provide a Pushtun base to
combat extremism. Zardari commented he is happy to let the
ANP lead in NWFP because their political views are similar to
the PPP, as both are primarily interested in peace.


6. (C) Representative Tierney asked Zardari about achievable
benchmarks for FATA development; Zardari noted progress in
the tribal areas would be slow and deliberate. He commented
he would like to see the Political Parties Act extended into
the tribal areas, but said this would be a slow process.

New Economic Policies
--------------


7. (C) In a response to Representative Tierney's question on
Pakistan's economy, Zardari said that he and his advisors had
been burning the midnight oil to devise a new strategic plan
for Pakistan. Pakistan faced a colossal debt of over "100
billion" (denomination unclear),increasing power shortages
that will only worsen in the summer, and rising food prices
due to a wheat shortage. Zardari noted the PPP was devising
programs to develop Pakistan's natural resources; the
beneficiaries of this development would be people in the
regions from which the resources came. Zardari hopes such
plans would help people become less susceptible to the
ideology and opportunities offered by militant groups like
Al-Qaeda.


8. (C) Zardari worried the U.S. commitment to aid was

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decreasing and asked USG to consider special incentives that
encouraged Americans to buy Pakistani textiles from the
tribal areas. In these underdeveloped regions, the proceeds
from increased exports, Zardari elaborated, could be retained
in that area for further industrial improvements. Zardari
warned "poverty is the best friend of terrorism" and stressed
there was an ample work force in the tribal areas that could
be employed as textile engineers, chemical engineers, and
dyeing specialists instead of jihadis and terrorists.

Posture toward India
--------------


9. (C) Representative Ellison asked about Zardari's plans to
interact with India, particularly in regard to Kashmir.
Zardari said the issue of Kashmir was important to Pakistan;
however, he would not allow it to hamper the bilateral
relationship with India. For the last 60 years, Kashmir had
been the excuse to keep Pakistan's war machine going, Zardari
claimed. He intended to change this, saying "war negates
progress." Zardari said he wanted Pakistan's relationship
with India to be one of mutual dependence: India could rely
on Pakistan as an energy corridor and Pakistan could be
carried on the back of India's economic progress. Zardari
commented thoughts of his son guided his actions because he
was keenly aware Bilawal,s generation will have to pay for
his governance mistakes.

Committed to CT
--------------


10. (C) In response to Representative Moran's question about
Zardari's counterterrorism strategy, Zardari declared his
commitment to counterterrorism would equal Musharraf's.
Combating terrorism was "very personal," he explained,
because his wife lost her life to a terrorist attack. Zardari
said his methodology may differ from Musharraf's: "we are an
elected people, and we cannot use the language a dictator
used." As an example, Zardari said he thought the terrorists
should be attacked on different fronts at the same time.
Zardari and other coalition leaders will be briefed on
counterterrorism efforts by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Ashfaq
Kayani; they will began devising a more specific
counterterrorism plan after the briefing. Zardari has met
with Kayani and said both are on board with continuing robust
counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. "Everything will
be the same, where it was," Zardari declared, "...no, it
will be better."


11. (C) Zardari continued to express appreciation for
counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S., commenting,
"that's where we need you." He suggested the UN set up an
anti-terrorism fund designed to win hearts and minds by
providing assistance to victims. He suggested that if people
were injured in the war on terror, the fund could provide
them and/or their family with monetary support. Zardari
argued this would show Pakistanis that the world cares about
their contributions to fighting terrorism.

Mentoring His Children
--------------


12. (C) Representative McCollum and Representative Cubin both
expressed interest in Zardari's children and their plans for
the future. Zardari explained that all his children became
political the day their mother died. He said they are as
committed to the cause as he is, and all have or will hold
positions in the PPP. Bilawal is Party Chairman, Zardari's
eldest daughter will be Chairman of the Women's Wing, and his
youngest daughter will be Chairman of the Youth Wing.


13. (U) Codel Tierney did not have an opportunity to clear
this cable.
BODDE