AMBASSADOR DELIVERS DEMARCHE ON U.S. CONCERNS OVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 001027

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA FOR A/S BOUCHER AND PMOON
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/CDHA/DG
NSC FOR JWOOD
OSD FOR MSHIVERS
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-82 AND POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PTER EAID AFIN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DELIVERS DEMARCHE ON U.S. CONCERNS OVER
ACTIONS AGAINST MEDIA FREEDOM

REF: KABUL 911

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) On April 22 the Ambassador informed Foreign Minister
Spanta of his deep concern over the government's decision to
ban the broadcast of certain Indian soap operas. The
Ambassador underlined the issue was the action by Minister of
Information and Culture (MOIC) Khoram to curtail media
freedom. He added that U.S. concerns on this issue have made
it necessary to consider disagreeing publicly, for the first
time, with an action by the government. The Ambassador told
Spanta the U.S. is committed to giving the Afghan government
the room it needs and deserves to address difficult issues,
but imposition of the ban (which targeted four popular soaps,
each broadcast by a different private television station)
crossed the line.


2. (C) Spanta underlined his "total loyalty" to President
Karzai, but added that, as an advocate of human rights, he
personally disagreed with actions taken by the government.
He pointed to Minister Khoram as triggering the ban but added
that it was not only Khoram who was pushing for greater
restrictions on the media. He deplored the role of the Ulema
Council, whose "members are paid by the government yet are
pushing its own agenda which goes well beyond banning soaps."
Spanta asserted that a large segment of the Afghan public
opposed restrictions on the media, but so far lack an
effective voice. The ForMin shared he was meeting with
President Karzai immediately after his meeting with the
Ambassador and signaled he would be reporting the
conversation to him.


3. (SBU) President Karzai's statements on the subject have
evolved. At a press conference on April 6, he stated that,
"as long as I am President, there will never be any
interference in media freedom." He nevertheless added a
request that channels stop broadcasting programs against
daily life and values of the Afghan people. He acknowledged
the Minister of Information of Culture was concerned about
certain programs, but reiterated that he had told the
Minister not to act in a way inconsistent with freedom of
media. In response to a question during his April 21 joint
press conference with EU Javier Solana, Karzai defended the
ban imposed by the Minister as an effort to protect Afghan
lifestyle and culture. Karzai highlighted the judgement of
the Ulema Council (which had recommended a wider ban --
including on cable TV networks, CD and DVDs and satellite
dishes) in his remarks. Karzai acknowledged that only the
Indian soaps targeted by the Ministry of Information and
Culture had been banned. He highlighted that others continue
to be broadcast.


4. (SBU) Minister Khoram may be finding he has overreached
on this issue. The MOIC had threatened to refer the stations
that did not comply with the ban by April 23 to the Office of
the Attorney General. With two stations refusing to comply,
the Ministry announced that the deadline has been extended to
April 29. Afghanistan's National Journalists Union issued a
letter describing the ban as inconsistent with the
constitution and law and thus having no legal authority. The
Union, according to media contacts, will soon begin airing
pro-media freedom ads on several private televisions station.
The Chairman of the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission told us she agrees that the ban has questionable
legal standing. In her view, the Attorney General could
simply say he does not have any authority relative to a ban
announced by a minister. (She said she had also told the
owner of TOLO TV, the largest private station, that if he
wants to push the envelop on media freedom, she wishes he
would choose a different vehicle than soaps.) Discussions of
the issue in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament
resulted in support for as well as criticisms of the ban.
There have been demonstrations supporting the principle of
media freedom, and TOLO's own weekly program of political
satire included a segment in its April 23 broadcast that
showed a coffin, marked media freedom, buried in a grave
while onlookers wept.
WOOD