DEMARCHE TO KABUL AND ISLAMABAD: TAKING STEPS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002001 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A,S/PB E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR AF PK SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO KABUL AND ISLAMABAD: TAKING STEPS TO DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS REF: STATE 77800 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador William B. Wood, for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Drawing from reftel talking points during their July 22 discussion, the Ambassador urged President Karzai to ensure that the July 14 Council of Ministers decision suspending three meetings between Afghanistan and Pakistan be strictly limited in scope and duration. The Ambassador called for calmer rhetoric and enhanced cross-border cooperation to combat the common Taliban enemy. He said the Taliban would only be encouraged if the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan lead to a rupture. ¶2. (C) Karzai described the ministers, decision as the most restrained possible expression of Afghan anger in the wake of the July 7 Indian Embassy bombing. He said that, though his cabinet believes to a man that the bombing was arranged by Pakistan's Inter-Services INTELLIGENCE Directorate, the Ministries of Defense and Interior know they must work towards effective security cooperation arrangements with those elements of the new Pakistani government who bear no malice towards Afghanistan. He said no cross-border military cooperation meetings would be affected by the suspension. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador asked Karzai to consider rescheduling at a later date the suspended meetings. Karzai agreed, but did not promise dates. WOOD