ADVISORS TO RECOMMEND KARZAI SPEAKS ON MANAS AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002193 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A NSC FOR WOOD OSD FOR SHIVERS CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-101 POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2013 TAGS: MOPS MARR PGOV PREL AF SUBJECT: ADVISORS TO RECOMMEND KARZAI SPEAKS ON MANAS AT SCO SUMMIT REF: STATE 82513 Classified By: Political Counselor Alan K. Yu for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) POLCOUNS delivered reftel demarche August 13 to National Security Council Deputy for External Affairs Mohammad Homayoun Tandar. Tandar will recommend President Karzai emphasize at the August 28 Dushanbe Summit the importance of Manas air base to stabilization operations in Afghanistan, but downplayed Afghanistan's influence as a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) contact partner. Polcouns countered that President Karzai has the stature and credibility to make the case for continuing to make Manas available for the support of Afghanistan's security interests. Tandar affirmed that Manas operations are important to Afghanistan's national security and that Afghanistan would defend its national interests if/when the issue is raised in a political forum. ¶2. (C) Both Tandar and his Director for External Affairs Sayeed Najeeb Tahmas registered concern about the Russian military intervention in Georgia. Tahmas opined that the intervention would make Afghanistan's northern neighbors more wary of Russia, which could work against Russian efforts to rally support at the SCO for its position on Manas. ¶3. (SBU) In a separate meeting on August 13, MFA Protocol Chief Hamid Sidiq (Protect; probable AMCIT) confirmed Karzai's attendance at the summit. Sidiq said several SCO Summit attendees have requested bilateral meetings with Karzai, including Russian President Medvedev. Foreign Minister Spanta plans to participate in an August 27 conference in Dushanbe along with his Iranian and Tajik counterparts to advance cultural cooperation among the three Farsi/Dari-speaking countries. WOOD