Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NEWDELHI2954
2008-11-19 11:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

GOI SEEMS OPEN TO DEVELOPING RECONSTRUCTION AND

Tags:  IN KCOR KCRS KDEM KPKO PGOV PHUM PINR PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191107Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 7151
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4273
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 5502
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 0759
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002954 

SIPDIS

TO NICOLE OTALLAH FOR AMBASSADOR HERBST

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: IN KCOR KCRS KDEM KPKO PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
PTER, SOCI
SUBJECT: GOI SEEMS OPEN TO DEVELOPING RECONSTRUCTION AND
STABILIZATION CAPABILITIES

Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002954

SIPDIS

TO NICOLE OTALLAH FOR AMBASSADOR HERBST

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: IN KCOR KCRS KDEM KPKO PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
PTER, SOCI
SUBJECT: GOI SEEMS OPEN TO DEVELOPING RECONSTRUCTION AND
STABILIZATION CAPABILITIES

Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) Summary: Coordinator for Reconstruction and
Stabilization Ambassador John Herbst met MEA officials
November 6 to explore potential areas of cooperation between
the United States and India in civilian reconstruction and
stabilizatioN efforts. United Nations-Political Division
Joint Secretary Asit Bhattacharjee recognized the importance
of developing civilian capacities to meet the challenges
posed by failing and failed states. Bhattacharjee promised
to engage his bureaucracy, but cautioned that it would entail
convincing GOI officials of the merits of developing such
capacities. Americas Division Joint Secretary Gaitri Kumar
also seemed favorably inclined. Joint Secretary (Pakistan,
Afghanistan, and Iran) T.C.A. Raghavan appeared less
interested in pursuing cooperation in this area. End Summary.

Ambassador Herbst Describes U.S. Goals
--------------


2. (SBU) Ambassador Herbst described the mission of the
Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and
Stabilization (S/CRS) as seeking to improve coordination,
planning, and implementation of reconstruction and
stabilization (R&S) assistance to meet the global challenges
presented by failed states and ungoverned spaces. The Office
has created an inter-agency mechanism to respond to political
and post-stabilization crises. In conjunction with other
State bureaus, S/CRS is working to foster multilateral and
bilateral efforts on civilian reconstruction and
stabilization. S/CRS is also establishing a Civilian
Response Corps (CRC),made of civilian federal employees and
eventually volunteers from the private sector and state/local
governments. Members will train and equip to deploy rapidly

overseas to provide R&S assistance.


3. (SBU) Herbst acknowledged the new U.S. administration
would determine future funding for the program but stressed
that the U.S. Congress has already appropriated $55 million
for the development of a small corps. This corps of 600
would be ready to deploy in the fall of 2009.


4. (SBU) Herbst emphasized that since the challenges
presented by failing states and ungoverned spaces are global,
the USG encourages other nations, especially those with
exceptional capabilities, to institutionalize and develop
similar civilian capacities. The British and Canadians have
created such capabilities since 2004, and the UN's
Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Support Office
have also developed capacity to address these challenges.
Herbst said the USG wants a "peacebuilding" capacity that can
quickly deploy and potentially complement the role of the UN
and other peacekeepers. The European Union has expressed
interest, especially since the group is maintaining a
stabilization operation in Kosovo. The USG has also explored
this idea with the African Union. Herbst told Bhattacharjee
he has already had useful discussions with officials in
Japan, South Korea, and China.

And Bhattacharjee Has an Open Mind
--------------


5. (SBU) Bhattacharjee declared he is familiar with the
challenges posed by failing states and ungoverned spaces,
having worked exhaustively on issues relating to the work of
several UN missions in Africa during the past six years.
When asked about the conditions under which such a team would
be deployed, Herbst replied it could be in response to an
individual nation's decision, a coalition of willing nations,
or a decision to intervene by the UN. He stressed his view
that in almost all instances, deployment would occur only
after the host government's request. Bhattacharjee agreed
that post-conflict reconstruction is very important;
otherwise, "war economies and structures" will remain. He
then described in length weaknesses that characterized UN
missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone. According to
Bhattacharjee, common weaknesses in UN missions remain a lack
of translating concepts to the ground and the incoherent
manner in which UN bureaucracy establishes missions, often
resulting in the creation of "hydra-headed monsters with no
legs." He stressed stabilization issues are not adequately
addressed during the pre-planning stage and contended that UN

NEW DELHI 00002954 002 OF 003


plans, once blessed, cannot be deconstructed; they can only
be added to.


6. (C) Herbst said he shared Bhattacharjee's analysis. He
noted that it highlighted the need for nations to develop R&S
capabilities of their own, and the USG is eager to explore to
what extent the GOI is interested in developing civilian
skills. Herbst stressed there may be times when the GOI
finds it is in its national interest to have a capacity that
it can immediately deploy either unilaterally or in concert
with like-minded nations. At this point, Bhattacharjee
raised the continuing relevance of the UN. Herbst responded
that he could envision various permutations, including a
deployment in support of a UN peacekeeping mission. He told
Bhattacharjee USG officials will meet their British and
Canadian counterparts in early December to discuss R&S
efforts and that a larger meeting with other nations with an
interest in exploring the concept further is planned to take
place during the first half of 2009. Bhattacharjee advised
Herbst the GOI may be interested but he would first need to
sensitize his government on the concept's merits. Herbst
offered his office's services if Bhattacharjee believed it
would be useful in helping the Indian bureaucracy think
through the concept. Bhattacharjee suggested the U.S.-India
Joint Working Group on Peacekeeping as one good venue to
further discuss the concept. (Note: The Joint Working Group
met earlier this year and is not expected to meet again until
around May/June 2009.)

While Joint Secretary Raghavan Sticks to Afghan Brief
-------------- --------------


7. (SBU) Raghavan said he believed human capacity building in
Afghanistan is the most important aspect of assistance. He
then described in detail the GOI's various efforts to help
Afghanistan in that regard--i.e., the 500 Afghan students
attending Indian colleges every year for the past several
years. An Indian NGO is also teaching Afghan war widows how
to supplement their income through stitching and making jams.
However, trade barriers remain a hurdle, Raghavan declared.
He stressed the key to fully unlocking southern Afghanistan's
trading potential lies in efficient transportation of
products such as fruit. Afghan trucks should be allowed to
travel through Pakistan to India, even if the Pakistani
government does not allow Indian trucks to cross its
territory to reach Afghanistan, according to Raghavan. The
stability and prosperity of Afghanistan depend on the ability
to connect that nation to the huge Indian market. Herbst
told Raghavan he agreed on the importance of building human
capacity and emphasized the Civilian Corps' focus on helping
local societies develop their own skills.

But Joint Secretary Kumar Seems Interested
--------------


8. (C) Kumar promised to speak with MEA colleagues
Bhattacharjee and Raghavan and solicit their views on the USG
concept. She said she would ask them how the GOI can
dialogue with the USG on this topic, but cautioned that her
government historically only supports interventions in other
nations when there is an invitation by that nation's
government and the intervention occurs under the UN flag.
She praised Canada's civilian assistance model in Afghanistan
as excellent. When asked whether the Defense Department
would lead the Civilian Corps, Herbst responded that this is
a civilian corps and recent experiences have taught the USG
the importance of civilian agencies leading reconstruction
efforts. Upon being informed about the planned meeting
between interested nations, Kumar called it an excellent idea
and requested the USG to keep her office updated. Kumar
informed Herbst about Secretary Rice's request to India to
provide additional assistance to Afghanistan. Kumar said the
GOI was committed to providing further in-kind assistance and
perhaps this concept could be a possibility. Herbst
maintained our two governments can easily cooperate in this
area if we choose to. Kumar agreed and suggested this could
potentially be folded into the Joint Working Group on
Peacekeeping and/or the Global Issues Forum.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) We may have an opportunity with the GOI on

NEW DELHI 00002954 003 OF 003


reconstruction and stabilization efforts. Joint Secretary
Bhattacharjee seemed to instantly comprehend the utility of
developing such capacities and displayed expertise about
on-the-ground challenges and the UN machinery's inadequate
responses to meet them. He should prove to be an effective
interlocutor on pressing this matter forward. Post will
follow-up with MEA officials and also search for other
bilateral and multilateral interactions where we can
encourage India to move toward developing its own national
civilian reconstruction and stabilization skills.
Additionally, if senior USG officials visiting India make the
case for increasing the GOI's political investment in this
concept, it will help Bhattacharjee and Kumar make the case
internally in the MEA.

Biographic Information for Joint Secretary Bhattacharjee
-------------- --------------


10. (U) Bhattacharjee told Ambassador Herbst his father
worked closely with the U.S. military in World War II while
serving as an aviator in northeast India. His father also
participated in an Indian air contingent in a UN mission in
Katanga. His older brother is in the Indian Army and was
deployed with the Indian contingent in the UN Mission in
Angola. Bhattacharjee studied at Kabul University, speaks
fluent Dari, and worked in Afghanistan for his first
assignment. He speaks fluent English and is likely to speak
Bengali as well. He also contributed to an ECOSOC concept
paper on peacebuilding.


11. (U) Ambassador Herbst has cleared this cable.
WHITE