CENTCOM COMMANDER ADMIRAL FALLON MEETS ICRC IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000104 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN BRIAN RORAFF MACDILL AFB FOR CENTCOM POLAD HENRY ENSHER, COL DANIEL ZAJAC, AND CAPT CRAIG FALLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV ICRC UZ SUBJECT: CENTCOM COMMANDER ADMIRAL FALLON MEETS ICRC IN TASHKENT REF: A. 07 TASHKENT 2163 ¶B. 07 TASHKENT 2150 ¶C. 07 TASHKENT 2066 Classified By: Poloff Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) On January 25 visiting Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral William J. Fallon, accompanied by the Ambassador, met with Rafaello Muller, Country Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This meeting was an opportunity to discuss the importance of a substantive ICRC prison visit program in overall efforts to improve the human rights situation in Uzbekistan. Muller explained the ICRC's ongoing efforts to convince the Government of Uzbekistan to engage in a meaningful dialogue on prison reform that includes, as a starting point, serious consideration of previous ICRC reports and recommendations that have thus far gone unacknowledged (reftels). The Tashkent ICRC office is sensitive about maintaining confidentiality and, as usual, declined to provide specific SIPDIS information about its prior observations in Uzbek prisons. Muller indicated ICRC is in general dialogue with the Government of Uzbekistan but did not confirm that negotiations have resumed to put in place an effective prison visit regime. ¶2. (C) Comment: The meeting itself, at a prominent Tashkent hotel, should help to enhance the ICRC's stature in the eyes of the Government of Uzbekistan. It is a useful signal that the United States is serious about pursuing multifaceted goals in the bilateral relationship. We also hope the meeting will encourage the ICRC to resume negotiations with the Government of Uzbekistan aimed at reaching agreement on prison visits that will stop torture. End comment. ¶3. (SBU) CENTCOM has cleared this message. NORLAND