Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USUNNEWYORK320
2008-04-09 19:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
USUN New York
Cable title:  

U.S. CITIZEN SPOUSE OF AFGHAN DIPLOMAT REPORTS

Tags:  OFDP UN AF PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0320 1001912
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
P 091912Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4074
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0209
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000320 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR IO/UNP - S.EDMONDSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP UN AF PREL
SUBJECT: U.S. CITIZEN SPOUSE OF AFGHAN DIPLOMAT REPORTS
DOMESTIC ABUSE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000320

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR IO/UNP - S.EDMONDSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP UN AF PREL
SUBJECT: U.S. CITIZEN SPOUSE OF AFGHAN DIPLOMAT REPORTS
DOMESTIC ABUSE


1. This message is unclassified but sensitive - please treat
accordingly.


2. USUN Host Country Law Enforcement Coordinator was recently
contacted by NYPD regarding a report of domestic violence it
received from Lalla Khan-Amin, the U.S. citizen wife of
Afghan Mission Second Secretary Wahidullah Amin. Ms.
Khan-Amin is an attorney employed at the Saudi Arabian
Mission to the UN. Ms. Khan-Amin has twice filed police
reports of domestic abuse against Mr. Amin; one for
harassment, and one for stalking, neither of which is
considered a felony.

3, Ms. Khan-Amin stated in her February 4, 2008 report to the
109th NYPD Precinct that her husband threatened to hit her,
and told her in graphic detail how he was going to kill her.
Ms. Khan-Amin has since left the marital home and has been
staying with her parents. Ms. Khan-Amin's April 2, 2008
report to the 17th NYPD Precinct states that Mr. Amin
forcefully grabbed her arm, and followed her into meetings at
work, insisting that she return home and stating he would
tell her boss she was a "worldly woman" and she would "get
fired," and further saying "If you leave me I will kill you
and I will kill myself." Ms. Khan-Amin fears these threats
are credible due to Mr. Amin's anger and his immunity from
criminal jurisdiction.


3. USUN Host Country Minister-Counselor and Host Country Law
Enforcement Coordinator met with Ms. Khan-Amin in the
offices of the NY Commission for the UN on April 4, 2008.
Ms. Khan-Amin further reported information concerning her
husband's parents, who are apparently in the U.S. on A2
visas. She states that her father-in-law, Mohammad Amin, has
also pressured her to return to her husband, and has made
credible threats against her. She stated also that both
Mohammad and Wahidullah Amin have pressured her father, UN
senior staff member Sarbuland Khan, to make her return to her
husband's residence. Ms. Khan-Amin has obtained an order of
separation, but Mr. Amin refuses to sign it. Ms. Khan-Amin
has said she does not want the Department or USUN to request
a waiver of Mr. Amin's immunity, as she fears if Mr. Amin is
sent back to Afghanistan, his parents or other relatives in
the U.S. will extract revenge and harm her.

4. USUN Missoffs met with Mrs. Khan-Amin again on April 8,
specifically in regard to an allegation that she made on
April 4 that she had been raped by Mr. Amin before she was
married and whether she would be prepared to bring that
incident to the attention of local law enforcement. It
appears that she is not prepared at this time to go to the
authorities with regard to any such incident.


5. Host Country Minister-Counselor called in Afghan PermRep
Ambassador Zahir Tanin later on April 8 and used the
following Department-provided talking points with regard to
the case: (1) USUN had been informed by NYPD of some very
serious allegations against Mr. Amin made by his wife
relating to harassment and stalking; (2) as a result she
advised local authorities that they had separated; (3) there
have been additional unreported allegations of violence as
well; (4) the USG views these matters seriously and asks the
PermRep's assistance so that there will be no more incidents
of this nature; (5) because under US law acts of violence,
stalking or even threats of violence are serious matters,
diplomats may not engage in such actions and will be held
accountable if they do; and (6) USUN appreciates the
PermRep's understanding and assistance and requested the
PermRep report back that he had spoken to Mr. Amin and that
Mr. Amin understood what was expected of him.


6. Ambassador Tanin thanked USUN for bringing this serious
matter to his attention. He said that Afghan diplomats in
the United States have a special obligation to be good guests
in this country, particularly as Americans are giving their
blood and lives for his country's liberty. He said that he
was very surprised that Wahidullah Amin - "a calm and
honorable young man" would have engaged in such activities,
particularly as he was only recently married. He said if the
couple could not reconcile their differences, it was clear
that Mr. Amin would have to step aside and not continue to
engage his wife in any way that would be difficult for her or
make trouble for the host country. Ambassador Tanin promised
to speak with Amin and report his conversation and Mr. Amin's
understanding of it by telephone to USUN in the next days.
Khalilzad