UAE OFFERS S/SRAP HOLBROOKE MORE AFGHANISTAN DELIVERABLES

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000348

NOFORN
SIPDIS

FOR S AND S/SRAP HOLBROOKE
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP AND SCA

E.O. 12958: 03/24/2019
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL PARM MOPS AF PK AE
SUBJECT: UAE OFFERS S/SRAP HOLBROOKE MORE AFGHANISTAN DELIVERABLES

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR RICHARD G. OLSON FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D.


1. (S/NF) Summary: During a March 24 meeting with Special
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ) and Foreign Minister
Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) offered additional UAEG support for
Afghanistan. MbZ said the UAE was working to create an Arab military
force for Afghanistan that would include Jordanian, Tunisian and
Moroccan troops. He stressed the need for confidentiality and better
cooperation and information sharing on US efforts in Afghanistan.
AbZ said he would consider how the UAEG could offer additional
educational and economic support. (Other topics reported septel.)
End Summary.

ARAB FORCE
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2. (S/NF) MbZ began by telling Amb. Holbrooke that a primary
challenge in Afghanistan is changing Arab public opinion. To this
end, the UAE, which has had troops on the ground in Afghanistan for
five years, is seeking other Arab contributors. MbZ said Arab and
Muslim engagement in Afghanistan -- both military and humanitarian --
is crucial, as Arabs and Muslims can reach audiences unreceptive to
Western efforts. To that end, the UAE has launched a two-pronged
approach to 1) guarantee Jordan will join the UAE in Afghanistan and
2) add Morocco and Tunisia. MbZ suggested the UAEG would approach
the three countries, convince them to join, then ask the United
States to reinforce the UAE proposal. He asked us not - repeat not -
to discuss publicly or with other governments.

COORDINATION ESSENTIAL
--------------


3. (S/NF) MbZ told Amb. Holbrooke that additional US-UAE coordination
on Afghanistan is key. "Knowing how long we will stay and what we
will do" will help us all achieve a better result. As an example,
MbZ noted that military logistics required significant planning and
coordination. The Foreign Minister added that Afghanistan and
Pakistan had both urged the UAE to appoint a special representative
for the region to coordinate such efforts. MbZ said they were
considering the suggestion.

AFGHAN ELECTIONS
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4. (S/NF) In a follow-on meeting with Amb. Holbrooke, FM AbZ said the
UAE has good relations with President Karzai, but does not think his
reelection is in Afghanistan's best interest. AbZ noted that the
President must be Pashtun, which would eliminate Abdullah Abdullah,
despite his claims to be Pashtun. AbZ added that he did not expect
Zalmay Khalilzad to run.

EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
--------------


5. (S/NF) AbZ said the UAE would also consider how it could
contribute to efforts to improve educational access in Afghanistan,
particularly to provide moderate religious education. AbZ offered to
send experts to Washington to discuss how the UAE might best support
such an effort. AbZ added that the UAE may offer more economic
assistance for Afghanistan after the August elections. (Note: The
UAE has provided extensive economic assistance to Afghanistan, but
specifically declined a USG request that it financially support
elections. End note.)


6. (SBU) Ambassador Holbrooke has cleared this message.
OLSON