TURKMENISTAN: NEWLY-ARRIVED AFGHAN DIPLOMAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000344

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2019
TAGS: PREL AF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NEWLY-ARRIVED AFGHAN DIPLOMAT
DESCRIBES SITUATION AT HOME

Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A newly-arrived Afghan diplomat in Ashgabat
recently shared his views about the current situation in
Afghanistan. He stressed that there needs to be a focus on
reconstruction, democratic government and an end to the
interference in Afghan affairs emanating from Pakistan.
According to him, a military solution will not work without
poverty reduction and a government that enjoys popular
support. Taliban recruiting efforts are aided by the
widespread poverty and by unintentional killing of civilians.
In order to eliminate the Taliban, he advocated for a focus
on eliminating their bases in Pakistan and developing more
regional support for the Afghan Government. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On March 13, newly-arrived Afghan Embassy First
Secretary Akhmad Dehistany shared his views on the situation
in Afghanistan with poloff. According to him, there is "no
coordination" between the United States and NATO forces.
Despite the large amount of foreign assistance money spent,
it has not been used effectively. Many Afghan people "see
foreign soldiers as the enemy and the Afghan Government as a
puppet." He said the Taliban and Al-Qaida have captured most
districts in the west of the country.


3. (C) According to Dehistany, there needs to be a focus on
reconstruction, democratic government and an end to the
interference in Afghan affairs emanating from Pakistan. He
made the point that a solely military solution will not work,
saying "if all the militaries in the world came to
Afghanistan, they would not be able to eliminate the
Taliban." He cited the Soviet experience, when the Afghan
army was powerful, but the government collapsed. He also
mentioned the mountainous terrain, which provides limitless
places for the Taliban to hide, and the Taliban practice of
giving money to people, an effective strategy when there are
"no schools, food, or houses, and family members are
kidnapped." Dehistany said hunger forces people to support
and fight on the side of the Taliban. He urged strong
international support for the Afghan National Army since they
know both the terrain and the places where Taliban hide.


4. (C) As to the internal factor, Dehistany said there is a
need for fair and free elections that could bring about a
broad-based government. The government and the foreign
troops need to eradicate drug cultivation, poverty and
corruption, and stop killing civilians. Dehistany said
people see that the Afghan Government does not support
people. It does not provide basic government services such
as water, housing and jobs, and there "exists a big gap
between the people and the government." Dehistany reported
that mullahs openly say in their mosques that foreign
(meaning U.S. and NATO) troops are killing people, and urge
listeners to "take rifles and fight."


5. (C) Dehistany highlighted a schism between the northern
and southern parts of Afghanistan. He said in the north,
people are happy, but in the south they want to kill
foreigners. When civilians are killed, the affected villages
start to help the Taliban. The combination of poverty,
corruption and drug trafficking have created a situation in
which "most people support the Taliban." Dehistany commented
that in the south, people think only about religion, not
about democracy. People clandestinely help the Taliban by
providing information about the the movements of foreign
troops.


6. (C) In order to eliminate the Taliban, Dehistany suggested
that there should be two focuses: eliminating the bases in
Pakistan and pursuing a regional harmony strategy. In order
to eliminate the bases, he said there needs to be support
from both the Pakistan Government and Pakistan's religious
political parties. The regional harmony strategy would
involve neighboring countries that currently are not
supporting the Afghan Government out of fear that, if the

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Taliban would come to power, they would threaten them.


7. (C) COMMENT: Dehistany arrived in Turkmenistan one month
ago. He spent the previous four years in the UN Department
at the Afghan Foreign Ministry in Kabul. He began his career
at the Afghan Embassy in Baghdad, but was forced to resign
when the Taliban came to power. He returned to Afghanistan,
and worked as a teacher in the northern city of Tahar during
the Taliban regime. After the collapse of the Taliban, he
returned to the Foreign Ministry, serving at the Afghan
Embassy in Tashkent prior to his assignment at the UN
Department.


9. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: Fresh out of Kabul, Dehistany
seemed eager to share his views about the situation there.
On the subject of Afghan relations with Turkmenistan, the
only item was an Afghan initiative to improve
inter-parliamentary relations. There was no hint of a
broader effort by his government in Kabul to gain
Turkmenistan Government support. END COMMENT.
MILES