SRAP HOLBROOKE DISCUSSES PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001447

SIPDIS

FOR SECRETARY CLINTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON EAID NATO GM AF
SUBJECT: SRAP HOLBROOKE DISCUSSES PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING
AFGHANISTAN COORDINATION WITH MFA STATE MINISTER HOYER

Classified By: AMBASSADOR PHILIP D. MURPHY. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY. During a November 12 meeting in Berlin, MFA
State Minister Werner Hoyer and U.S. Special Representative
Holbrooke discussed ministerial attendance at Karzai's
November 19 inauguration, ongoing U.S. deliberations on a new
Afghanistan strategy, and proposals for improving
coordination among SRAPs as well as of the overall
international civilian effort in Kabul. Holbrooke stressed
that the U.S. Embassy in Kabul was working closely with
Karzai to make sure he hit on all the right themes in his
inaugural speech. Hoyer indicated that in seeking to renew
the parliamentary mandate for the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan
in December, the new center-right government would avoid any
changes that would give the Social Democratic Party an excuse
to turn against the deployment. While supportive of the
creation of an international coordination cell in the S/SRAP
Office in Washington to coordinate the work of the
international SRAP collective, Hoyer reacted cautiously to
the idea of dual-hatting the U.S. ambassador as overall
coordinator of international civilian assistance in
Afghanistan. He expressed concern about weakening UNAMA, but
acknowledged the need for significant improvement in
international coordination. END SUMMARY.

ATTENDANCE AT KARZAI INAUGURAL


2. (C) Hoyer said that FM Westerwelle was planning to attend
the November 19 inauguration of re-elected President Karzai,
but "not at any price." He would not go unless there was an
opportunity to send a strong message to the Afghan leadership
on the need to commit to real reform and to begin taking over
responsibility from the international community. This could
not just be a "legitimization event." Holbrooke said the
U.S. completely agreed and noted that this was why Amb.
Eikenberry was working so hard with Karzai on his inaugural
speech -- to ensure that the president said and committed to
do the right things.

THEMES FOR KARZAI'S INAUGURAL SPEECH


3. (C) Holbrooke said we hoped the inaugural speech would
focus on three themes: sovereignty, corruption, and
reconciliation and reintegration. On sovereignty, President
Karzai would confirm the will of the Afghans to take
ownership of their own destiny and not to expect the
international community to do everything for them
indefinitely. On corruption, Karzai was being pressed to
announce the creation of an independent anti-corruption
commission, whose true independence would be ensured by the
inclusion of non-Afghans. Holbrooke said the Afghans have
offered to strengthen the existing High Office for Oversight,
but he rejected that as completely insufficient. On
reconciliation and reintegration, Karzai was expected to
reach out to Taliban fighters and followers, but not
necessarily to the Taliban leadership. Holbrooke also noted
that Japan had decided to triple its aid to Afghanistan and
would be spending $5 billion over the next five years, with a
special focus on reconciliation and reintegration.

CAUTIOUS ABOUT ISAF MANDATE


4. (C) Hoyer said that the new government was taking the
renewal of the parliamentary mandate for Bundeswehr
participation in ISAF, which comes up in December, very
seriously. He noted that while the center-right coalition
government has a comfortable majority on paper (holding 332
seats in the 622-seat Bundestag),the majority in reality is
much narrower when one subtracts the votes of those Christian
Democratic Union-Christian Social Union (CDU-CSU) and Free
Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentarians who have opposed the
ISAF mandate in the past. He said that during this first
mandate renewal, the government wanted to avoid doing
anything that would give the Social Democratic Party (SPD) an
excuse to flip-flop and suddenly decide to disassociate
itself from the mandate that it originated in 2001 under
former SPD Chancellor Schroeder. As a result, he indicated
that the mandate would be rolled over essentially unchanged
in December. However, he said the government would be "ready
to adjust" its contributions, both in terms of troops and
civilian assistance, after the proposed international
conference on Afghanistan, if required.

CREATING INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION CELL AT S/SRAP



5. (C) Holbrooke outlined the proposal for improving the
coordination of Special Representatives for
Afghanistan/Pakistan (SRAPs) by creating an international
coordination cell in the S/SRAP Office at the State
Department. He noted that current German SRAP Amb. Bernd
Muetzelburg had originated this idea. Germany, along with
other key countries like the UK, France and perhaps Japan and
Canada, would be invited to appoint an officer to work in
this coordination cell. These officers would not work in a
"foreign country ghetto" at the State Department, but would
be fully integrated into the work of the S/SRAP Office.
Holbrooke emphasized that Germany would continue to be the
official coordinator of the SRAP Group, but that the
day-to-day work would be carried out by the international
coordination cell. (Comment: This solution allows the
Germans to save face and protects us from the charge --
always present in the minds of Europeans -- that we are
"Americanizing" the effort. End Comment.)


6. (C) Hoyer supported the coordination cell proposal and in
this regard, said he was hopeful that FM Westerwelle would
make a decision on the new German SRAP before traveling to
Kabul next week for the inauguration. He dismissed reports
that a sitting parliamentarian might be chosen, arguing that
a SRAP's travel requirements were incompatible with the
responsibilities of a parliamentarian.

DUAL-HATTING THE U.S. AMBASSADOR AS CIVILIAN COORDINATOR


7. (C) Holbrooke outlined the U.S. proposal for ensuring
better coordination of the international civilian effort in
Afghanistan by dual-hatting the U.S. ambassador in the role
of overall coordinator. The idea would be to create the
civilian equivalent of COMISAF. Given that the U.S. was by
far the single biggest civilian donor, it made sense for the
U.S. Ambassador to assume this role. Holbrooke acknowledged
that in a perfect world, UNAMA would be able to perform this
coordination function, but the reality was that it was not up
to the task. Holbrooke emphasized that the dual-hatting move
was essential for achieving success.


8. (C) Hoyer reacted cautiously, saying he would "need to
think about it." He said that Germany generally looked to
UNAMA to perform this kind of international coordination and
would be reluctant to see anything done that would weaken or
marginalize the UN role. At the same time, he conceded that
a "quantum leap" was needed in the quality of coordination
and he could see "problems" with the UN providing the
necessary leadership.


9. (U) This cable was reviewed and cleared by SRAP Holbrooke.
MURPHY