CABINET TO COUNTER PARLIAMENT'S EFFORT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 001259 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS AF SUBJECT: CABINET TO COUNTER PARLIAMENT'S EFFORT TO CHALLENGE PRESENCE OF COALITION FORCES Classified By: Deputy Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Deputy Ambassador urged FM Spanta on May 16 to ensure that the government's response to Parliament's calls to "legalize the presence of foreign forces" would be constructive and avoid any practical constraints on coalition operational requirements. Spanta responded that the government would be presenting to Parliament that evening a compendium of bilateral and multilateral agreements that constitute an existing framework for that presence. ¶2. (C) The compendium will include all of the pertinent UNSC resolutions as well as the many bilateral agreements between the government and each troop contributing country. Spanta contended that this documentation would make a clear case to Parliament that the foreign troop presence was already on firm legal footing. ¶3. (C) Cabinet members tasked by Karzai to serve on the Commission to address this issue met subsequently on May 16 and affirmed the above approach. Justice Minister Danesh chairs the commission, and other key members include FM Spanta, MOD Wardak, MOI Atmar and NDS Chief Saleh. ¶4. (C) The Cabinet's strategy will answer one part of the Parliament's objection ) the legal status of foreign troop presence here. The other point of contention for many MPs is certain operations (i.e., aerial attacks, night raids, detentions) by foreign forces. The cabinet reportedly has decided to deal with these two issues sequentially. EIKENBERRY