AFGHANISTAN'S INDIA INTERESTS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001912

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN'S INDIA INTERESTS

Classified By: Political Counselor Annie Pforzheimer reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).


1. (C) Summary. Senior officials described the Afghan
relationship with India as the best in recent history but
noted the constraints imposed by Pakistan's fear of
encirclement. They noted the extensive Indian assistance
programs now underway in Afghanistan, and had no suggested
recommendations for any new activities. End Summary.


2. (U) Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone met with National
Security Advisor (NSA) Zalmay Rasool and Afghan Foreign
Minister Rangin Spanta on July 12 and 13, and PolCouns met
with Indian Deputy Charge d'Affaires Akhilesh Mishra on July

14. In each meeting we asked for views towards India's role
in Afghanistan in anticipation of Secretary Clinton's visit
to the region.

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Close ties, but an uneasy common neighbor
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3. (SBU) NSA Rasool said Afghanistan was enjoying the best
relationship with India in recent history. Afghanistan
viewed India as an ideal model, as they share a culturally
diverse population, a vast poor population, and significant
cultural and linguistic ties, yet have obtained significant
success both economically and democratically. He also noted
their ideal model of peace and tolerance, even in a
complicated multi-ethnic context. He said they enjoy broad,
politically non-partisan Indian support for Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Spanta was equally effusive, stating that
relations were "excellent" and that only Pakistan's "lack of
confidence" kept the two countries from becoming even closer;
Charge Mishra said he experienced the "most spontaneous and
genuine affection" from the Afghan people he had ever felt
after serving in five continents as a diplomat.


4. (S) Rasool said the only issue Afghanistan has with India
is Pakistan's paranoia about the Indian presence in
Afghanistan, in particular the misinformation regarding
re-opening of consulates in Khandahar and Jalalabad and the
"Indian agents" working from them. As far as he knows,
Rasool said, the Indians have very limited intelligence
activities in Afghanistan and India has never asked
Afghanistan to work with them against Pakistan in any way.
However, he noted that India continues to worry about a
destabilized Pakistan, and extremist Islamic movements within
their own population.


5. (C) Spanta put his opinion bluntly: the best thing that
India could do for us is to reduce the level of tension it
has with Pakistan. If their borders were opened to trade,
the fruits and other products that Afghanistan currently
exports by AIR or indirect sea routes could get to a vibrant
Indian market directly.

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Indian Assistance Vital, Substantial and Targeted
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6. (U) Rasool, Spanta and Charge Mishra all noted that
India's foreign assistance programs were very
successful--$1.5 billion dollars invested directly in
Afghanistan in the form of roads, schools and hospitals in
the past five years, successful education programs, including
500 higher education scholarships and the 500 vocational
training scholarships a year which is increasing to 675 each
as of 2009. India recently signed a deal to build an
agriculture university in Kabul, and will also provide solar
panels to power satellite television in remote communities,
in order to link well-trained teachers to the most remote
parts of Afghanistan--a tool also used in India. Charge
Mishra said that five medical missions in Afghanistan saw
30,000 patients a month. Meanwhile, Rasool said, private
Afghans with means increasingly send their children to Indian
schools and travel to India for medical care.


7. (C) From all accounts, and according to Embassy
information, there is no significant Indian assistance to
Afghan security forces or police. A senior MOI official did
travel to New Delhi last month but there is no reported
outcome of that visit. Charge Mishra said they did fund some
one-by-one military training to Afghans, all conducted in
India, but understood the sensitivity of being too visible in
this area--a sentiment the Afghan officials echoed.

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Reconciliation: One Bone of Contention?
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8. (C) India's reaction to any substantive outreach to senior

KABUL 00001912 002 OF 002


Taliban figures will bear watching. Charge Mishra said that
this is one area he cannot agree with GOIRA policy; "you
cannot calibrate the Taliban, there are no moderates." He
did differentiate between Afghans who were disaffected with
their government and might be under Taliban influence, who
are reconcilable, but objected strongly to any outreach to
Mullah Omar. If this is an official GOI position, then they
might actively oppose any de-listing of Taliban from UNSCR

1267.
EIKENBERRY