PRESIDENT KARZAI AND GENERAL PETRAEUS DISCUSS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003556

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KARZAI AND GENERAL PETRAEUS DISCUSS
AFGHAN SECURITY

Classified By: Polcouns Annie Pforzheimer, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S) SUMMARY: In a October 29 meeting, CENTCOM Commander
GEN Petraeus and President Karzai reaffirmed a common
commitment to vigorous efforts to combat corruption; they
also reviewed the status of counter-insurgency efforts in the
South, especially Helmand. Petraeus clarified for Karzai that
there was no U.S. program to "pay off the Taliban" despite
recent news reports relating to the signing of CERP
authorities. General Petraeus estimated that discussions
about a possible troop increase would conclude in two to
three weeks. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) At a meeting at the Presidential Palace October 29
attended by Ambassador Eikenberry, COMISAF GEN McChrystal,
Afghan MoD Wardak, MoI Atmar, and NDS Director Saleh GEN
Petraeus began by praising President Karzai,s recent
"difficult decisions" to accept a second round of the
elections, saying Karzai had been "statesmanlike and
generous" to accept a second round of the elections. GEN
Petraeus provided Karzai with an overview of his October 28
trip to Kandahar and Helmand, saying he was impressed with
the work GEN McChrystal had done in Afghanistan. Petraeus
said that GEN McChrystal and Ambassador Eikenberry had an
effective civilian and military team in place to address
issues they had talked about in earlier conversations. GEN
Petraeus informed Karzai that ongoing discussions in
Washington DC about a possible troop increase would probably
wrap up in two or three weeks. Karzai responded by asking
GEN Petraeus if he saw better prospects in the future, to
which GEN Petraeus replied &I do8.


3. (S) Petraeus then mentioned efforts to fight corruption,
especially with the Major Crimes Task Force. Referring to an
earlier conversation with Karzai, he feigned forgetfulness
about how Karzai had framed his support for the Major Crimes
Task FORCE until a member of Karzai,s staff said, &The
President said you have a blank check8. Petraeus said he,
of course, remembered that but did not want to bring up the
phrase himself. Karzai then said, &We will always remember
the blank check8. Petraeus endorsed the recent arrest of
the Kandahar Afghan Border Police chief, saying it was a
&big move8. He informed Karzai that, at the request of
Ambassador Eikenberry and GEN McChrystal, a task FORCE was
being formed to build up Afghan correctional systems.


4. (S) GEN Petraeus continued by praising successful civ-mil
clear/hold/build tactics now employed in Helmand and told the
president that GEN McChrystal was anxious to take Karzai to
Helmand. "High time", responded Karzai. He then asked GEN
Petraeus what was happening now in the fight against
insurgents and inquired what tactics the insurgents were
using. GEN Petraeus replied that IEDs were the weapon of
choice for the insurgents. Karzai commented that eight
soldiers had been killed in an IED strike on October 28. GEN
Petraeus answered that seven of the eight were in a Stryker
struck by an IED containing 1,000-1,500KG of explosives.

5. (S) Further on the topic of counter-insurgency tactics,
Gen. Petraeus advised Karzai that an initiative put forward
by GEN McChrystal was to tailor tactics to suit the local
environment by complementing conventional with unconventional
forces in a population-centric approach that empowers local
communities (a reference to the Community Defense
Initiative). GEN Petraeus also briefed Karzai on a mentoring
initiative underway in RC-South where elements of the 4/82nd
Airborne Brigade is working with ANSF forces. An objective
of this partnering effort will be to more rapidly
professionalize ANSF forces in the south.

6. (S) Karzai pointed out he had read in the newspaper that
the US government was "paying off Taliban" and asked GEN
Petraeus what that might be about. Petraeus replied that the
report referred to a program that permitted us to provide a
type of financial support (CERP funding) to insurgents who
wanted to leave the Taliban and be reconciled into Afghan
society.

7. (S) Karzai then asked for an update on the fighting in
Waziristan. GEN Petraeus informed him that the fight was
advancing slowly and involved a three-pronged attack. The
Pakistanis were attacking with limited armor, but with
significant artillery and AIR support. Karzai asked whether
or not trust between Pakistan and the US was on the upswing,
to which Petraeus replied in the affirmative. Petraeus said
that he had talked many times to Pakistani GEN Kiyani, as has
ADM Mullen. Karzai commented that he should call the
Pakistani president in the wake of the Peshawar bombing.

8. (S) Karzai invited GEN Petraeus, opinion on the prospects
for the next few years. Gen. Petraeus said there should be
fewer and fewer insurgents and those present will be
increasingly ineffective. He expanded on this answer by
saying Afghanistan's next president will determine the
country's way forward through his ability to bring together
all parties and establishing a legitimate government at all

KABUL 00003556 002 OF 002


levels. Karzai replied that he was happy to be praised. He
remarked that in the past he has been much maligned for
having &too large a tent8.

9. (U) General Petraeus did not clear this cable.
EIKENBERRY