Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KABUL3640
2009-11-12 09:01:00
SECRET
Embassy Kabul
Cable title:  

KARZAI'S CHIEF OF STAFF MOVES AGAINST CORRUPTION

Tags:  DEA JUS PGOV PINR PREL 
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 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VCI-00 H-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 
 LAB-01 L-00 MOFM-00 MOF-00 VCIE-00 NSAE-00 ISN-00 
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 SSO-00 SS-00 SCRS-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-00 SAS-00 
 FA-00 SRAP-00 SWCI-00 PESU-00 /001W
 
O 120901Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3042
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T KABUL 003640 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019
TAGS: DEA JUS PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: KARZAI'S CHIEF OF STAFF MOVES AGAINST CORRUPTION

REF: A. KABUL 02245

B. KABUL 02246


Classified By: D/Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

S E C R E T KABUL 003640


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019
TAGS: DEA JUS PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: KARZAI'S CHIEF OF STAFF MOVES AGAINST CORRUPTION

REF: A. KABUL 02245

B. KABUL 02246


Classified By: D/Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (S) D/Ambassador Ricciardone met November 10 with
presidential chief of staff Daudzai to express our deep
concern about rumours we heard that convicted drug trafficker
Ismael Safed - currently serving a 16 year sentence - might
be imminently pardoned. Daudzai said, "not to worry one
bit," that pressure to pardon Safed had been intense for the
last three months, but the President had no intention of
pardoning him. Daudzai mentioned that Uzbek MPs Satar
Derzaby and Shaker Kargher and Ismaili sect leader Mansoor
Naderi had petitioned for Safed's release, and that the MP's
had promised Karzai all the votes from Takhar in the recent
presidential election. (Note: British Charge Dodd also
demarched Daudzai on the Safed case and received the same
assurances. End Note)


2. (S) Daudzai went on to explain that he had been on
special guard against the direct access to Karzai by the
chief of the Office of Administrative Affairs, Sadiq
Mudabbir, since Mudabbir orchestrated last April's
presidential pardon of five drug kingpins (Reftels Kabul
02245, 02246). Now, Daudzai said, in his own daily morning
meeting with Karzai, he personally watches for any signs that
Mudabbir may have advanced paperwork for such pardon cases
directly to Karzai. He also warned Mudabbir that he would
publicly denounce him if he tried to submit any more pardon
requests for drug traffickers to the President's office.


3. (S) On a related topic, Daudzai mentioned that he has a
non-political channel of cooperation with the National
Directorate of Security (NDS) on criminal cases and was
adamant that the President will not pardon "either drug
dealers or kidnappers though I can't guarantee what he might
do in other kinds of cases." He said he knows there are
many cases where kidnappers are released, but that is because
the judges take bribes, not because the President's office
sanctions their release.


4. (S) Comment: Daudzai appears fully in the know on several
other pending corruption cases involving high level officials
which we had also raised with him. He professes to
understand the risks if Karzai fails to support the legal
processes underway to arrest and prosecute them. End
Comment.


EIKENBERRY