AFGHANISTAN: PAKISTAN NOT A FRIEND, FOR NOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000170

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2029
TAGS: KCRM PREL PTER SNAR AF CA IR IPK UN
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: PAKISTAN NOT A FRIEND, FOR NOW

REF: A. UNVIE 0030

B. UNVIE 0152

Classified By: Charge Geoffrey Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: According to our Afghan embassy contact,
Afghanistan does not want to invite Pakistan to the next
Friends of Afghanistan meeting in Vienna,to be hosted by UK
on April 28. The GOA is apparently concerned that inclusion
of Pakistan could politicize the Group,and could be a
precursor to inviting Iran. Our contact cited other fora,
such as the Dubai Process, the Ankara Initiative, and the
U.S. Trilateral Intiative, as more appropriate venues to
address Afghanistan-Pakistan issues. However, he does not
rule out the possibility of inviting Pakistan sometime in the
future, when there can be some "results" on the ground. Given
the French, U.K. and U.S. expressions of interest in
including Pakistan, our contact promoised to seek Kabul
guidance once more. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) The Friends of Afghanistan group in Vienna (Ref A)
will have its next meeting on April 28, chaired by the U.K.
According to our UK Mission contact Claire Halperin, UK
Ambassador had approached Afghan Ambassador Shoogufan with
the suggestion to invite Pakistan to the meeting. She said
Shoogufan was hesitant and cited the need to consult Kabul.
In a conversation on April 15, Counselor told Halperin and
Afghan Embassy second secretary Daud Wedah of U.S. support
for inviting Pakistan. Wedah stressed that his Ambassador,
who was in Kabul for consultations, had received explicit
instructions from the foreign minister that it was
"premature" to invite Pakistan at this point.


3. (C) Wedah referred to the very difficult relationship
between the two countries over the years. He expressed
concern that including Pakistan could politicize the Friends
Group in Vienna, which he described as a venue to discuss
drug and crime issues. Noting that the Pakistan Ambassador,
at the April 2 Italian lunch on Afghanistan, spoke about the
need to include Iran in any regional approach (Ref B),he
expressed his fear that inviting Pakistan could be a prelude
to including Iran. He noted Pakistan's longstanding refusal
to acknowledge the link between drugs and terrorism, an
important principle in Afghan's domestic and international
policy. In Wedah's view, Pakistan has always teamed up with
Iran to block any UN drug and crime resolutions in Vienna
that note such linkage.


4. (C) In a subsequent conversation on April 16, Wedah told
Counselor that Pakistan and Iran should show some goodwill
towards Afghanistan in fighting drugs. According to Wedah,
one goodwill gesture would be for Pakistan to stop militants
from crossing the border into Afghanistan to commit acts of
terrorism. Wedah cited other fora, such as the Dubai Process
(initiated by Canada),the Ankara Initiative (initiated by
Turkey) and the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral, as more
appropriate fora for addressing Afghanistan-Pakistan drug
issues.


5. (C) Wedah did not rule out the possibility of inviting
Pakistan sometime in the future. According to him, his
Ambassador had sought guidance on the U.K. request from a
Deputy Foreign Minister, who referred it to the Foreign
Minister, who rejected the idea. Wedah claimed that he was
unaware of U.S. interest in including Pakistan in the Friends
Group. Counselor informed him of French support for the idea
as well. Wedah promised to convey this new information to
Kabul, through his Ambassador, for further instructions.






PYATT