US embassy cable - 01VATICAN5546

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 005546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/PAB (GEETA PASI) 
 
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 185/01 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/11 
TAGS: PREL, AF, AF, VT, VTPREL 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL-INFORMAL FOR JEFF LUNSTEAD, SENIOR 
 
POLICY COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN. 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR, REASON 1.5(B,D). 
 
1.  SUBJECT:  SENIOR ADVISOR FOR AFGHANISTAN BRIEFS 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  05546  01 OF 02  251050Z 
VATICAN. 
 
REF. STATE 184178 
 
2.  (C) SUMMARY: SENIOR ADVISOR AND AFGHANISTAN COORDINATOR 
JOINED AMBASSADOR TO BRIEF VATICAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER 
10/20 ON U.S. EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN.  DFM NOTED THE 
VATICAN WAS ARRANGING A 10/28-10/29 INTERFAITH MEETING IN 
CAIRO OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS THAT WOULD ALSO ADDRESS 9/11 AND 
ITS AFTERMATH.  DFM SKETCHED VARIOUS VATICAN CONTRIBUTIONS 
OF EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN AID TO AFGHAN REFUGEES.  DFM 
INDICATED THERE ARE TWO OR THREE NUNS CURRENTLY WORKING IN 
A KABUL HOSPITAL.  DFM EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE KASHMIR 
SITUATION AND AFGHAN MILITARY CAMPAIGN COULD DESTABILIZE 
THE GOP, WITH REPERCUSSIONS FOR PAKISTAN'S SIZEABLE 
CATHOLIC MINORITY. END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (C) SENIOR ADVISOR AND AFGHANISTAN COORDINATOR JEFFREY 
J. LUNSTEAD AND AMBASSADOR BRIEFED VATICAN FOREIGN MINISTRY 
OFFICIALS 10/20 ON U.S. EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN. THE 
AMBASSADOR AND LUNSTEAD SAW MONSIGNOR CELESTINO MIGLIORE, 
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER-EQUIVALENT, AND EAST ASIA AND 
AFGHANISTAN DESK OFFICER MONSIGNOR LUIS MARRANO DE 
MONTEMAYOR; AFGHAN DESK OFFICER GEETA PASI AND EMBOFF ALSO 
ATTENDED. 
 
4.  (C) DFM MIGLIORE SPOKE POSITIVELY OF THE CIRCUMSPECTION 
EVIDENT IN THE U.S. RESPONSE, THOUGH HE NOTED THAT THE HOLY 
SEE COULD NEVER APPLAUD WARFARE.  WITHIN INTERNATIONAL 
BODIES, SUCH AS THE U.N., THE HOLY SEE WOULD SUPPORT 
FURTHER POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL INITIATIVES.  WHERE THE 
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HOLY SEE COULD PLAY A DIRECT LEADERSHIP ROLE WAS IN 
CULTURAL AFFAIRS, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH INTER-RELIGIOUS 
DIALOGUE, MIGLIORE SAID.  HE INDICATED THAT THE 
CONGREGATION FOR RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, AN INSTITUTIONAL ARM 
OF THE VATICAN, WAS ORGANIZING A MEETING OF ISLAMIC AND 
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS AT EL HAZARA UNIVERSITY IN 
CAIRO. 
 
5.  (C) MIGLIORE SHARED CONCERNS THAT THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN 
WAS OUTSTRIPPING POLITICAL STRATEGIES.  HE OBSERVED THAT 
NEIGHBORING NATIONS IN FACT SHARED FEW COMMON INTERESTS, AN 
IMPEDIMENT TO ANY TRUE REGIONAL COALITION.  ADDRESSING THE 
HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY, MIGLIORE VOLUNTEERED THAT IT 
PREDATED THE PRESENT MILITARY CAMPAIGN.  WINTERTIME, HE 
ADDED, WOULD SEE A DRAMATIC WORSENING.  THE VATICAN IS 
CONTRIBUTING AND COORDINATING SOME RELIEF ASSISTANCE, 
THROUGH CARITAS AND COR UNUM (LOOSELY, VATICAN EQUIVALENTS 
TO USAID).  CARITAS, HE SAID, HAS AN INFORMAL PRESENCE IN 
TEHERAN.  ALSO, THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS 
OF MALTA (SMOM) IS SET TO INITIATE HUMANITARIAN WORK IN 
IRAN.  SUCH EFFORTS CONSTITUTE EMERGENCY AID ONLY, MIGLIORE 
SAID; A FINAL POLITICAL SOLUTION IS IMPERATIVE.  MOREOVER, 
HE DREADED GLOBAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE SHOULD THE MILITARY 
CAMPAIGN EXTEND TO IRAQ. 
 
6.  (C) LUNSTEAD SOUGHT INFORMATION ON VATICAN 
PERSONNEL/ECCLESIASTICS STILL IN AFGHANISTAN.  MONTEMAYOR 
STATED THERE WERE THREE NUNS BEFORE MIGLIORE CORRECTED HIM 
THAT ONLY TWO REMAIN, THE THIRD HAVING LEFT FOR FRANCE ON 
MEDICAL GROUNDS.  THE VATICAN HAS NO EASY MEANS TO CONTACT 
THE NUNS, MONTEMAYOR CLAIMED.  THEY WERE FOREIGN NATIONALS, 
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LONG RESIDENT IN AFGHANISTAN, AND CURRENTLY WORKING IN THE 
INDIRA GANDHI HOSPITAL IN KABUL.  (COMMENT:  MONTEMAYOR 
LATER PHONED EMBOFF TO RELATE THERE ARE INDEED THREE NUNS 
IN KABUL, AFFILIATED WITH INDIRA GANDHI AND A CLINIC BY THE 
NAME OF ALI ABAD.  THE NUNS ARE MEMBERS OF THE LITTLE 
SISTERS OF JESUS. THE VATICAN REQUESTED WE NOT PUBLICIZE 
THEIR PRESENCE IN KABUL.) 
 
7.  (C) MIGLIORE ASKED LUNSTEAD'S THINKING ON KASHMIR. 
LUNSTEAD CONCEDED THE PROBLEM WAS GRAVE; CERTAIN TERRORISTS 
IN KASHMIR HAD RECEIVED TRAINING IN PAKISTAN AND IN EL 
QAEDA CAMPS.  THE SECRETARY, HE NOTED, HAD CONDEMNED ALL 
TERRORISM, INCLUDING ACTS AGAINST INDIA.  GENERAL 
MUSHARRAFF, HE SUGGESTED, NOW HAD A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO 
BRING STABILITY TO THE SITUATION. 
 
8.   (C) MIGLIORE REQUESTED AN ASSESSMENT OF THE 
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HUMANITARIAN CAMPAIGN.  LUNDSTEAD 
CONCEDED THERE WERE SEVERE PROBLEMS.  THE SEPTEMBER 
DEPARTURE OF NON-AFGHAN AID WORKERS CAPABLE OF MANAGING 
SUPPLIES AND DISTRIBUTION WAS A COMPLICATING FACTOR. 
MOREOVER, RECENT TALIBAN ACTIONS -- SEIZING WAREHOUSES AND 
BEATING AFGHAN AID WORKERS -- WAS DEEPLY DISTURBING.  THE 
TALIBAN'S LONGSTANDING LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE AFGHAN 
POPULATION WAS SIGNIFICANT, HE ADDED, WITH THE OUTSIDE 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ3781 
 
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ACTION SA-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00  DS-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   NEA-00 
      DCP-01   NSAE-00  SSO-00   SS-00    EPAE-00  SNIS-00  NISC-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------352492  251053Z /38 
O 251050Z OCT 01 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/PAB (GEETA PASI) 
 
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 185/01 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/11 
TAGS: PREL, AF, VT 
 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL-INFORMAL FOR JEFF LUNSTEAD, SENIOR 
 
POLICY COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN. 
 
WORLD STEPPING INTO THE GAP.  HE ADMITTED THAT AIRDROPS TO 
REMOTE SPOTS WERE NOT AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION, YET ADDED 
THESE CONSTITUTED A VALUABLE DEMONSTRATION.  CONCERN RUNS 
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HIGH IN IRAN AND PAKISTAN AT A SURGE IN REFUGEES, YET 
MEASURES WERE BEING TAKEN, INCLUDING UNHCR CONSTRUCTION OF 
NEW REFUGEE SITES, IF NEEDED, LUNDSTEAD SAID.  THUS FAR, 
THE FLOW OF NEW REFUGEES HAS REMAINED LOW. 
 
9.   (C) LUNSTEAD, AT THE AMBASSADOR'S ENCOURAGEMENT, 
REMARKED BRIEFLY ON HIS 10/19 ENCOUNTER WITH THE KING.  HE 
DESCRIBED THE KING AS PHYSICALLY FRAIL YET NOT IMMOBILE, 
AND AS MENTALLY ACUTE, WITH NO DESIRE TO RETURN TO RULE IN 
AFGHANISTAN, JUST AN EXILE'S HOPE FOR BURIAL IN HIS 
HOMELAND.  HIS ENTOURAGE WAS HAMPERED BY INTRIGUE, LUNSTEAD 
ADDED. ASKED BY MIGLIORE IF THE KING WERE WILLING TO ASSUME 
LEADERSHIP, LUNDSTEAD ANSWERED THAT THE KING KNEW HE WOULD 
NEVER RULE AGAIN.  HE WAS AN OLD MAN, WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT 
SECURITY THREATS THAT KEPT HIM FROM HIS DAILY GARDEN 
STROLL.  THE U.S. HARBORED NO ILLUSIONS, LUNSTEAD SAID, 
ADDING THE KING'S ENTOURAGE HAD BEEN IRRESOLUTE IN THE 
PAST. 
 
10.  (C) ASKED TO EXPAND ON THE AFOREMENTIONED CAIRO 
ENCOUNTER, MIGLIORE STIPULATED THE 10/28-10/29 AL HEZAR 
MEETING WOULD BE AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION AND WOULD RESPOND 
TO SEPTEMBER 11 AND ITS AFTERMATH.  MIGLIORE EMPHASIZED 
THAT THE HOLY SEE IS A SPIRITUAL, ETHICAL AND MORAL ENTITY, 
WHOSE MISSION IS NOT POLITICAL BUT RELIGIOUS.  THE MASSES 
IN ISLAMIC SOCIETIES, HE OBSERVED, DEPEND ON RELIGIOUS 
LEADERSHIP; IF RELIGIOUS LEADERS WILL NOT DISTANCE 
THEMSELVES FROM VIOLENCE, THEN NEITHER WILL THE POPULATION 
AT LARGE.  MIGLIORE SUGGESTED THE HOLY SEE CAN PLAY A ROLE 
TO CONVINCE RELIGIOUS COUNTERPARTS TO REPUDIATE VIOLENCE. 
MIGLIORE LEVIED FAINT PRAISE AT A SIMILAR EFFORT HELD BY 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  05546  02 OF 02  251051Z 
SANT'EGIDIO 10/3-10/4 IN ROME. (COMMENT:  SANT'EGIDIO IS A 
PROMINENT ROME-BASED CATHOLIC NGO FAMED FOR CONFLICT 
RESOLUTION, NOTABLY THE PEACEFUL END TO THE MOZAMBIQUE 
CIVIL WAR BROKERED IN 1993.)  MIGLIORE LAUDED SANT'EGIDIO'S 
ABILITY TO GATHER ISLAMIC LEADERS QUICKLY, YET HE 
QUESTIONED THE VALUE OF A GET-TOGETHER THAT DID NOT PRODUCE 
A PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF VIOLENCE, NOT JUST A DOCUMENT 
SIGNED IN ENGLISH THAT WOULD NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY IN 
PARTICIPANT'S HOME COUNTRIES.  MAYBE FUTURE SANT'EGIDIO 
MEETINGS WOULD BE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE, MIGLIORE MUSED. 
 
11.  (C) LUNSTEAD DECRIED RHETORIC OF A CLASH OF 
CIVILIZATIONS. IF THE WEST IS SEEN AS ISLAM'S ENEMY, THE 
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE CATASTROPHIC.  THIS IS A FURTHER 
REASON FOR SWIFT CONCLUSION TO THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN, AS 
GENERAL MUSHARRAFF HAS PLEADED, VOICING HIS POPULATION'S 
ANGER AT THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN.  MONTEMAYOR REMARKED 
CATHOLIC LEADERSHIP LIKEWISE ABHORS THE BOMBING; IMAGES OF 
CONTINUAL BOMBARDMENT AND CIVILIAN INJURIES DETRACT FROM 
THE UNIFIED EFFORT TO COMBAT TERRORISM.  MIGLIORE WORRIED 
FURTHER AT THE RISK TO PAKISTAN'S STABILITY AND TO ITS ONE 
MILLION-STRONG CATHOLIC POPULATION. LUNDSTEAD HOWEVER 
VOICED CONFIDENCE IN GENERAL MUSHARRAFF, PRAISING HIS SWIFT 
REPUDIATION OF THE TALIBAN, A TURNAROUND THAT RAISES HOPES 
MUSHARRAFF WILL NOW ALSO FACE DOWN RADICAL ISLAM WITHIN 
PAKISTAN, THEREBY ALSO BETTERING CONDITIONS FOR PAKISTAN'S 
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES. 
NICHOLSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 

 2001VATICA05546 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL