US embassy cable - 01ABUDHABI6422

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 006422 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND SA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/11 
TAGS:  PREL, PTER, AF, PK, TC 
SUBJECT:  AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE - NEXT STEPS 
 
REF:  STATE 192153 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY DCM GORDON R. OLSON, FOR 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
2. (S) POLOFF REVIEWED REFTEL POINTS ON THE 
FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN WITH MUHAMMAD ABDUL RAHIM 
ABDUL JALIL, MFA DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN 
AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS ON NOVEMBER 7.  SHE HANDED 
OVER A COPY OF THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO THE 
WARSAW CONFERENCE ON COMBATING TERRORISM. 
ABDUL JALIL SAID HE HAD HEARD EXCERPTS OF THE 
SPEECH ON AL-JAZEERA AND NOTED THAT THE 
PRESIDENT HAD DELIVERED A FORCEFUL AND WELCOME 
MESSAGE.  ABDUL JALIL CONDEMNED THE 9/11 
ATTACKS AND REITERATED THE UAE'S STRONG 
COMMITMENT TO THE ANTI-TERROR COALITION. 
RECALLING THAT THE UAE HAD ITSELF BEEN A TARGET 
OF TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE 1970'S AND 1980'S 
(THE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS ASSASSINATED AND 
SEVERAL UAE DIPLOMATS ABROAD WERE TARGETED BY 
ABU NIDAL), ABDUL JALIL DECLARED THAT WE NEEDED 
TO STAND TOGETHER AGAINST THIS NEW THREAT.  UBL 
DID NOT SPEAK FOR THE MUSLIM PEOPLE, HE STATED, 
MOST OF WHOM JUST WANT TO LIVE IN PEACE. 
 
3. (C) NOTING USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO 
THE AFGHAN PEOPLE, POLOFF LAUDED THE UAE'S OWN 
SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.  SHE SAID THE 
U.S. ANTICIPATED THAT A HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
DONORS CONFERENCE WOULD BE HELD AND ENCOURAGED 
UAE PARTICIPATION. GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE UAE 
HAS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TEAMS ON THE GROUND 
IN AFGHANISTAN -- WORKING THROUGH THE UAE RED 
CRESCENT SOCIETY -- THE DONORS' CONFERENCE 
WOULD PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE 
EMIRATIS TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND COMBINE 
THEIR EFFORTS WITH OTHERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY.  ABDUL JALIL AGREED THAT THE UAE 
NEEDED TO BE PART OF ANY DONORS CONFERENCE AND 
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT CONDITIONS ON THE 
GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN, PARTICULARLY IN ADVANCE 
OF THE HARSH WINTER. 
 
4. (C) TURNING TO AFGHANISTAN'S FUTURE, POLOFF 
NOTED THE DIFFICULTY OF FORGING A COALITION 
AMONG AFGHANISTAN'S DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS. 
NEVERTHELESS, WE BELIEVED THAT A BROAD-BASED 
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED AND THAT, AT 
ALL COSTS, WE SHOULD AVOID THE CREATION OF A 
POWER VACUUM.  TO THIS END, WE FULLY ENDORSED 
THE EFFORTS OF UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE 
BRAHIMI.  ABDUL JALIL, WHO SERVED UNTIL AUGUST 
AS THE UAE'S DCM IN TEHRAN, WONDERED ABOUT 
IRANIAN DESIGNS AND HOPED THAT THE SIX PLUS TWO 
MEETING IN NEW YORK WOULD BEAR FRUIT.  THE 
PASHTUNS -- WHO HE ESTIMATED COMPRISE 51% OF 
THE AFGHAN POPULATION -- WILL NEED TO PLAY A 
MAJOR ROLE IN ANY FUTURE GOVERNMENT, ABDUL 
JALIL SURMISED. 
 
5. (U) PESHAWAR MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
WAHBA