US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI395

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EAID, IN, AF, India-Afghanistan 
SUBJECT: INDIA COMMITTED TO PUL-I-KHUMRI, INTERESTED IN 
COLLABORATING ON OTHER PROJECTS IN AFGHANISTAN 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt, Reason 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: On January 12, MEA Joint Secretary 
(Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) Arun K Singh and newly 
appointed Ambassador to Afghanistan Rakesh Sood provided an 
update on Indian projects in Afghanistan, noting proudly that 
with the exception of the Parliament building and the 
Pul-i-Khumri to Kabul power transmission line, all projects 
sponsored by the GOI were either under construction or 
nearing completion.  India remains committed to finishing the 
Pul-i-Khumri electric transmission line, and understands its 
importance for Afghanistan's long-term development, Singh 
said, promising that he would encourage financial approval 
for the project with a view to starting construction in April 
(with a roughly two-three year completion time).  The GOI 
would be open to new projects in Afghanistan, including those 
carried out in cooperation with the US.  Transit rights 
through Pakistan would allow the GOI to do more.  End Summary. 
 
India Committed to Pul-i-Khumri 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) The Pul-i-Khumri to Kabul transmission line is "still 
something India is prepared to do," Singh stated, noting that 
an Indian team had already done a survey of the site and that 
the project would soon go before the Indian cabinet for 
financial approval.  He promised to push for approval during 
the winter months, when construction cannot take place, and 
speculated that if all goes well, work could begin in April. 
Singh said he would encourage a planning team to go to 
Afghanistan, even while New Delhi was deciding on the 
funding, so that work could proceed as quickly as possible. 
He estimated that the project would take two-three years to 
complete, once work begins. 
 
3.  (C) Asked about obstacles to the Pul-i-Khumri project, 
Singh replied that Taliban and Northern Alliance mines remain 
in the area, and hoped the US could provide assistance in 
this area.  The mountainous terrain presents another 
obstacle, he said.  Newly appointed Ambassador to Afghanistan 
Rakesh Sood remarked on the lack of transit rights through 
Pakistan.  If Indian equipment is allowed to transit 
Pakistan, "maybe we can get somewhere" on the Pul-i-Khumri 
line, he mused, noting the high cost of shipping Indian 
equipment via Iran.  Pakistan may not be ready for normal 
transit or trade, but this equipment is for aid, he stated, 
encouraging the US to raise the issue with Pakistan.  Sood 
told us that India would also appreciate US airlift 
assistance as necessary to move equipment through mountainous 
terrain. 
 
4.  (C) PolCouns underlined the importance of the 
Pul-i-Khumri project for the immediate and long-term 
development of Afghanistan, and encouraged Singh to come back 
to us with ideas to move the project ahead as quickly as 
possible.  Singh said that India understands the importance 
of the Pul-i-Khumri line, and noted that the Afghan 
government had also stressed the significance of the project 
in bilateral meetings.  "We understand that this is priority 
number one," because it would bring power to Kabul, he 
stated. 
 
US-India Collaboration 
---------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Singh stated that as a non-traditional donor, India 
is "certainly stretched" by providing aid to Afghanistan, but 
said New Delhi is open to new ideas for projects, as all the 
current projects are nearing completion.  The GOI hopes to 
focus on institution building and training programs for the 
Afghan government, and would like to broaden bilateral 
interaction to include education and health. 
 
6.  (C) Sood emphasized the need to find projects on which 
the US and India could collaborate, noting that there are not 
enough projects where "India can be seen working closely with 
the US."  PolCouns noted USAID Administrator Natsios' earlier 
discussion on US-India collaboration in Afghanistan, and 
stressed the need for greater information sharing on on-going 
Indian projects there through our missions in Kabul.  Sood 
also encouraged the idea of direct contacts between Indian 
consulates in Afghanistan and the relevant US PRTs. 
 
7.  (SBU) Singh provided an update on other on-going projects 
in Afghanistan, saying that: 
 
-- Construction teams and equipment for the Zaranj-Delaram 
road have been on the ground since December.  The project is 
expected to take two years to complete; 
 
-- Work is already underway on the Salma Dam and will be 
completed within four years; 
 
-- Indian builders have completed construction of cold 
storage food warehouses in Khandahar; 
 
-- Construction on the Habibia school will be completed in 
2005; 
 
-- Renovation of the Indira Gandhi hospital will be completed 
by March or April; 
 
-- India still plans to construct a new building for the 
Afghan parliament, but the Afghan government has not yet 
selected land for the project.  According to Singh, "the ball 
is in the Afghan court." 
 
Uncomfortable With Taliban Rehabilitation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C) India remains "very uncomfortable" with the idea of 
Taliban rehabilitation, Singh stated, arguing that even if 
they were not involved in the atrocities of Taliban rule, 
former Taliban adherents still subscribed to a radical 
Islamic ideology.  Now is the time to build up moderate 
leaders, he argued, speculating that rehabilitated Taliban 
would seek to "fill the leadership vacuum in Pashtun areas." 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
MULFORD