US embassy cable - 02ROME1644

CONFIDENTIAL ROME 001644 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ALMATY FOR EMBASSY DUSHANBE 
NSC FOR KHALILZHAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, AF, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, AF, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, AF, IT, ITPREL, ITPREL, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT:  AFGHANISTAN:  ZAHIR SHAH'S FUTURE PLANS, CLOSING 
OUT ESF GRANT TO ZAHIR SHAH FOUNDATION 
 
REF: A. 01 ROME 5901 
B. 01 ROME 5902 
C. ROME 1616 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS TOM COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 
1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  ON A MARCH 11-12 VISIT TO ROME, SA/PAB DEPUTY 
DIRECTOR STEVE MCGANN MET WITH MFA OFFICIALS, REPRESENTATIVES 
OF FORMER AFGHAN KING ZAHIR SHAH, AND ZAHIR SHAH HIMSELF. 
MCGANN AND SA/PD DEPUTY DIRECTOR SUSAN HOVANEC CLOSED OUT AN 
ESF GRANT OFFERED TO THE KING'S ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE THE 
EMERGENCY LOYA JIRGA, DEMOCRACY, AND WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN 
AFGHANISTAN (REFS A, B), RETURNING SOME $280,000 TO THE USG 
FOR FURTHER ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY IN AFGHANISTAN. 
DURING THE MEETING WITH THE FORMER KING, ZAHIR SHAH ALLUDED 
TO EVOLVING EXPECTATIONS OF THE ROLE HE WOULD PLAY UPON HIS 
RETURN TO AFGHANISTAN, PORTRAYING HIMSELF -- "IF THE AFGHAN 
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PAGE 03        ROME  01644  01 OF 03  030823Z 
PEOPLE WANT IT" -- AS POSSIBLY A HEAD OF STATE A LA THE 
FRENCH PRESIDENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
CHANNEL MONEY INSIDE AFGHANISTAN 
-------------------------------- 
2.  (SBU)  IN THEIR MEETING WITH MFA COORDINATOR FOR 
AFGHANISTAN ENRICO DI MAIO, MCGANN AND HOVANEC DISCUSSED THE 
NEED FOR THE USG TO RE-PROGRAM REMAINING MONEYS FROM A GRANT 
AWARDED TO THE ZAHIR SHAH ASSOCIATION FOR PEACE AND 
SELF-DETERMINATION IN AFGHANISTAN FOR FURTHER WORK INSIDE 
AFGHANISTAN TOWARD THE SAME PURPOSES -- DEMOCRACY BUILDING 
AND INCREASED CIVIL PARTICIPATION BY AFGHAN WOMEN.  DI MAIO 
SAID THE GOI WOULD LET THE KING'S ASSOCIATION TAKE ANYTHING 
USEFUL PROVIDED BY THE GOI, SUCH AS COMPUTERS, WITH THEM TO 
AFGHANISTAN, BUT ITALY, TOO, WAS PLANNING ON ENDING DIRECT 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE KING AND HIS ASSOCIATES. 
 
3.  (C)  DI MAIO SAID THE REALITY IN AFGHANISTAN WAS THAT 
THOSE WHO CONTINUED TO RECEIVE OUTSIDE SUPPORT, SUCH AS 
FORMER PRESIDENT RABBANI, WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO 
SEEK -- AND OBTAIN -- INSIDE SUPPORT:  SIMPLY PUT, TO BUY 
LOYA JIRGA (LJ) VOTES.  IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE LIKE AIA 
CHAIRMAN KARZAI ALSO HAD ACCESS TO FUNDS, AT LEAST THE 
DEVELOPMENT FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.  THE 
PROPER DEPLOYMENT OF THOSE FUNDS BY THE AIA WOULD 
LEGITIMATELY STRENGTHEN KARZAI'S POSITION.  MCGANN CONVEYED 
THE USG INTENT TO SUPPORT PREPARATION AND HOLDING OF THE LJ, 
BUT NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES MUST SHARE COSTS WHICH COULD 
BE SIGNIFICANT.  DI MAIO SAID THE GOI HAD NOT YET CONSIDERED 
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PAGE 04        ROME  01644  01 OF 03  030823Z 
FUNDING OF THE LJ, BUT HE HOPED TO BRING THIS UP FOR 
FINANCING CONSIDERATION.  ITALY, TOO, MUST PAY ITS SHARE, HE 
SAID; "WITH YOU, WE CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA."  HE SUGGESTED 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ALSO CONSIDER USING FOREIGN 
ASSISTANCE TO ENCOURAGE THE KIND OF COOPERATION THAT BEGAN IN 
BONN.  AIA DEFENSE MINISTER FAHIM, INTERIOR MINISTER QANOONI, 
AND FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED, IF NEED 
BE UNDER THREAT OF AN END TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TO TELL 
RABBANI TO STOP INTERFERING IN EFFORTS TO SET UP THE LOYA 
JIRGA. 
 
4.  (SBU)  DI MAIO UNDERSCORED ITALY'S INTEREST IN FUNDING 
DEVELOPMENT OF AFGHANISTAN'S ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, 
PREFERABLY IN COORDINATION WITH THE USG.  "NO ONE ELSE BUT 
THE TWO OF US IS THINKING ABOUT THIS," HE ASSERTED.  HE 
MENTIONED THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW INSTITUTE (IDLI) 
AS A POSSIBLE VEHICLE.  HOVANEC NOTED THERE SHOULD BE GROWING 
INTEREST IN SUCH WORK AMONG NGO'S; REPORTING ON PROBLEMS IN 
THIS SPHERE HAS INCREASED.  IN RESPONSE TO MCGANN'S QUERY, DI 
MAIO CLARIFIED THAT ITALY WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE THE LEAD 
IN JUDICIAL DEVELOPMENT.  (N.B.  THE IDLI CONTINUES ITS WORK 
ON A DATABASE AND ANALYSIS OF PAST AFGHAN CONSTITUTIONS AND 
CODES; SEE REF C.) 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4228 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01644  02 OF 03  030823Z 
ACTION SA-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   MFA-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EAP-00 
      EB-00    EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      L-00     AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00 
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------7E3AEE  030824Z /40 
P 030659Z APR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3066 
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ALMATY 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY BERLIN 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01644  02 OF 03  030823Z 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 001644 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ALMATY FOR EMBASSY DUSHANBE 
NSC FOR KHALILZHAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, AF, IT 
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN:  ZAHIR SHAH'S FUTURE PLANS, CLOSING 
OUT ESF GRANT TO ZAHIR SHAH FOUNDATION 
 
5.  (SBU)  AS A RESULT OF THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN 
MCGANN AND ZALMAI RASSOUL (THE FORMER KING'S EXECUTIVE 
SECRETARY AND AIA AVIATION MINISTER), GRANT EXPERTS MUELLER 
 
SIPDIS 
AND SNEARLY WORKED WITH ZAHIR SHAH'S REPRESENTATIVES TO BEGIN 
AUDITING EXPENDITURES UNDER THE ORIGINAL GRANT AND DETERMINE 
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY REMAINING.  THE  ASSOCIATION  RETURNED 
UNUSED FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $117,675 TO THE USG AND URGED 
THAT THESE MONEYS BE USED "TO PURSUE THE FULL PARTICIPATION 
OF AFGHAN WOMEN IN ALL ASPECTS OF CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC 
AND SOCIAL LIFE IN AFGHANISTAN."  THE AGREEMENT FURTHER 
SPECIFIES THAT, "IN LIGHT OF HIS MAJESTY'S IMMINENT RETURN TO 
AFGHANISTAN AND THE CESSATION OF THE ASSOCIATION'S ACTIVITIES 
IN ROME, ITALY," THE REMAINING FUNDS "BE USED TO COMMENCE 
WORK WITHIN AFGHANISTAN." 
 
--------------------------- 
KING'S PLANS FOR HIS RETURN 
--------------------------- 
6.  (C)  DCM, MCGANN, AND HOVANEC MET WITH FORMER KING ZAHIR 
SHAH ON MARCH 12 TO CONFIRM THE DECISION TO CLOSE OUT THE 
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PAGE 03        ROME  01644  02 OF 03  030823Z 
GRANT AND DISCUSS THE KING'S FUTURE PLANS.  BOTH SIDES SHARED 
APPRECIATION FOR THEIR ONGOING COOPERATION TO LIBERATE 
AFGHANISTAN FROM THE SCOURGE OF TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM AND 
TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC AND PROGRESSIVE ISLAMIC STATE.  MCGANN 
NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF NEXT STEPS IN IMPLEMENTING THE BONN 
AGREEMENT AND OF THE SYMBOLIC ROLE THE KING WOULD PLAY IN 
OPENING THE LOYA JIRGA.  HE ASKED WHAT THE KING WOULD 
PERCEIVE AS A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME FROM THE LJ.  THE KING 
REPLIED THAT ALTHOUGH HE HAD BEEN FAR AWAY, THE AFGHAN PEOPLE 
HAD MAINTAINED CONFIDENCE IN HIM.  HE HOPED TO BE OF USE TO 
HIS COUNTRYMEN IN FULFILLING THEIR ASPIRATIONS.  HIS MOST 
IMPORTANT EFFORT WOULD BE TO MAINTAIN HARMONY AND HELP TO 
PROVIDE SECURITY AND PEACE TO THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN.  HE 
HOPED TO BRING UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN DIFFERENT ETHNIC 
ELEMENTS AND AFGHANS PURSUING "DIFFERENT POLICIES."  "I OFFER 
MYSELF IN SERVICE TO THE AFGHAN NATION IN ANY ROLE OR SERVICE 
THE PEOPLE WANT, AS DETERMINED BY THE LOYA JIRGA," ZAHIR 
CONCLUDED. 
 
7.  (C)  MCGANN NOTED THAT THE KING HAD SAID HE DID NOT 
INTEND TO SEEK A ROLE IN GOVERNMENT OR TO PLAY A ROLE IN 
AFGHANISTAN'S TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY.  WAS THIS STILL HIS 
PERSPECTIVE?  GENERAL WALI, THE KING'S SON-IN-LAW AND 
INTERPRETER (COMMENT:  SOMETIMES SUSPECTED OF INSERTING HIS 
OWN VIEWS IN THE TRANSLATIONS), ASKED WHETHER THIS QUESTION 
REFERRED TO THE KING'S PLAYING AN EXECUTIVE ROLE, SUCH AS A 
PRIME MINISTER OR FOREIGN MINISTER, OR A HEAD OF STATE ROLE, 
SUCH AS THE BRITISH KING OR THE FRENCH PRESIDENT.  HOW DOES 
THE KING SEE HIMSELF, MCGANN REPEATED.  THE KING AND/OR WALI 
HEDGED, BUT THROUGH THE COURSE OF DISCUSSION REVEALED AN 
EVOLUTION IN THE KING'S -- OR HIS ENTOURAGE'S -- PERCEPTION 
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PAGE 04        ROME  01644  02 OF 03  030823Z 
OF HIS ROLE TO INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF HIS POSITION AS A 
RELATIVELY ACTIVE HOS WITH NOT INSIGNIFICANT AUTHORITY TO 
REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL CREATION OF A PERMANENT GOVERNMENT.  BY 
THE END OF THE CONVERSATION, THE KING WAS QUITE CLEAR HE 
WOULD CONSIDER A FUTURE HOS ROLE SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE 
FRENCH PRESIDENT. 
 
8.  (C)  DCM ASKED THE KING WHETHER HE BELIEVED OUTSIDE 
INTERFERENCE CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM IN AFGHANISTAN.  ZAHIR 
SHAH NOTED THAT INTERFERENCE BY IRAN, PAKISTAN, THE UK UNDER 
THE TIMES OF BRITISH INDIA, HAD ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR 
AFGHANISTAN.  HE WELCOMED MCGANN'S REFERENCE TO THE 
SIX-PLUS-TWO'S REAFFIRMATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF 
NON-INTERFERENCE, BUT SAID IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED 
AND OBSERVED.  RELATIONS WITH IRAN HAD IMPROVED, BUT NOW 
SEEMED ON THE BASIS OF REPORTS HE RECEIVED FROM INSIDE 
AFGHANISTAN TO BE DETERIORATING AGAIN. 
 
9.  (SBU)  MCGANN RETURNED TO THE KING'S ROLE IN THE LJ.  THE 
USG APPRECIATED THE KING'S STATEMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF 
WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN'S RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION.  IT WAS 
VERY IMPORTANT THAT ZAHIR SHAH CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THE NEED 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4229 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01644  03 OF 03  030824Z 
ACTION SA-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   MFA-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EAP-00 
      EB-00    EUR-00   VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      L-00     AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00 
      PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    SS-00    STR-00 
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------7E3AFB  030824Z /40 
P 030659Z APR 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3067 
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ALMATY 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY BERLIN 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01644  03 OF 03  030824Z 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 001644 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ALMATY FOR EMBASSY DUSHANBE 
NSC FOR KHALILZHAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, AF, IT 
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN:  ZAHIR SHAH'S FUTURE PLANS, CLOSING 
OUT ESF GRANT TO ZAHIR SHAH FOUNDATION 
 
FOR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION.  THE KING "AGREED ENTIRELY."  HE 
THEN REPEATED THE SHOCK HE HAD FELT AT THE TALIBAN'S 
DESTRUCTION OF THE BAMIYAN BUDDHAS, A GESTURE WHICH "HURT THE 
WHOLE CIVILIZED WORLD."  THE BLOWING UP OF THE STATUES WAS 
MORE THAN CULTURAL DESTRUCTION, MCGANN ADDED.  IT REPRESENTED 
INTOLERANCE.  THE USG HOPED THE KING WOULD ALSO USE HIS 
INFLUENCE TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR TOLERANCE AND RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM.  "WE HAVE SO MANY IMPORTANT PROBLEMS TO SOLVE," 
ZAHIR SHAH AGREED.  "THAT IS WHY I RETURN, TO ENCOURAGE THAT 
THESE PROBLEMS BE SOLVED IN A CIVILIZED WAY."  AFGHANS WERE 
ALWAYS A TOLERANT PEOPLE, HE EXPLAINED, WHO WERE ONLY MISLED 
BY POOR AND INTOLERANT EDUCATION.  HE EXPRESSED HOPE THAT HE 
COULD HELP TO RECTIFY MISTAKES MADE (UNDER THE TALIBAN 
REGIME, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT SAY SO DIRECTLY.) 
 
10.  (SBU)  ZAHIR SHAH REITERATED HIS APPRECIATION FOR U.S. 
SUPPORT, SAYING THE U.S. "STOOD UP SO OFTEN WHEN THE WORLD 
WAS IN DANGER."  THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN IS 
WELCOME; AFGHANS APPRECIATE THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING AND HAVE 
SHED THEIR BLOOD FOR AFGHANISTAN.  THE WORK DONE BY YOUNG 
AMERICANS IN AFGHANISTAN NOW WILL CREATE EVEN MORE SYMPATHY 
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PAGE 03        ROME  01644  03 OF 03  030824Z 
AND GOOD WILL AMONG FUTURE GENERATIONS. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11.  (C)  ALTHOUGH THE KING'S REPLIES TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING 
HIS FUTURE ROLE WERE SOMEWHAT INDIRECT, THEY REVEALED AN 
EVOLUTION IN HIS THINKING TO THE POINT WHERE HE WOULD 
SEEMINGLY NOT BE AVERSE TO ASSUMING A ROLE AS HEAD OF STATE. 
AND, ALTHOUGH HIS HEALTH AND MIND CONTINUE SOUND, IT IS HARD 
TO IMAGINE HIM PHYSICALLY EXERCISING ANYTHING BEYOND A 
CEREMONIAL ROLE WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT.  IN THIS 
MEETING, AS IN OTHERS, HOWEVER, HE UNDERSCORED THAT HIS GOAL 
WOULD BE TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN AIA CHAIRMAN KARZAI'S 
ROLE, NOT TO SUPERSEDE IT. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
2002ROME01644 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL