US embassy cable - 05CANBERRA626

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000626 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, SNAR, AF, UK, AS 
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA WEIGHING COUNTERNARCOTIC CONTRIBUTION TO 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 58810 
 
1. (U) After coordinating with UK counterparts, we delivered 
reftel points and nonpaper on April 1 to Australian Agency 
for International Development (AusAID) Afghanistan Program 
Director Carmel Ryan and Department of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade (DFAT) Afghanistan Section Director Peter Howarth. 
Ryan noted that she would be attending the April 4-6 
Afghanistan Development Conference to learn more about how 
the Afghanistan Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (ACNTF) would be 
implemented.  She said that the GOA supported the British 
letter and proposal and that Foreign Minister Downer would 
make a decision on when Australia could contribute funding by 
the end of April.  Ryan indicated the GOA would respond to 
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack 
 
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Straw's letter upon her return.  She promised to provide us 
with an update on the GOA's funding plans in late April. 
 
2. (U) Prior to the meeting with Ryan and Howarth, we 
discussed with British High Commission External Affairs 
Officer Jackie Richards her own conversations with the 
Australians regarding the ACNTF.  Richards said she had 
delivered the letter from Secretary Straw March 14.  Richards 
said the GOA had expressed support for the ACNTF in 
principle, but she thought it unlikely that Australia would 
have sufficient resources to support the British request. 
(Note: Australia pledged an unprecedented A$1 billion -- 
US$800 million -- to Indonesia in the wake of the December 26 
tsunami, and thus its ODA resources are particularly 
 
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stretched at the moment.)  Richards thanked Poloff for the 
U.S.'s support of the UK's message. 
 
STANTON