US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI8928

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 008928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPRNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, MOPS, EAID, IN, PK, INDO-PAK, Kashmir 
SUBJECT: INDIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY FRETS ABOUT JIHADI 
ACTIVITIES IN PAKISTANI KASHMIR AND NATO LOC VIOLATIONS 
 
REF: WAHLERT-SBOTO/PYATT 11/9 E-MAIL 
 
Classified By: Charge Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1. (C) This is an action request.  Please see para 5. 
 
2. (C) Indian Foreign Secretary Saran summoned the Charge on 
November 24 to register concern about several dimensions of 
international relief activities in Pakistani Kashmir. 
Saran's delivery of the non-paper in para 5 was low key and 
respectful of the fact that NATO and USAID activities in 
Pakistani Kashmir are humanitarian in focus.  He also made 
clear he would be making the same points to a handful of 
other NATO reps in India.  In this "thought you should know" 
context, Saran flagged three specific concerns: 
 
-- That relief activities should not compromise India's claim 
to the entire princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (a legal 
point clearly aimed at insulating the government in the 
likely event this issue surfaces in the current session of 
Parliament). 
 
-- GOI concern (widely echoed in the Delhi press) that ISI 
and the Pakistan Army are steering relief materials to 
jihadist groups. 
 
-- That Pakistani and NATO helicopters are committing "large 
numbers" of violations of the Line of Control (LOC) and that 
Pakistan's DGMO is failing to provide courtesy notification 
of helicopter sorties that are going inside the 
pre-earthquake "no fly zone." 
 
3. (C) Responding to Saran's concern about jihadist groups 
taking advantage of relief activities, the Charge emphasized 
the humanitarian focus of the US presence and the US 
sensitivity to the risk that terrorist groups could use the 
earthquake to regain ground.  He added that we have shared 
these concerns with the Pakistani government at a senior 
level.  To the best of our knowledge, the Charge added, no US 
relief has been channeled through jihadist groups.  Saran 
welcomed this clarification, but reiterated that it "does not 
augur well" for the Indo-Pak peace process that the Army and 
ISI are actively encouraging terrorist groups to help with 
relief.  He added, in this context, that Indian communication 
intercepts suggest that groups like LET see the earthquake as 
an opportunity "to up the ante on the Indian side." 
 
4. (C) PolCouns addressed Saran's concerns about LOC 
overflight, drawing on reftel to explain that after the 
November 8 incident in which two US helicopters accidentally 
landed on the Indian side of the LOC, US forces adopted a 
policy of not flying within a 5 KM LOC buffer zone, in order 
to avoid further incidents.  Saran was unaware of earlier 
US-India exchanges on this topic and welcomed the 
clarification.  Separately, the Indian DGMO told DATT that he 
was unaware of any further US airspace violations since 
November 9 (separately, the MEA has promised to provide a 
catalogue of all airspace violations, including those 
involving NATO and Pakistani forces). 
 
5.  (U) Begin GOI Text: 
 
Government of India have noted the presence of NATO and 
American troops in large parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 
for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work for the 
victims of the earthquake that took place on 8 October 2005. 
We appreciate and share your humanitarian concern and, 
therefore, do not wish to take issue on the presence of your 
troops in territory that is illegally occupied by Pakistan. 
However, Government of India wishes to place on record their 
concern that the earthquake and the presence of foreign 
troops and relief agencies may be used by Pakistan to further 
international acceptance of its illegal occupation of large 
parts of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.  Government of India 
would like to reaffirm that the entire territory of the State 
of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India by virtue of the 
accession of this former princely State to India in 
accordance with the Indian Independence Act of 1947.  We are 
also concerned that under the pretext of earthquake relief, a 
number of Jihadi groups which have been involved in 
cross-border terrorism against India, and have proven links 
with Al-Qaeda, are given legitimacy.  This does not augur 
well for the future.  It is important that Western 
Governments and NGOs engaged in relief work do not associate 
themselves in any manner with such groups and avoid, directly 
or indirectly, to give them respectability. 
 
6. (C) Action request: Mission would welcome any 
clarification we can provide to the Indian government 
regarding US efforts to guard against terrorist groups 
gaining access to and advantage from US relief in Pakistani 
Kashmir.  We also would appreciate any updates on the LOC 
overflight issue, which as Saran points out, could easily 
provoke a security incident. 
BLAKE