US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE2012

UNCLAS  DUSHANBE 002012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PROP, KDEM, KPAO, RS, TI 
SUBJECT: COUNTERING DISINFORMATION IN DUSHANBE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  Is the United States responsible for the "Color 
Revolutions" in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan?  Are Americans 
employed in such organizations as CARE and the National 
Democratic Institute spies fomenting revolution?  Are 
U.S.-funded legal assistance programs designed to turn children 
against their parents?  If the Russian disinformation campaign 
is to be believed, all of the above is true, and unfortunately, 
much of it is believed. 
 
2.  The aggressive, on-going Russian disinformation campaign in 
Tajikistan and throughout the former Soviet States  targets 
American NGOs, USAID and U.S. programs, calling into question 
U.S. initiatives, and sometimes succeeding in shutting down 
U.S.-supported programs.  To advance the President's and the 
Secretary's U.S. foreign policy and transformational diplomacy, 
 
SIPDIS 
Post requests that the Department coordinate a regional response 
to counter this campaign and highlight American programs and 
intentions.  END SUMMARY 
 
3.  Central Asian populations have almost no other source of 
news and information than Russia's mass media and their own 
Russian-dominated state media.  Democratic forces in the region, 
such as they are, trust the propaganda and believe the United 
States has backed off in its support for democracy because of 
superior pressure from Moscow.  The anti-American disinformation 
campaign is coming from the old-guard in Moscow who have been on 
a roll for a year now, with plenty of coverage in the press, and 
access to high level Tajik officials behind-the-scenes. 
 
4.  The Tajik press has published several anti-NGO articles in 
the last six months.  Two examples include: 
 
- On September 29, Tajik language Tojikiston published an 
article critical of CARE International's activities in 
Tajikistan, alleging CARE deliberately introduced contaminated 
seed potatoes into Tajikistan. 
 
- On 24 November, the Tajik State-owned, Tajik language 
newspaper Jumhuriyat published "What does ABA/CEELI want with 
the teenagers?"  The slanderous attack on a U.S.-NGO alleged 
that the American Bar Association/Central European and Eurasian 
Law Initiative is out to create young revolutionaries. 
ABA/CEELI's "Street Law" program, designed to introduce eighth 
to tenth grade students to legal issues and the profession of 
law is now in jeopardy because of the article. 
 
5.  In November, Embassy Dushanbe began a media campaign to 
educate the public on NGOs' and USAID's activities in 
Tajikistan. To date, Post has submitted three articles to the 
local press highlighting NGOs for their work in micro credit 
assistance, business investment development, and business and 
economic law.  So far, Tojikiston is the only newspaper to 
publish the articles, and only in English, which limits the 
public diplomacy outreach.   The campaign will continue well 
into 2006. 
 
6.  The Embassy took the high road on the CARE attack, and did 
not respond to the charge, thereby not creating a media frenzy. 
On the ABA/CEELI attack, the Ambassador took the offensive, 
received positive press, and effectively refuted the charges. 
Post will continue to press locally, but would sincerely 
appreciate every bit of high-level assistance we can get.  The 
Secretary's defense of NGOs in Russia, for example (on her Kiev 
 
SIPDIS 
trip) helped to offset the tone from the Russian press, but this 
message has to be loud enough and clear enough to be heard 
through the noise created by the Russian press. 
 
7.  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov believes the United States 
plotted the "color revolutions", (which have failed and led to 
instability) and the U.S. is responsible for igniting a "New 
Cold War."  He characterized USAID as a "U.S. NGO" bent on 
 
dominating the CIS "information space."  This 
mischaracterization of U.S. efforts in the region needs to be 
addressed directly, because the mistrust it generates impacts so 
very directly on U.S. interests.  Right now the U.S. Government 
seem to be losing the game in this region on a day-to-day basis. 
 More support from Washington, for our NGO's, our investors, and 
our U.S. assistance would be most welcome. 
ARMBRUSTER 
 
 
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