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Viewing cable 07KABUL1191, GOA RELATIONSHIP WITH AFGHAN MEDIA REACHES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07KABUL1191 2007-04-10 13:33 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Kabul
VZCZCXRO9753
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1191/01 1001333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101333Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7415
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3938
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3576
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KABUL 001191 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A. CG CJTF-76 POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KCUL AF IR
SUBJECT: GOA RELATIONSHIP WITH AFGHAN MEDIA REACHES 
CRITICAL JUNCTURE 
 
REF: 06 KABUL 5700 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (U) Ongoing war in Afghanistan is taking its toll 
on media freedom.  After initially witnessing dramatic 
improvements since the fall of the Taliban, 
Afghanistan's media has experienced a slow yet 
disturbing turn for the worse over the past year, 
including increased detention of journalists and 
government interference in media coverage.  The 
Taliban, for its part, has executed and intimidated 
journalists.  This cable analyzes those trends and 
their link to the Afghan Mass Media Law, expected to 
go before Parliament for final approval in the coming 
days (septel) as a difficult but necessary debate 
over the role of the media comes to a head.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
DETERIORATING MEDIA ENVIRONMENT 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) Afghanistan's media has made significant 
progress since the fall of the Taliban. Just six years 
ago there was only one government newspaper (Sharia) 
and one radio station Sada-i-Sharia (Voice of Sharia), 
but today there are over 500 print media outlets, over 
50 radio stations and 18 TV stations.  But what can be 
seen as a success has also produced a strong reaction 
from the GOA, insurgents, and conservatives alike. 
Journalists and media outlets express fear about 
increasing trends toward media intimidation, 
government interference, and self-censorship.  In the 
provinces, where local factional leaders ("warlords") 
remain powerful, journalists and media outlets report 
being even more vulnerable to intimidation and 
reprisals, with  some warlords publicly expressing 
their disapproval of freedom of the press, seeing it 
as a hindrance to their efforts to maintain old 
traditions of corruption and intimidation to influence 
local politics. 
 
3.  (U) There are three major arguments being used by 
the GOA to curb media freedom.  First, some government 
officials argue that free media is "un-Islamic" and 
undermines the cultural norms and moral fabric of the 
country by broadcasting inappropriate material such as 
dancing and music or to promote other religions. 
Second, Minister Khoram has cited another often heard 
argument that such coverage plays into the hands of 
the Taliban, who show it in madrassahs in Pakistan for 
recruiting purposes as evidence of how the 
Afghangovernment is in fact "un-Islamic."  Third, GOA 
officials also argue that unregulated media coverage 
of Taliban attacks, interviews with insurgents and 
criticism of the GOA undermines the central government 
- a burden, they maintain, that Afghanistan's fragile 
political environment cannot bear. 
 
4.  (U) Journalists and media outlets report 
significant pressure not to publish negative reports 
about the government or specific officials.  They 
report that the government has specifically gone after 
journalists who have had contact with the insurgency 
or have carried extensive coverage of insurgent 
attacks (see paras 8, 10). 
 
5.  (U) Many media organizations point to the 
current Afghan Minister of Information and Culture as 
part of the problem.  They note that since his 
appointment by President Karzai, he has brought 
several negative changes to the Afghan media 
environment including pushing a conservative and 
restrictive draft of the Media Law (reftel).  Khoram 
 
KABUL 00001191  002 OF 004 
 
 
recently dismissed nearly 70 young employees within 
Radio Television Afghanistan resulting in the 
resignation of the Head of Afghanistan Radio 
Television.  During a February 5 meeting with the DCM, 
Khoram defended the move by explaining it as an 
attempt to counter Iranian and Pakistani assault on 
Afghan culture, and as his Ministry's prerogative in 
exercising managerial control over RTA. 
Media contacts also point to Parliamentarians, 
accusing them of beating journalists and of being 
unwilling to provide accurate and up-to-date 
information. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
EXAMPLES OF INTERFERENCE AND INTIMIDATION BY THE GOA 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
6.  (U) On April 8, the Attorney General's Office 
reportedly instructed local media outlet Lemar TV to 
cease transmissions of its Al Jazeera English 
programming.  According to Tolo TV President Saad 
Mohseni, the Ministry of Information and Culture, 
which issued the order, failed to provide reasons 
for this decision. 
 
7.  (U) In late February 2007, Ariana TV correspondent 
Fawad Ahmadi was arrested in Herat.  NDS officials 
allegedly deleted footage of a factory workers 
demonstration from Ahmadi's camera. 
 
8.  (U) On January 27, 2007 NDS officials detained 
Tolo TV News Director Sharif Hassanyar because he had 
conducted telephone interviews with a Taliban 
spokesperson whoses cell phone number was in 
Hassanyar's own phone.  He was not harmed, but NDS 
officials confiscated his cell phone during that time 
to monitor received calls.  Hassanyar was detained for 
29 hours.  No charges or legal grounds for his 
detention were even given. 
 
9. (U) The Afghanistan Independent Journalists 
Association also reports that one of its journalists, 
Tawak Miyazi, has recently been jailed for 
interviewing the new Taliban spokesperson,  following 
the arrest of former spokesman Mohammad Hanif.  AIJA 
is working to have Mr. Miyazi released, maintaining he 
was arrested for selling his interviews to 
international outlets such as Reuters and Agence 
France Presse. 
 
10.  (U) In March 2006, under direction from President 
Karzai, NDS officials detained four other senior staff 
members from Tolo TV.  Tolo TV President Saad Mohseni 
believed the arrests were connected to its broadcast 
of an interview with Taliban commander Mullah 
Sanauallah of Helmand, during which Sanauallah had 
made corruption and war crimes allegations against 
specific provincial and national government officials, 
including General Abdul Rashid Dostum and Vice 
President Khalili. 
 
11.  (U) In February 2006, radio journalist Abdul 
Qudus was arrested and detained for 10 months on false 
allegations that he had attacked Parliamentarian 
Sarmia Sardad.  Qudus was eventually released in 
January 2007. 
 
12.  (U) On June 18, 2006, the GOA circulated a 
document to media outlets imposing restrictions on 
media content, including: prohibitions on material 
that would create fear of terrorist organizations 
interviews with terrorists; reports which will create 
anxiety among the public; publication of fatwas issued 
by terrorists; negative stories and reports (no 
further definition of what constitutes "negative"); 
coverage which shows the armed forces as weak or 
 
KABUL 00001191  003 OF 004 
 
 
in a negative light; reports criticizing government 
policy regarding neighboring states.  Later that 
evening the document was withdrawn by then- 
Presidential Chief of Staff, Jawed Ludin, but was 
defended by President Karzai during a subsequent 
meeting with media. 
 
13.  (U) By the same token, the government has tried 
to intimidate media outlets into airing material 
portraying the government positively.  According to 
Tolo TV, on January 18, 2007 NDS provided footage and 
asked that Tolo air it.  Tolo refused to do so unless 
they had rights to edit or broadcast the footage only 
in part.  The GOA refused this request.  The footage 
was subsequently aired by Radio-Television 
Afghanistan, the government-run media outlet. 
 
14.  (U) According to media sources, NDS has banned 
all three issues of "The Mashal Weekly," a fairly new 
publication that is critical of the government. 
Critics of the paper have accused its Editor-in-Chief, 
Fazel Rahman, of being "Christian and a supporter of 
the U.S."  Rahman has also received threats and had 
his car stolen in the past year. 
 
15. (U) Journalists also report being pressured by 
jihadi leaders not to use the word "warlord" in their 
media coverage.  Jihadi leaders claim the term is now 
inappropriate, as they no longer use force and are 
part of the political process.  Media reports 
have surfaced in recent weeks that now use the term 
"strongmen" to refer to jihadi leaders.  (Note: 
Despite the concerns raised by media contacts, it is 
important to note that there are government leaders, 
including Parliamentarians, and in some cases Jihadi 
leaders who have been very supportive of free press in 
Afghanistan. Some warlords even support and fund media 
outlets.  End note.) 
 
--------------------- 
...AND BY THE TALIBAN 
--------------------- 
 
16.  (U) While the GOA accuses the media of 
facilitating, or cooperating too willingly with, the 
Taliban, Taliban elements themselves have also been a 
major source of threats to the media.  More disturbing 
than GOA intimidation of the media are continued 
physical attacks against journalists. 
 
17.  (U) On April 8, Taliban executed Afghan journalist Ajmal 
Naqshbandi who had been abducted last month with the Italian 
journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo (see para 19).  In 
response, Afghan journalists issued a statement on 
April 9 calling for a week-long boycott 
of all Taliban news reports.  Journalists reported 
receiving phone calls from Taliban members 
issuing threats against them for initiating the boycott 
and saying that journalists who refer to the Taliban 
as terrorists or insurgents in their coverage risk 
being captured and killed.  On April 10, a protest of 
over 200 people amassed near Serena Hotel decrying the 
execution of Naqshbandi and the government's failure 
to negotiate his release. 
 
18.  (U) On February 17, 2007, Rahman Qul, editor of 
Andkhoy Magazine, was attacked and killed by two armed 
motorcyclists.  Qul was a well-known journalist in 
Faryab Province.  Police reported to Pajhwok Afghan 
News Agency that Taliban elements were responsible for 
the murder and that they had arrested one suspect. 
 
19.  (U) According to the AIJA, in January the Taliban 
issued an open letter that threatened several 
journalists working throughout eastern Afghanistan and 
posted it on the AIJA office in Nangarhar.  Shortly 
 
KABUL 00001191  004 OF 004 
 
 
thereafter, there was an explosion in front of the 
Nangarhar home of one of the journalists mentioned. 
AIJA also reports two separate attacks against 
journalists in Laghman province that occurred in 
January 2007, one by insurgents and the second 
by local police.  (Note: According to AIJA, police 
claimed the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. 
End note.) 
 
20.  (U) On October 9, 2006, two German journalists 
were killed in Baghlan province.  Both international 
and Afghan journalists have decried the GOA's March 
2007 release of imprisoned Taliban officials in 
exchange for the freedom of Italian journalist Daniele 
Mastrogiacomo, who had been kidnapped by the Taliban. 
Journalists maintain that the deal reached with the 
GOA for Mastrogiacomo's freedom now puts them at 
greater risk of becoming Taliban targets. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
PUTTING THE GENIE BACK INTO THE BOTTLE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
21.  (U) In an April 5 meeting with the DCM, Minister 
Khoram maintained that he is perfectly happy to 
allow any and all criticism of the Afghan government; 
the issue, he said, is maintaining cultural norms 
and how to avoid fueling enemy propaganda,  and he 
asked for U.S. understanding on this score. Post, 
however, continues to receive contradictory 
perspectives about GOA tolerance of criticism against 
it.  In an April 5 meeting with POLOFF, Nader Nadery 
of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission 
(AIHRC) claimed that the AIHRC had received letters 
from Presidential Chief of Staff Daudzai, Supreme 
Court Chief Justice Azimi, and Farouk Wardak asking 
them to stop speaking publicly "against" the GOA. 
According to Nadery, these letters intimated that 
"free speech does not include criticism of the 
government".  Nadery also claimed that in early March 
he met with President of the Lower House Qanooni to 
raise concerns about the media law during which 
Qanooni asked him, "Is a free media really a good 
thing?" 
 
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COMMENT 
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22.  (U) The core issue here is a lack of mutually 
accepted rules of engagement between the media and 
the government in the context of an ongoing war whose 
outcome is by no means pre-determined. The Media Law 
- set to go before Parliament for final approval in 
the coming days - will be a key step to 
institutionalizing those rules of engagement.  Free 
press is a new concept for many in Afghanistan (where 
the historical pattern has featured violent 
conservative backlash against too rapid social 
liberalization).  Since the fall of the Taliban, 
Afghanistan's media has grown faster than Afghan 
cultural understanding of it can keep up. 
With the threat posed by the insurgency foremost 
on its mind, the GOA is equally fearful of the 
power of an unchecked media.  The GOA feels it has few 
allies in the media, controls only one outlet (RTA), 
and must resort to clumsy (and futile) efforts to put 
the free press genie back in the bottle.  Critics in 
the media, for their part, do not appear to 
acknowledge the fragility of free government in 
Afghanistan and the fact that if the Taliban takes 
over again, they will be the first to suffer.  This 
difficult but necessary debate is coming to a head 
with passage of the Media Law in the coming days 
(septel). 
NORLAND