VZCZCXYZ0016
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0413 0042345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 042339Z JAN 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0000
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 000413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC AF
SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS FOR JANUARY 6 OPEN DEBATE ON UNAMA 
 
¶1. (U) USUN is instructed to pursue the objectives in 
paragraph 2 and draw from the points in paragraph 3 during 
the January 6 Security Council open debate on the UN 
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). 
 
¶2. (U) Objectives: 
 
-- Highlight the results of the U.S. Afghanistan-Pakistan 
strategic review 
-- Discuss the need for improved civilian assistance 
coordination 
-- Stress the need for increasing "Afghanization" of efforts 
 
¶3. (U) Begin points: 
 
Thank you, Mr. President. 
 
Let me begin by thanking Special Representative Kai Eide, not 
only for his briefing today, but for his tireless work over 
the past two years at the helm of UNAMA.  Your leadership has 
been essential to the international community's efforts in 
Afghanistan during this period. 
 
Mr. President, this is a crucial moment in Afghanistan. 
Following President Karzai's inauguration, the international 
community must move quickly to support the Government of 
Afghanistan as it, together with the Afghan people, presses 
forward on a bold agenda to halt the worrisome negative 
momentum of the past several years.  The situation in 
Afghanistan has deteriorated for too long, and now we must 
move with deliberate, urgent action to help the Afghans 
themselves turn things around. 
 
President Obama announced the completion of our own policy 
review on Afghanistan just over a month ago.  Our commitment 
to Afghanistan is enduring, and our objective remains 
unchanged: to disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat 
al-Qa'ida and to prevent their return to either Afghanistan 
or Pakistan.  In order to achieve this goal, the President 
has ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. 
They will target the insurgency, secure population centers, 
and train Afghan security forces.  Many of the 43 other 
members of ISAF have also announced troop increases. 
Together, we will partner with Afghan forces so that we can 
begin transferring security responsibility to the Government 
of Afghanistan by the summer of 2011. 
 
IF NEEDED ON CIVILIAN CASUALTIES: The United States places 
the highest priority on protecting civilian populations and 
avoiding injury and loss of life among Afghan civilians 
during operations against insurgents and terrorists.  To this 
end, we and our ISAF partners will continue coordinating as 
closely as possible with the Afghan National Security Forces. 
 We hope the ANSF will be able to take the lead on security 
matters throughout the country, as they have already done in 
parts of Afghanistan, as soon as possible. 
 
Our military efforts in Afghanistan must be joined by a 
corresponding intensification of our civilian programs.  Our 
civilian efforts will emphasize development of more 
responsive, visible, and accountable Afghan institutions at 
the provincial, district, and local levels, where Afghans 
have the most contact their government. We will also 
encourage and support the Government of Afghanistan's 
reinvigorated plans to fight corruption by using concrete 
measures of progress toward greater accountability. 
 
In order to achieve this, the United States is substantially 
increasing the numbers of civilian experts in Afghanistan, 
and we are on track to triple our civilian presence.  At the 
end of January 2009, we had 320 civilians on the ground in 
Afghanistan.  We expect that number to reach 920 by January 
2010 and we will achieve our target of just under 1,000 
civilians shortly thereafter.  Our civilians are partnering 
with Afghans over the long term to enhance the capacity of 
national and sub-national government institutions and to help 
rehabilitate Afghanistan's key economic sectors so that 
Afghans themselves can defeat the insurgents, who promise 
only more violence. 
 
Economic growth is critical for undermining extremists' 
appeal in the short term and for sustainable economic 
development in the long term. Our top reconstruction priority 
is implementing a civilian-military agriculture redevelopment 
strategy to restore Afghanistan's once vibrant agriculture 
sector. 
 
A key element of our political strategy will also be 
supporting Afghan-led efforts to reintegrate Taliban who 
renounce al-Qa'ida, lay down their arms, and engage in the 
constitutional political process. 
 
Mr. President, UNAMA plays a key role in the international 
community's civilian efforts in Afghanistan.  Its work on 
institution building and governance, security sector reform, 
and donor coordination are all central to our goal of 
empowering the Government of Afghanistan.  However, on one 
aspect of UNAMA's mandate, civilian coordination, there is 
broad consensus within the international community that our 
efforts need to be enhanced.  As the Secretary-General notes 
in his report, coordinating such a large array of national 
assistance programs with goals identified by the Government 
of Afghanistan is a substantial undertaking, for which UNAMA 
needs increased resources and support from member states.  We 
strongly echo his call for strengthened coordination, and 
support his proposal to bolster UNAMA with experienced staff 
from key donor countries.  The United States stands ready to 
support such a request with appropriate U.S. personnel. 
 
The success of UNAMA's mission also depends on its presence 
throughout the country.  In this regard, we note with 
satisfaction the continued progress in opening UNAMA's 
regional and provincial offices.  We are pleased that the 
Secretary-General's report affirms that, despite the brutal 
October 28 attack on the Kabul guesthouse, the UN remains 
committed to opening additional offices throughout 
Afghanistan in 2010.  We reiterate our full support for 
UNAMA's efforts to strengthen the security of UN personnel in 
Afghanistan.  We are open to working creatively with UNAMA to 
support these efforts. 
 
I also want to comment on elections, given the fact that 
Afghanistan's Constitution requires elections to be held this 
spring.  While we recognize the importance of adhering to the 
Constitution, we agree with the Secretary-General's 
observation that the 2009 Afghan presidential and provincial 
council elections exposed serious flaws in the Afghan 
electoral process.  We are committed to working with the 
Government of Afghanistan and the international community to 
address these shortcomings before future elections are held 
in Afghanistan. 
 
Looking ahead, the upcoming conference in London, co-chaired 
by Afghanistan, the UK, and the UN, will be an opportunity 
for the international community to demonstrate its support 
for the Government of Afghanistan's agenda, as outlined in 
President Karzai's inaugural address.  We also look forward 
to a spring conference in Kabul where the Government of 
Afghanistan will have the opportunity to present its more 
detailed plans and programs for achieving its ambitious 
goals. 
 
Mr. President, ultimately, success in our efforts in 
Afghanistan will require a shared understanding between the 
Government of Afghanistan and the international community on 
the need for dramatic action.  President Karzai's inaugural 
speech sent the right message about moving in a new 
direction, including his commitment to reintegration and 
reconciliation, improving relations with Afghanistan's 
regional partners, and steadily increasing the security 
responsibilities of Afghan security forces.  We must see 
action and progress.  We will be clear about our 
expectations.  We will encourage and reinforce Afghan 
Ministries, Governors, and local leaders who deliver for the 
people and combat corruption.  However, we will not reinforce 
those government and political leaders who are neither 
accountable nor acting in the service of the Afghan people 
and the state.  Furthermore, we will also focus our 
assistance in areas -- such as agriculture -- that can make 
an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people. 
 
Thank you, Mr. President. 
 
End points. 
CLINTON