This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 000116 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2035 
TAGS: MOPS PREL SNAR AF
SUBJECT: KARZAI DISSATISFIED; WORRIES ABOUT NEWSWEEK; PLANS 
MORE WAR AGAINST NARCOTICS 
 
Classified By: AMB RONALD E. NUMANN FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  President Karzai is flailing at Newsweek 
for writing that one of his brothers is a drug dealer. 
Karzai will make a new push on narcotics eradication.  The 
President criticized our announcing the withdrawal of U.S. 
forces after NATO comes in.  This suggests he has had 
negative feedback since our initial conversation where he 
was more relaxed.  He once again claimed he was moving on 
the removal of the governor of Oruzgan  He is concerned 
about the disarmament of legal groups, feeling that there 
is talk but no substance.  He is right.  We will meet again 
on this next month.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) President Karzai met with the Ambassador Neumann 
and UK Ambassador Marsden January 9.  His main topic of 
conversation was the recent Newsweek story accusing his 
brother, Ahmed of being a narcotics trafficker.  Karzai 
asked both U.S. and British intelligence whether they had 
any evidence to back that up and repeated the question to 
the ambassadors.  We all said that we had numerous rumors 
and allegations to the effect that his brother is corrupt 
and a narco-trafficker but that we have never had clear 
evidence that one could take to court.  Karzai fulminated, 
talked about taking the case to court for libel. 
Ambassador Neumann made the point that there are two 
issues; one legal, but the other is political and the 
President needs to deal with both. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Although originally comfortable with our decision 
to announce a withdrawal of troops in the south after NATO 
expands, Karzai is now getting less comfortable.  He said 
the announcement was a mistake and should have been held 
longer.  He complained that we do not consult on the 
tactics in detail before we make announcements.  He did not 
seem too worked up about this and I think this is more a 
reflection of Karzai's nervousness about whether weQll have 
the will to fight than a real problem with our withdrawal. 
His concern came in the context of a newspaper story in 
radical papers that the governor of Helmand was removed 
because of UK pressure.  This makes the Karzai government 
look like a puppet of the British -- an old story in 
Afghanistan -- and has got him rather worked up. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Karzai asked Ambassador about his trip to 
Oruzgan and the bomb near him.  Ambassador said 
that all of our people believed the governor and 
the police chief should be replaced; they are 
detrimental to security and our military and State 
people in the PRT said they would prefer to forego 
new aid in the province until the governor is gone. 
Karzai seemed more serious than in our last conversation 
about removing Governor Jan Mohammed.  He said he 
has decided to appoint him to be the head of security 
for the Kandahar-Herat Road.  Comment: Jan Mohammed 
likes to fight more than to govern.  Security is going 
to be needed and this may work well. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Disarmament of illegal groups:  (DIAG) Karzai 
worried that there is talk but no real policy.  Ambassador 
told him the new director of DIAG, Deputy Minister 
Nuristani is not sure of his political support.  Karzai 
exclaimed, "how could that be?  The minister of defense has 
full authority to back him," etc. (but did not bother to 
note that Nuristani has not yet had a meeting with the 
President who has characterized Nuristani as not good 
but the best we had).  Karzai said that he wanted to 
come back to work on the DIAG subject with new seriousness. 
Neumann noted questions among Afghans as to whether the 
government is serious about DIAG since many in the 
government are accused of having their own ties to 
illegal armed groups.  Karzai admitted this was a problem 
but was focused more on questions about whether the U.S. 
was seriously fighting terrorism because of Pakistan and so 
turned the question back on us as to seriousness.  In any 
event, he agreed that the DIAG strategy would be a major 
subject of discussion in the security coordination forum 
after London.  This will give some time for the new head of 
DIAG and the international community to pull together and 
set some solid plans in front of the President.  Comment: 
Ambassador recently called on new DIAG head Nuristani and 
reviewed DIAG with the Minister of Interior (septels).  We 
are consulting with the UK, UN and will be talking to the 
Japanese who are very involved.  A lot of work is necessary 
but the political will starts with Karzai. 
 
NORLAND