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 SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000455 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA AMBASSADOR QUINN, NSC FOR AHARRIMAN AND KAMEND 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/30/2016 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PGOV AF
SUBJECT: SENLIS COUNCIL- A GROWING PROBLEM TO GOA CN EFFORTS 
 
Classified By: ADCM ANGUS SIMMONS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Senlis Council, a self-described 
international drug policy think tank recently released a 
"research" report on poppy eradication. The report concludes 
that eradication will cause irreparable damage to 
reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan. 
Accordingly, the Council is planning multiple initiatives to 
hinder eradication efforts. The GOA is upset by the Council's 
recent actions and the Ministry of Interior has drafted a 
letter reminding the Council of Afghanistan's Constitution 
and laws that make opium cultivation illegal and call for 
eradication of the same. The letter informs the Senlis 
Council that as long as it conducts business in Afghanistan 
it must abide by these laws. The Council's initiatives 
complicate GOA CN efforts and send confusing and potentially 
dangerous messages to farmers, government officials and 
Parliamentarians. The GOA has indicated that it is ready to 
take action to curtail the damage that the Council may cause. 
The US and UK support the GOA's efforts to rein in the Senlis 
Council. End Summary. 
 
2.(U) On January 23, the Senlis Council, a self-described 
international drug policy think tank, released a "research" 
report on poppy eradication in Afghanistan. As stated in the 
Council's January 23 press release the report concludes that 
poppy eradication is destructive and if eradication 
strategies are pursued irreparable damage to reconstruction 
and development efforts in Afghanistan will occur. 
 
¶3. (C) Senlis Council has announced in its press release it 
would take three actions to combat eradication. First, the 
Council has drafted a law prohibiting eradication of poppy in 
Afghanistan and is reportedly planning to meet with the 
Afghan Parliament to propose the new law and lobby for its 
passage. UNODC reports that members of the Senlis Council 
have met with Parliament Speaker Qanooni and provided airline 
tickets to Parliament members to utilize for travel to London 
for the upcoming Afghan Post Bonn conference (January 31 and 
February 1) and have provided briefcases and book bags with 
the Senlis Council logo to select Parliamentarians. 
 
¶4. (U) Second, the Council has announced the launch of a 
Farmer's Defense Fund, allegedly established to provide 
assistance to farmers who are victims of forced eradication. 
Reportedly, the fund will offer legal assistance to farmers 
in the event of an arrest, offer financial support to 
families of imprisoned farmers, help farmers to take legal 
action against those responsible for eradication of their 
crops and assist farmers in obtaining support for the 
development of alternative livelihoods. 
 
¶5. (U) Third, the Council has also announced that it will 
sponsor the April 2006 Farmer's Jirga in Kabul. The Council 
is inviting provinces to send a farmer representative to 
attend the jirga "to become part of the debate and discussion 
regarding drug policy in Afghanistan." 
 
¶6. (C) Embassy Kabul's Counter Narcotics Task Force (CNTF) 
Director Doug Wankel has met with the British Embassy Drugs 
Team (BEDT) to discuss the Senlis Council's recent actions. 
Both the Embassy and the BEDT agree that the Senlis Council 
is becoming a problem for the Government of Afghanistan's CN 
programs. Discussions about the Council have also been held 
with Minister Qaderi of the Afghan Ministry of Counter 
Narcotics (MCN), who has advised that the GOA is also 
concerned and is taking action. Minister Qaderi said that a 
letter has been drafted by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to 
inform the Senlis Council about the Afghan Constitution's 
position on the elimination of opium cultivation and cites 
the relevant GOA laws that make opium illegal and call for 
eradication of the same. Minister Qaderi advises the Embassy 
that the letter will tell the Senlis Council that it is 
expected to abide by the GOA constitution and laws while 
conducting business in Afghanistan. Minister Qaderi said once 
the letter is delivered (circa the first week of February), 
the GOA will monitor the Senlis Council's activities and will 
take appropriate action if the GOA feels that the Council is 
violating Afghan law or its constitution. 
 
¶7. (C) Minister Qaderi said he expects to "run into" the 
Senlis Council representatives while he is attending the Post 
Bonn conference in London (January 31-February 1) and will 
inform them of Afghanistan's displeasure with their program 
as described in the January 23 press release. 
 
¶8. (C) Comment: The Senlis Council and its actions are 
becoming a problem for the GOA's CN program. The Council's 
initiatives not only complicate the GOA's CN efforts, but 
send confusing and potentially dangerous signals to farmers, 
government officials and Parliamentarians. The GOA has 
indicated that it is time to take action to curtail the 
damage that the Council can cause if left unchecked. The US 
and UK Embassies will continue to support the GOA in its 
efforts to rein in the Senlis Council. End Comment. 
NORLAND