VZCZCXRO1100
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0865/01 0590852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280852Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8587
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//JF/UNMA//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J3//
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2282
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2489
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5617
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1123

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000865 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO (AMB MQUINN), SA/A, S/CR, SA/PAB, 
S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
OSD FOR BREZINSKI 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL PGOV PTER AF
SUBJECT: PRT/KABUL - AFGHANS REACTION TO LONDON 
CONFERENCE CAUTIOUSLY POSITIVE 
 
Ref:  (A) Kabul 000424  (B) Kabul 000526 
 
KABUL 00000865  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Reaction in Afghanistan to the 
London Conference has been largely positive, with 
a surprisingly high percentage of the population 
having heard of the results and impressed with the 
USD10.5 billion in pledges.  Significant 
skepticism remains, however, on the part of 
Afghans who doubt they will benefit individually 
from this aid, and it will take appropriate follow 
through on the part of the international community 
to allay these doubts.  End Summary. 
 
International/Local Media Coverage 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) International media, including APTN, 
Reuters, BBC, CNN, NBC, CBS, New York Times, 
Washington Post,  had full scale live coverage of 
the conference.   Most local TV and radio stations 
accompanied President Hamid Karzai and had live 
coverage of the conference.  Those that did not 
accompany also gave extensive coverage.  As a 
result, virtually 80 to 90% of Afghans know about 
the London Conference, the outcomes, and 
particularly the donation amounts.  An Afghan USAID 
Information Specialist Afghan) personally heard 
people remarking that "We didn't know the amount of 
donations after the Tokyo and Berlin meetings, but 
this time almost every single Afghan knows how much 
money was donated for Afghanistan in the London 
Conference." 
 
Expectations/mentality:Kabul 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The USD10.5 billion was clearly beyond 
local expectations.  Local radio and TV "man-on- 
the-street" interviews indicated that 50 to 60% of 
the people seem satisfied and happy with the 
results.  While pleased at the level of 
international commitments, the majority think that 
this USD10.5 billion USD will be spent 
in a similar manner as the Tokyo and Berlin 
donations were spent.  They expressed 
dissatisfaction with that process, which they regard 
as having focused on the construction of buildings 
in urban areas and on NGO's, and not fully addressing 
the systemic issues related to the country's economic 
infrastructure.  They tend to have little 
expectation that they will see major changes with 
respect to their own lives in the areas of 
security, corruption, and unemployment as a result 
of London.  They frequently wonder why the GoA 
does not build factories, dams, hydro-power, and 
other large-scale facilities that they believe 
would reduce the high unemployment rate. 
 
In the Countryside 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU) When we requested comments from AID and 
State officers stationed in the provinces, we 
 
KABUL 00000865  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
heard many of the same themes.  Local radio and 
television (limited to only the larger cities) had 
extensive coverage of London, especially of 
President Karzai's speech, and a high percentage 
of locals are aware of the general outcomes. 
However, governors and other local officials only 
mentioned it when prompted, and their reactions, 
while positive, were guarded.  There was some 
optimism about the Aid Effectiveness discussions 
in London that would, they believed, funnel more 
money through the GoA, and that they hoped would 
bring more funding and projects to the countryside, 
to their villages and to them individually. 
There was also general distrust of NGOs and their 
projects, and a wait-and-see attitude toward how 
the new pledges would play out. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment:  There is a general sense 
throughout the country that Afghans are nervous 
and/or afraid about their future. Many trust 
neither the GoA nor NGOs.  This is understandable; 
despite the significant funds already invested in 
Afghanistan, the abysmal state of the 
infrastructure after 27 years of conflict, the 
logistical difficulties of doing programs in the 
provinces, and the continuing insurgency have 
meant that what assistance has been delivered has 
been spread thinly.  Ten plus billion dollars, 
spent wisely, should help to allay some  of this 
skepticism.  This will be our focus as we work to 
implement the Afghanistan Compact.   End comment. 
 
¶6.  (U) Dushanbe minimize considered. 
 
 
NEUMANN