VZCZCXRO8595
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #3251/01 2041030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231030Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1465
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2687
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6154
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1515
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2830
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003251 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CR, EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR HARRIMAN 
OSD FOR BREZEZINSKI 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EAID SOCI AF
SUBJECT: PRT/BAMYAN: DONORS NONCOMMITAL IN MEETING FOR 
BAMYAN RECONSTRUCTION 
 
Summary 
-------- 
¶1. (U) Afghan Minister of Urban Development Pashtun 
and Provincial Governor Sarabi hosted a donors 
meeting on Bamyan reconstruction July 12.  The 
government defined its preference for the way ahead in 
broad terms, and made a pitch for international 
assistance.  Donors outlined their current assistance 
programs, but did not commit to future funding.  The 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to coordinate a 
follow-on conference in Kabul to provide greater 
specifics, possibly in the early fall.  End Summary. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
¶2. (U) The July 12 Donors Meeting on Bamyan 
Reconstruction was hosted by Minister of Urban 
Development Yusuf Pashtun, and Provincial Governor 
Habiba Sarabi, with participation by Deputy Minister 
of Foreign Affairs Saiqal, Deputy Minister of Urban 
Development Djallazada, and Deputy Minister of Public 
Works Dr. Safari.  The donor community included Dutch 
Ambassador Martin de la Bey, French Ambassador Regis 
Koetschet, Japanese Charge Motohiko Koto, USAID Chief 
of Staff Philip Gary and Indian representative Sandeep 
Kumar as well as representatives from NZ PRT, JICA, 
UNAMA, and UNESCO. 
 
GOA Outlines Aim, But Not How to Get There 
------------------------------------------ 
¶3. (SBU) Governor Sarabi stressed that Bamyan, unlike 
other parts of the country, has the necessary 
prerequisites (stability and peace) for development 
and reconstruction to flourish.  She emphasized that 
the way ahead for Bamyan is the tourism sector 
(domestic and international), and she noted the 
importance of improving roads within the province. 
The Governor did not pass up the opportunity to 
criticize what she perceived were lower levels of 
international assistance for Bamyan than other 
provinces.  She took particular aim at USAID, 
reminding the audience that the Afghan National Police 
(ANP) need a permanent center for training.  (Note: 
The ANP in Bamyan are currently being trained in a 
Regional Police Center adjacent to the PRT funded by 
INL and managed by the New Zealand police.  USAID is 
uninvolved in police training activities.  End Note.) 
 
¶4. (U) Minister Pashtun reiterated the Governors 
comments on the prominence tourism must play in the 
reconstruction of Bamyan.  He also praised the work of 
the PRT, and indicated that he wanted comprehensive 
urban development for Bamyan and not just home 
construction.  Ironically, his Ministrys funds (half 
a million dollars) have been pledged for exactly this. 
 
Bamyan Urban Plan - Assistance Requested 
---------------------------------------- 
¶5. (U) In a nutshell, the Bamyan Urban Plan is the 
GOAs vision for moving many of the buildings in 
Bamyan to a site (Dashte-Esse-Khan) approximately two 
kilometers south of the NZ PRT.  The idea is to bring 
together government offices, residences, school 
buildings and parks in one location, helping to 
preserve the cultural heritage of Bamyan by 
restricting expansion in areas close to the World 
Heritage Sites. 
 
¶6. (U) The GOA acknowledged that a great deal of work 
is required in order to turn the Bamyan Urban Plan, 
which is currently just a blueprint, into a reality. 
The governments first priority related to this 
 
KABUL 00003251  002 OF 002 
 
 
this 
project is to detail the associated costs.  Second, 
Governor Sarabi requested individual donors address 
discrete elements of the plan, such as water, energy 
and sanitation assistance.  Third, she indicated that 
the provincial government wished to establish a Bamyan 
Trust Fund for the development of the province, which 
would require technical expertise as well as an 
Administrator, preferably the World Bank.  Finally, 
she welcomed international participation on the Board 
of Directors, once a trust is established. 
 
Donors Reference Current Programs - No New Commitments 
Yet 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
---- 
¶7. (U) Following this pitch by the government, 
Japanese Charge Koto, Indian Representative Sandeep 
Kumar, and Dutch Ambassador de la Bey outlined some of 
their governments programs within Afghanistan, and 
Bamyan province specifically.  USAID Chief of Staff 
Philip Gary stated that this fall, USAID will commence 
a nationwide capacity building project worth 200 
million dollars over the next four to five years. 
Donors, however, did not commit to a timeline for 
future funding of the Bamyan Urban Plan. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Prior to departing Bamyan July 12, the donors 
met independently to discuss the GOAs presentations. 
The most frequently expressed refrain was concern 
about unaddressed issues by the government, many of 
which could be costly, such as site preparation of a 
scree slope, a lack of water points requiring piping 
water from a nearby village, and the relocation of the 
present airfield to a site 25 kilometers away. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Many of the donors accepted the argument that 
attention/assistance should be provided for Bamyan 
along the lines of a peace dividend for good 
behavior, but did not appear convinced that this 
particular project deserved support.  As the French 
Ambassador commented, the plan seems far removed from 
reality. UNAMA Acting Head of Office Christine Kuhn 
requested that donors express their concerns about the 
he 
Bamyan Plan directly to the relevant ministries, 
especially Urban Development, if they hoped to modify 
the current plan into something more realistic. 
 
Donor Community Remains Hesitant 
-------------------------------- 
¶10. (SBU) Comment: Governor Sarabi expressed high 
hopes to PRToff on July 17 that the donors conference 
would be a big break in the ice with donors, 
enabling them to begin supporting the Urban Plan.  The 
GOAs vague outline of the Urban Plan, especially 
costs, appears unlikely to break that ice.  Donors may 
be more receptive to the plan, however, should the GOA 
provide a more realistic, detail-oriented discussion 
in a follow-on conference scheduled tentatively for as 
early as this fall.  The GOA will also have an 
opportunity to make its case to donors at an upcoming 
UNESCO conference August 2-3 outlining plans for the 
cultural protection of the Bamyan World Heritage 
Sites. 
 
NORLAND 
AND