VZCZCXRO6970
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #3480 2841410
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111410Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0870
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4244
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 003480 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA.FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
OSD FOR KIMMETT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AF PREF
SUBJECT: IRANIAN FORCED REPATRIATIONS ANGER PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: A. REF A: KABUL 1605 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶B. REF B: KABUL 3386 
 
¶1. (U) During the October 8 session of Parliament's Lower 
House, incensed MPs once again accused the Iranian government 
of systematically mistreating Afghan refugees and 
unregistered migrants (REF A).  Media reports that 16 Afghan 
minors had recently been condemned to death by an Iranian 
court triggered MPs' anger.  They denounced a perceived 
Iranian policy of pressuring refugee departures and urged 
Tehran not to implement its rumored plans to expel 20,000 
Afghans within the next several weeks (REF B).  The next day, 
the Upper House drafted a letter to its Iranian counterpart 
requesting the expulsions be delayed on humanitarian grounds 
due to the onset of harsh winter weather. 
 
¶2. (U) Lower House members' indignation flared when Humaira 
Aka Khail, MP from Balkh province, alleged that the 16 
condemned minors, families would be compelled to purchase 
the rope by which their children would be hanged.  Ramazan 
Bashardost, MP from Kabul, charged that Iran had long 
restricted Afghan refugees to menial laboring jobs that 
Iranians refused to undertake.  Another Kabul MP, Mohammad 
Kabir Ranjbar, complained that Iran,s refugee expulsion 
plans are an insult to Afghanistan's national integrity and 
prestige.  He urged UN intervention to stop the expulsions. 
Other MPs took the opportunity to accuse Iran of meddling in 
Afghan politics.  Qazi Nazir Ahmad, MP from Herat province, 
which adjoins Iran, complained "we have border problems with 
all neighboring countries, especially with Iran."  Ghazni MP 
Khan Mohammad said our "security officials confirmed that 
Iran is interfering in Afghanistan, even as U.S. forces 
reported a year ago."  Mohammad and several other MPs called 
for a retributive cooling in the bilateral relationship. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment:  Afghans are too preoccupied with the 
insurgency and personal security worries to expend much 
concern on Iran's possible machinations against their 
interests.  Nevertheless, disagreements over forced 
repatriations, water rights, and Iran's gathering concerns 
about Afghanistan as source for narcotics and a possible 
haven for Baloch separatists will tend to feed tension in the 
bilateral relationship. 
 
WOOD