VZCZCXRO6274
OO RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0259 0311455
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311455Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2618
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//JF/UNMA//
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS KABUL 000259 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, 
NSC FOR WOOD 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-82, POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF
SUBJECT: HEZBI-ISLAMI RECRUITING 
 
REF: 07 Kabul 4179 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Over the past two months, members of 
Hezbi-Islami-Afghanistan's (HIA) Executive Committee have visited 
provincial officials and party faithful in Kunduz and Laghman 
provinces to discuss plans for the region.  In meetings with the 
PRTs they claimed that provincial officials (including the 
governors) had "welcomed" their presence.  HIA representatives 
claimed that they had registered as an official political party in 
Laghman and opened an office in Mehtarlam, Laghman's provincial 
capital.  Further north, HIA is considering establishing party 
shuras (councils) in Kunduz, Takhar and Baghlan.  HIA 
representatives affirmed their support for a democratic government 
in accordance with the Afghanistan constitution and disavowed any 
current contact with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.  Endorsing conflict 
resolution through peaceful means, representatives stated that "war 
cannot finish a war" and urged a political accommodation with the 
insurgents.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Over the last two months HIA Executive Committee Members 
Mawlawi Janbaz Sarferaz, Head of Recruitment, and Sayed Rahman from 
Logar Province, accompanied by local party members, called on PRTs 
Mehtarlam (Laghman Province) and Kunduz to introduce themselves.  In 
each province they also met with the Governor, the local chief of 
the National Directorate for Security, and the police chief to 
discuss their activities.  They asserted to the PRTs that local 
officials in both provinces had welcomed them to their provinces and 
"supported" their work.  The purpose of their visits was to meet 
with party members and to organize a formal party structure in 
preparation for the 2009 presidential elections.  Depending on 
interest in the provinces, HIA may establish an office (existing 
offices are in Kabul, Herat, Nangarhar and Nimroz) or a shura 
(existing shuras are in Laghman, Khost, Badghis and Ghor). 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sarferaz presented HIA as a legitimate political party 
seeking to mobilize and organize its base.  He affirmed the party's 
support for a democratic government in accordance with the 
Afghanistan constitution.  He expected the party's lack of 
discrimination and anti-corruption stance to appeal to the 
population, especially the youth.  However, when pressed on the 
question, it was difficult for him to outline a compelling party 
platform other than a simple statement on peace and reconstruction 
based on Islam. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Sarferaz stated that HIA was in a unique position to work 
with the insurgents and bring them into the government.  He planned 
to stress to the party faithful the pacific nature of the party and 
encourage them to support reconstruction efforts.  Sarferaz admitted 
that HIA faced an uphill struggle convincing ordinary Afghans that 
the group supports the government.  He stressed to both PRTs that 
HIA had severed ties with Hekmatyar and the military wing of the 
party.  When asked whether Hekmatyar supported suicide attacks, he 
claimed that while Hekmatyar had been against them, he did not know 
Hekmatyar's current stance. 
 
WOOD