VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0320 1001912
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
P 091912Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4074
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0209

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR IO/UNP - S.EDMONDSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OFDP UN AF PREL
SUBJECT: U.S. CITIZEN SPOUSE OF AFGHAN DIPLOMAT REPORTS 
DOMESTIC ABUSE 
 
¶1. This message is unclassified but sensitive - please treat 
accordingly. 
 
¶2. USUN Host Country Law Enforcement Coordinator was recently 
contacted by NYPD regarding a report of domestic violence it 
received from Lalla Khan-Amin, the U.S. citizen wife of 
Afghan Mission Second Secretary Wahidullah Amin.  Ms. 
Khan-Amin is an attorney employed at the Saudi Arabian 
Mission to the UN.  Ms. Khan-Amin has twice filed police 
reports of domestic abuse against Mr. Amin; one for 
harassment, and one for stalking, neither of which is 
considered a felony. 
 
3, Ms. Khan-Amin stated in her February 4, 2008 report to the 
109th NYPD Precinct that her husband threatened to hit her, 
and told her in graphic detail how he was going to kill her. 
Ms. Khan-Amin has since left the marital home and has been 
staying with her parents.  Ms. Khan-Amin's April 2, 2008 
report to the 17th NYPD Precinct states that Mr. Amin 
forcefully grabbed her arm, and followed her into meetings at 
work, insisting that she return home and stating he would 
tell her boss she was a "worldly woman" and she would "get 
fired," and further saying "If you leave me I will kill you 
and I will kill myself."  Ms. Khan-Amin fears these threats 
are credible due to Mr. Amin's anger and his immunity from 
criminal jurisdiction. 
 
¶3. USUN Host Country Minister-Counselor and Host Country Law 
Enforcement Coordinator met with Ms. Khan-Amin  in the 
offices of the NY Commission for the UN on April 4, 2008. 
Ms. Khan-Amin further reported information concerning her 
husband's parents, who are apparently in the U.S. on A2 
visas.  She states that her father-in-law, Mohammad Amin, has 
also pressured her to return to her husband, and has made 
credible threats against her.  She stated also that both 
Mohammad and Wahidullah Amin have pressured her father, UN 
senior staff member Sarbuland Khan, to make her return to her 
husband's residence.  Ms. Khan-Amin has obtained an order of 
separation, but Mr. Amin refuses to sign it.  Ms. Khan-Amin 
has said she does not want the Department or USUN to request 
a waiver of Mr. Amin's immunity, as she fears if Mr. Amin is 
sent back to Afghanistan, his parents or other relatives in 
the U.S. will extract revenge and harm her. 
¶4. USUN Missoffs met with Mrs. Khan-Amin again on April 8, 
specifically in regard to an allegation that she made on 
April 4 that she had been raped by Mr. Amin before she was 
married and whether she would be prepared to bring that 
incident to the attention of local law enforcement.  It 
appears that she is not prepared at this time to go to the 
authorities with regard to any such incident. 
 
¶5. Host Country Minister-Counselor called in Afghan PermRep 
Ambassador Zahir Tanin later on April 8 and used the 
following Department-provided talking points with regard to 
the case: (1) USUN had been informed by NYPD of some very 
serious allegations against Mr. Amin made by his wife 
relating to harassment and stalking; (2) as a result she 
advised local authorities that they had separated; (3) there 
have been additional unreported allegations of violence as 
well; (4) the USG views these matters seriously and asks the 
PermRep's assistance so that there will be no more incidents 
of this nature; (5) because under US law acts of violence, 
stalking or even threats of violence are serious matters, 
diplomats may not engage in such actions and will be held 
accountable if they do; and (6) USUN appreciates the 
PermRep's understanding and assistance and requested the 
PermRep report back that he had spoken to Mr. Amin and that 
Mr. Amin understood what was expected of him. 
 
¶6. Ambassador Tanin thanked USUN for bringing this serious 
matter to his attention.  He said that Afghan diplomats in 
the United States have a special obligation to be good guests 
in this country, particularly as Americans are giving their 
blood and lives for his country's liberty.  He said that he 
was very surprised that Wahidullah Amin - "a calm and 
honorable young man" would have engaged in such activities, 
particularly as he was only recently married.  He said if the 
couple could not reconcile their differences, it was clear 
that Mr. Amin would have to step aside and not continue to 
engage his wife in any way that would be difficult for her or 
make trouble for the host country.  Ambassador Tanin promised 
to speak with Amin and report his conversation and Mr. Amin's 
understanding of it by telephone to USUN in the next days. 
Khalilzad