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RR RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #2002/01 1521106
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 311106Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7175
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 8654
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 8008
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3323
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 5844
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 9805
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5545
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4286
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PINR ECON PK
SUBJECT: CODEL FEINGOLD MEETS WITH PPP CO-CHAIRMAN ASIF ZARDARI 
 
Classified by Ambassador Anne Patterson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  In a May 26 meeting with CODEL Feingold, Pakistan 
Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Zardari reaffirmed his support 
to combat terrorism, adding that the Pakistani people have to take 
ownership of this "struggle of ideas."  He pledged that the 
Government of Pakistan (GOP) will not negotiate with groups that 
harbor foreign fighters or conduct cross border attacks in 
Afghanistan.  Pakistan will negotiate from a position of strength, he 
continued.  "We will take no prisoners.  If we have to fight then we 
will fight."  Agreeing that something had to be done regarding the 
deposed judges, Zardari stated that the PPP will not accept 
reinstatement unless it is part of a broader constitutional package. 
Zardari blamed President Musharraf for the country's current economic 
woes and looks to persuade Musharraf to return power to the office of 
the Prime Minister.  "We want to walk him back, not lynch him back," 
Zardari concluded. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Senator Russ Feingold and the Ambassador met with Pakistan 
Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Zardari on May 26 at Zardari 
House in Islamabad. Senator Feingold began by expressing his 
condolences to Zardari, the PPP and the people of Pakistan for the 
loss of Benazir Bhutto.  Zardari remarked that the PPP was the first 
to recognize the threat that militant extremism poses to Pakistan, 
reiterating support for the War on Terror as something both nations 
have in common.  Democracy, Senator Feingold added, is the best way 
to combat extremism and those who oppose the rule of law.  According 
to Zardari, President Musharraf's suppression of democracy has led 
the people of Pakistan to feel that they have no ownership of the 
battle against extremism.  The people have to feel a part of this 
"struggle of ideas" he continued, citing PPP support for changing the 
name of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) to Pukhtonkhwa to 
better reflect the province's Pathan identity. 
 
¶3. (C) Reiterating that security remains a key U.S. concern in 
Pakistan, Senator Feingold asked Zardari about the status of on-going 
negotiations with tribal leaders.  Zardari reported that negotiations 
were one part of a multi-prong strategy to win the support of the 
people in the struggle against terrorism.  The Government of Pakistan 
(GOP) will not negotiate with groups that harbor foreign fighters or 
conduct cross border attacks in Afghanistan.  Those groups that 
continue to engage in terrorist and militant operations will be 
"jailed or eliminated," according to Zardari.  Pakistan will 
negotiate from a position of strength, he continued.  "We will take 
no prisoners.  If we have to fight then we will fight." 
 
¶4. (C) In response to the Senator's question regarding concerns over 
the ideological orientation of Saudi Arabia-financed madrassas in 
Pakistan, Zardari concluded that "there is no such thing as a 
moderate madrassa."  Adding that madrassas provide "guerrilla 
training from a young age," Zardari noted that the people of Pakistan 
are fatigued by the spread of extremism and are looking to the new 
government to intervene.  The GOP has begun to counter the threat 
from extremist madrassas but must invest more in alternative 
educational institutions. 
 
¶5. (C) Turning to domestic politics, Senator Feingold observed that 
differences within the governing coalition regarding the restoration 
of the judiciary remain a concern.  Zardari responded by explaining 
the background of the coalition, claiming that while the PPP could 
have formed a coalition without Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, it chose to do 
so in order not to "damage democracy."  Zardari claimed that Nawaz 
Sharif privately agreed to restore all judges except former Supreme 
Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry but backed away from the 
compromise for political reasons.  Zardari expressed dismay that 
Chaudhry publicly claimed that only Nawaz Sharif's PML-N had been 
helpful in his reinstatement; it was the PPP that ended his house 
arrest. 
 
¶6. (C) Agreeing that something had to be done regarding the deposed 
judges, Zardari stated that the PPP will not accept reinstatement 
unless it is part of a broader constitutional package.  Objecting to 
the fact that judges "never get prosecuted for their crimes," Zardari 
took issue with the fact that he was never given the opportunity to 
request bail during his eight years in prison.  "Judges should be 
judges," he continued, "not politicians." 
 
¶7. (C) In reference to Pakistan's deteriorating economic situation, 
Zardari blamed President Musharraf for not preparing the country for 
future growth.  He reported that not a single additional megawatt of 
power has been added to the national grid since 2000.  Zardari 
claimed that Musharraf's greatest economic contributions to Pakistan 
 
ISLAMABAD 00002002  002 OF 002 
 
 
are restricted to more cellphones, an increased demand for 
automobiles, and a few additional billionaires.  There has been no 
real decline in poverty in Pakistan, he concluded. 
 
¶8. (C) Zardari contends that future economic growth depends on 
political stability, faulting Musharraf for engaging in a costly 
"three front war" with Balochistan, India and Afghanistan.  Claiming 
to have a master plan for trade with India, Zardari proposed 
wide-scale trade liberalization with Pakistan's eastern neighbor.  He 
also supports investing more in the country's faltering agricultural 
sector, proposing to eventually trade wheat to Gulf states in 
exchange for oil. 
 
¶9. (C) Concluding with a discussion on the future of President 
Musharraf, Zardari contended that while Nawaz Sharif supports the 
President's impeachment, Zardari's aim is to "walk him out of 
office."  Zardari's goal is to persuade Musharraf to return power to 
the office of the Prime Minister.  "He (Musharraf) deserves a decent 
existence," Zardari concluded.  "We want to walk him back, not lynch 
him back." 
 
¶10. (U) CODEL Feingold did not clear this cable. 
 
PATTERSON