VZCZCXRO1656
PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1709/01 1900902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080902Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4643
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0650
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001709 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A 
DEPT PASS AID/ANE 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR GERBER AND KLEIN 
DEPT PASS OPIC FOR ZAHNISER 
DEPT PASS TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP 
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
TREASURY FOR LMCDONALD, ABAUKOL, BDAHL, AND MNUGENT 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
COMMERCE FOR DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL PHUM ENRG EAIR AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN - JCMB VIII welcomes SRSG Kai Eide, 
restructures JCMB, hears GIRoA Plans for ANDS Implementation and ANA 
Increase 
 
¶1. Summary.  On July 6, the eighth meeting of the Joint Coordination 
and Monitoring Board (JCMB-VIII) welcomed the co-chairmanship of Kai 
Eide, the newly-arrived Special Representative of the UN Secretary 
General.  Minister of Finance (MOF) Ahady announced the Government 
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) plan for Afghanistan 
National Development Strategy (ANDS) implementation, in which the 
MOF will budget for ANDS and coordinate among ministries and the 
Ministry of Economy will assess projects and monitor implementation. 
 To support implementation of the ANDS, Eide proposed restructuring 
the JCMB into three standing committees that would create ad hoc 
task forces to tackle specific problems.  In addition, UNAMA will 
increase its staff to better coordinate International Community (IC) 
assistance.  Minister of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak, with the 
support of the U.S., called for the JCMB in autumn to approve an 
increase in the ANA authorized strength from 80,000 to 122,000 
troops.  End summary. 
 
Opening Statements and Themes 
 
¶2. On July 6, JCMB Co-Chairs, Professor Ishaq Nadiri, GIRoA Senior 
Economic Advisor to President Karzai, and Ambassador Kai Eide, the 
Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and the head 
of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA), 
opened JCMB VIII, which followed on the successful Afghanistan 
Support Conference in Paris, France, on June 12. Eide said that the 
International Community (IC) cannot continue "business as usual on 
automatic pilot" or it risks losing the support of the Afghan 
people.  Building on the Paris Declaration, the IC needs to increase 
aid effectiveness.  Nadiri said that President Karzai has formed a 
group under his leadership to implement the commitments that the 
GIRoA made at Paris, such as fighting corruption with a new draft 
anti-corruption law approved by the Afghan cabinet that morning for 
submission to parliament. 
 
ANDS Implementation Structures 
 
¶3. In announcing new GIRoA implementation structures, Minister of 
Finance (MOF) Anwar ul-haq Ahady renewed GIRoA commitments made at 
Paris to increase revenue, support market economy institutions, and 
fight corruption.  Under the leadership of the Cabinet Oversight 
Committee (OSC), composed of the Senior Economic Advisor and seven 
economic ministers.  MOF will integrate ANDS priorities with the 
GIRoA budget, while the Ministry of Economy (MOE) will evaluate 
individual projects and monitor implementation.  All delegations 
supported a strong role for the MOF in the ANDS implementation 
process. 
 
UNAMA's Proposals for JCMB Strengthening 
 
¶4. Turning to the role of UNAMA and the task of strengthening the 
JCMB's support for ANDS implementation, Eide outlined a new JCMB 
structure.  Replacing the JMCB's quarterly meetings and extensive 
consultative committee and working groups would be three new 
standing committees aligned with the Afghan Compact's three pillars 
of security, governance, and economic development.  The only 
permanent standing committee members would be the co-chairs, with 
UNAMA representing the IC.  Depending on the issue, the co-chairs 
would select members for an ad hoc task force for rapid and 
flexible, delivery-oriented decisions, a structure described as 
"variable geometry."  Most delegations supported this new structure, 
while Germany expressed concern about exclusivity and suggested that 
only the JCMB plenum could make decisions.  Supported by the 
Canadian Ambassador, who distinguished between "implementing 
countries," and only "interested countries," Eide defended the 
proposed structure as avoiding the slowness that characterized the 
old rigid structure.  Eide also announced that UNAMA would increase 
its staff to better support IC assistance coordination. 
 
¶5. During the discussion, delegations warmly welcomed GIRoA's pledge 
 
KABUL 00001709  002 OF 002 
 
 
of renewed anti-corruption efforts.  In response to some delegations 
pointing out that the Compact Benchmarks and the ANDS timeline were 
not synchronized, Nadiri committed the GIRoA staff to present an 
integrated report to the next JCMB meeting.  Ambassador Wood called 
for a strong MOF role in ANDS implementation with clear priorities, 
not just a series of projects. 
 
Follow Up to Paris Declaration Commitments 
 
¶6.  Following up on MOF Ahadi's opening remarks, Dr. Fahim Wardak on 
Karzai's Palace staff detailed President Karzai's recent decision to 
set up a new Palace structure for fulfilling Paris Declaration 
commitments and implementing the ANDS.  A small technical task force 
is working on strengthening democracy, fighting corruption, and 
promoting investment in infrastructure. 
 
ANA to Propose Increase to 122,000 
 
¶7. Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak provided a compelling 
rationale for increasing the ANA authorized strength from 80,000 to 
122,000 (with an additional training pool) over the years to 2012. 
The Taliban were stronger, better trained and better equipped than 
expected.  A larger ANA would allow them to not just "clear" 
territory of Taliban, but to "hold and build" as well. 
 
¶8.  Ambassador Wood called the ANA a success story, noting that it 
has exceeded its recruitment, training and performance goals. He 
pointed to its expulsion of the Taliban from the Arghandab valley 
near Kandahar as an example of its rapid growth in capabilities. 
The goal is to develop the ANA into an organization able to sustain 
Afghanistan's own defense.  The World Bank representative noted that 
while increasing the ANA would have budget implications, a secure 
environment is necessary for economic development.  The Indian 
ambassador also supported ANA expansion.  Kai Eide closed the 
discussion by promising an extended discussion of ANA expansion in 
autumn 2008 in the JCMB format. 
 
 
WOOD