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UNCLAS USNATO 000313 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR AF
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM AFGHANISTAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE WARDAK 
 
¶1. (SBU)  On Sunday, August 30, 2008 the Afghan Minister of 
Defense, General Rahim Wardak, circulated a letter to the 
NATO Secretary General on the issue of civil casualties, 
improving coordination between international and Afghan 
security forces and the Government of Afghanistan's desire to 
re-examine documents governing the status of international 
forces. The Secretary General circulated this letter to 
Allies on September 1. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The Secretary General noted that these issues would 
be among the items addressed by Minister Wardak during his 
briefing to the North Atlantic Council in ISAF format on 
September 4, 2008.  The text of the Wardak letter follows: 
 
 
¶3. (SBU)  As you are aware, military operations which 
repeatedly result in civilian casualties place at risk the 
success of our joint mission and jeopardize the popular 
support which is an undeniable requirement for our victory. 
 
Over the past several years, the Afghan side has tried 
repeatedly to negotiate ways and means of limiting the risk 
and reducing the consequences of these unfortunate incidents. 
 
Unfortunately, civilian fatalities during operations, 
air-strikes in populated areas, the uncoordinated searching 
of private homes and the detention of innocents have all 
continued.  This has had an adverse affect upon the support 
of the Afghan people for their government and for 
international forces.  Afghans from across the country, 
particularly from the East and South, have frequently come to 
the president to strongly voice their grievances. 
 
Once again the Foreign Minister and I have been directed by 
the President and the cabinet (Presidential Decree no. 26 
dated 25 August) with the expressed support of both houses of 
the parliament to establish procedures to address these 
grievances and to ensure closer cooperation and better 
coordination between international forces and the security 
forces of the sovereign government of Afghanistan. 
 
The cabinet has announced the Government of Afghanistan's 
desire to re-examine the documents governing the status of 
international forces.  I hope that we can develop a 
comprehensive Status of Forces Agreement which better 
reflects our current situation and mutual interests.  The 
existing agreements were negotiated before Afghanistan had an 
elected government, and when our security institutions were 
on the verge of their creation.  Also we must review and 
revise our procedures to affect operational coordination, 
especially for air-strikes in populous areas, house searches 
and detentions. 
 
The involvement of the ANSF in all phases of operations, to 
include planning, execution, and post-operational assessment 
and exploitation is also essential.  Finally, we must create 
a standing combined investigative body to pursue incidents, 
allegations of misconduct and to present a united face on the 
information which the investigations reveal. 
 
We strongly believe that with good cooperation and with some 
adjustments, we can continue the pursuit of our mutual 
objectives. Failure to address these serious concerns damages 
our prospects for success. 
 
I therefore ask for your prompt consideration of this request. 
 
Signed 
 
Abdul Rahim Wardak 
Minister of National Defense 
 
 
End Cable Text. 
VOLKER