VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0020 0220858
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD20B473 UTS4392-695)
R 220858Z JAN 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8914
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0252
AFGHA/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0081
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1446

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000020 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL EUN NATO AF IR JA PK UN
SUBJECT:  NEW AFGHAN AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES FRIENDS GROUP, IAEA 
ISSUES 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Ambassador and DCM met with new Afghanistan ambassador 
Abdul Shoogufan on January 16 to discuss the Friends of Afghanistan 
Group, and UNODC and IAEA issues.  Shoogufan stressed that most of 
Afghanistan's problems have been imported from neighbors and spoke 
at length about the challenge of controlling porous borders that 
often bisect tribal and cultural groups.  He thanked the U.S. for 
all the sacrifices it had made for his country, and asserted that 
Afghanistan needs U.S. political, economic, and military support to 
deal with two "difficult" neighbors, Pakistan and Iran.  Asked about 
Iran's role on counter-drug issues, he expressed skepticism about 
Iran's regional role.  Shoogufan said that the Friends group 
provides opportunities to approach European states reluctant to 
provide military assistance to instead support institution-building 
in Afghanistan.  He also noted that Minister of Counternarcotics 
General Khodaidad, Deputy Minister of Interior General Daud Daud, 
who attended the Paris Pact meeting in December, would return for 
the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in March. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On IAEA issues, Shoogufan noted that the GOA had not 
officially endorsed either DG candidate.  Japan has been a major 
donor to Afghanistan in recent years, but Afghanistan would be 
pressured by fellow developing countries to support the South 
African candidate, Abdul Minty.  He said no decision had been made 
yet, but emphasized that Kabul looked positively on Amano's 
candidacy.  He didn't foresee any problems agreeing to a two-term 
limit for the DG, and agreed that the selection should be completed 
as quickly as possible to avoid the potentially distracting 
politicization of a prolonged campaign.  (Japan subsequently told us 
that Kabul has pledged their vote in writing.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Comment.  Shoogufan came across as clear-eyed and willing 
to challenge Iran on all aspects of Tehran's problematic regional 
role.  End Comment. 
 
Schulte