VZCZCXRO0559
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0873 0961401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061401Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8285
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0776
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS KABUL 000873 
 
DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A 
DEPT PASS FOR AID/ANE 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS 
DEPT PASS OPIC 
DEPT PASS FOR TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP 
USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE 
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, AWELLER, AND MNUGENT 
COMMERCE FOR DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958 N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID ETRD ELTN PREL AF PK ID
SUBJECT: NO PROGRESS ON TRANSPORTING INDIAN WHEAT DONATION TO 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: A) State 22965  B) Kabul 505 
 
¶1. (SBU) EconCouns presented ref A demarche to Commerce Minister 
Shahrani, Deputy Commerce Minister Farhady, and Agriculture Minister 
Rahimi.  The consistent reply from all three was that the Afghans 
are making no progress is securing Pakistani cooperation on 
transshipping the Indian wheat donation through Pakistan.  As Rahimi 
put it, "When we solve one problem, they [the GOP] raise another." 
They said the GIRoA has essentially given up on persuading the GOP 
to cooperate and is now focused on transshipment through Iran. 
 
¶2. (SBU) We urged Afghan officials to consider the option of milling 
the wheat into flour, to address Pakistani phyto-sanitary concerns. 
The GIRoA would prefer to receive the Indian donation as grain, not 
flour, because they want to build up reserves, and grain can be 
stored longer than flour.  While officials agreed to consider our 
suggestion, they do not see stated Pakistani health concerns as the 
main issue. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Afghan officials said they are considering shipping at 
least 80,000 tons of the donation through the Iranian port of 
Chabahar.  Positive aspects of this option are that the Indian and 
Iranian governments support it, and Afghan trucks would be allowed 
to transport the grain from Chabahar.  Negative aspects are that it 
costs more (estimated $20 million vs $12 million for transshipment 
through Pakistan; GIRoA must absorb the transport cost whatever the 
route), takes longer than the Pakistan option should take, and 
leaves the grain in western Afghanistan, a long and insecure haul 
from eastern population centers.  Afghan officials admitted to all 
these drawbacks but said the Iran option is now the only feasible 
one available. 
 
RICCIARDONE