VZCZCXRO9948
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0934/01 1050512
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150512Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8388
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000934 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER KDEM AF
SUBJECT: WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS SPEAK OUT ON TALIBAN AND 
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES; WELCOME U.S. NEUTRALITY POLICY 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  Women parliamentarians discussed with SRAP 
Holbrooke and CJCS Admiral Mullen their concerns regarding 
the Shia Family Law (septel), Taliban influence and civilian 
casualties.  They welcomed Holbrooke's statement that the 
U.S. neither supports nor opposes any candidate, including 
President Karzai, and will work with GIRoA, opposition 
candidates, the UN and other international supporters of 
Afghanistan to conduct free and fair elections on a level 
playing field.  The women spoke strongly on civilian 
casualties, contending that Coalition Forces often relied on 
poor information, or even misinformation, in moving against 
suspected insurgents.  ADM Mullen assured the MPs the U.S. 
regretted the deaths of any civilians and was continually 
seeking ways to improve coordination and avoid such 
incidents. 
 
---------------------- 
Quiet on Election Race 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Pro-government and opposition parliamentarians 
participated in the roundtable.  SRAP Holbrooke explained to 
the MPs that the USG neither supports nor opposes any 
candidate, including President Karzai, and will work with the 
GIRoA, opposition candidates, the UN and other international 
supporters of Afghanistan to conduct free and fair elections 
on a level playing field.  Most of the group demurred from 
indicating support or opposition to Karzai.  However, vocal 
MPs Nasima Niyazi (Helmand, Pashtun) and Shah Gul Rezai 
(Ghazni, Hazara) spoke out: Niyazi credited Karzai with 
"opening our eyes and educating us," while Rezai maintained 
Karzai's government had failed to follow through in 
delivering basic services: "they could have done much more, 
but they did not."  After the roundtable, some opposition MPs 
told us they could not speak freely in front of those MPs 
with strong ties to Karzai for fear of retribution. 
 
-------------------- 
Who are the Taliban? 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Regarding indigenous support for the Taliban, one MP 
asserted people supported the dominant force in the 
community, whether government forces or the Taliban.  Their 
posture was driven by fear and a desire for security, adding, 
"We don't have justice in this country."  MP Niyazi echoed 
this, declaring that five Helmand districts were outside of 
government control.  Poor border security, she observed, 
allowed Taliban to cross over with impunity and intimidate 
local communities.  Niyazi said the Taliban leadership was 
Pakistani while many followers were impoverished young 
Afghans recruited by Taliban leadership through offers of 
food and money, and sometimes threats against their families. 
 She noted Pakistan militant Baitullah Mehsud had even 
visited Helmand once.  She urged a policy of Coalition Forces 
(CF) targeting the leadership while GIRoA reconciled the low 
or mid-level Afghan Taliban.  MP Rezai protested, saying that 
talk of reconciliation worried many people - especially 
women.  "How can you tell who is a 'moderate' Taliban? And 
what is a 'moderate' Taliban?"  Shukria Paikan Ahmadi 
(Kunduz, Uzbek) said armed Taliban moved about freely in 
Kunduz, while the military seemed unwilling to confront them, 
preferring to intimidate civilians. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
Civilian Casualties: Damage to Afghan public support for 
Coalition Forces 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The women agreed that civilian casualties resulting 
from operations by CF had taken a serious toll on the 
public's trust in its government and support for CF efforts. 
A number of MPs contended they saw no coherent CF 
counterinsurgency strategy in recent years.  Too many 
innocent people had died, either through CF's carelessness or 
a tendency "to believe information from bad sources."  Dr. 
Galafi Safi (Balkh, Pashtun) was one of many MPs who had a 
story about a community member who had been targeted by CF, 
based on informants with a personal or political grudge.  MP 
Shekeba Matin Hashimi (Kandahar, Pashtun) raised an issue 
that resonated with many of the parliamentarians - the need 
for CF to conduct operations with attention to and respect 
for local culture.  Even inadvertent insults and injuries 
could spark a desire for revenge on the behalf of families or 
even entire communities.  ADM Mullen assured the 
parliamentarians that the U.S. took this issue very seriously 
and deeply regretted any loss of civilian life.  He stressed 
that the U.S. and ISAF were continually seeking ways to 
coordinate with Afghan National Security Forces and local 
authorities to avoid civilian casualties. 
 
 
KABUL 00000934  002 OF 002 
 
 
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