VZCZCXRO9984
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #2111 2110938
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300938Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0443
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS KABUL 002111 
 
DEPT FOR INL, INL/AP, SCA, AF 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL AF
SUBJECT:  AFGHANISTAN/COUNTERNARCOTICS:  ENGAGING THE PARLIAMENTARY 
CN CAUCUS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On 25 July, the Afghan Parliamentary 
Counternarcotics (CN) Caucus invited NAS Director to attend their 
weekly meeting with the International Republican Institute (IRI). 
This caucus, made up of members from seven members from both houses 
of parliament, was briefed on current INL CN programs. They urged 
more communication between parliament and the international donor 
community and asked that they be considered for training and 
conferences when available.  Although an ad hoc gathering, with only 
one member serving on a parliamentary CN committee, the caucus 
presented an opportunity to educate a part of Afghanistan's elected 
leaders on CN issues that has not heretofore engaged.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Afghan Parliamentary CN Caucus is an eleven member 
caucus, consisting of members from both houses who have an interest 
in CN issues; the caucus has been meeting weekly for nine months 
under the mentorship of IRI.  Of the members present on the 25th, 
only Urfanullah Urfan, a MP from Kabul (Tajik) is on the Wolesi 
Jirga Anti-narcotics Committee. He and the other members, 
Burhanullah Shinwari and Babrak Shinwari from Nangarhar (Pashtun), 
Azita Rafat from Baghis (Tajik), Ruqia Nial from Ghor (Hazara), 
Mawlawi Sayed Rahman from Laghman (Pashtun), and Sahaillah Sharifi 
from Khost (Pashtun), invited the NAS Director to the meeting to get 
a better idea of the current INL programs in country and to discuss 
the new CN strategy. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) During the meeting, they expressed their frustration with 
the lack of information from the international community on the size 
and scope of current CN programs.  They also commented that there 
was little in the way of parliamentary oversight of the Ministries 
of Interior and Counternarcotics on the programs and that their 
views and ideas were not being heard. NAS Director agreed that the 
International Community should work to keep the Afghan Parliament 
better informed.  He offered a brief overview of INL programs to 
include the Good Performer's Initiative (GPI), Counternarcotics 
Advisory Teams and work with the Counternarcotics Police. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The MPs emphasized their interest in being included in th 
CN program development process and expressed skepticism of the 
executive branch's sincerity with regards to CN issues or their 
capacity to oversee the money. They pointed to the Counter Narcotics 
Trust Fund (CNTF) and GPI as examples, claiming they had only seen 
reports for $2M of the reported $39M in awards. NAS director 
explained that the U.S. had stopped contributing funds to the CNTF 
two years ago, but that GPI oversight mechanisms appear robust. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The meeting concluded with a discussion of the new U.S. CN 
strategy.  NAS Director explained that the new strategy did not 
represent a lessening of U.S. will but rather an increase in 
resources, especially for agriculture assistance, public 
information, demand reduction, and interdiction. The MPs expressed 
satisfaction at this and noted that smuggling was a large problem 
that needed urgent attention. They concluded by requesting that NAS 
consider including MP CN caucus members when traveling to the 
provinces for CN public information events or internationally to 
conferences or trainings. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT:  While CN caucus members clearly appreciated the 
NAS brief, many ofheir comments showed a need for better engagement 
with the Afghan Parliament on CN issues. These interested 
parliamentarians could prove an asset from a public information 
perspective, especially now that the 2009 pre-planting campaign is 
underway.  The Embassy will continue to engage this group and work 
on devising ways to incorporate them into PI portions of its 
programs. 
 
EIKENBERRY