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VZCZCXRO8092 OO RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHIL #3418 3031328 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 291328Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9535 INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 9323 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 8981 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3956 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 0534 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 6270 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 5106 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
Wednesday, 29 October 2008, 13:28 C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 003418 SIPDIS EO 12958 DECL: 10/29/2018 TAGS PGOV, PK, PTER, PREL, TFIN, ETRD SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CONVOKED OVER U.S. ATTACKS Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b), (d). ¶ 1. (C) Summary: On October 29, Pakistani Acting Foreign Secretary Khalid Babar convoked Ambassador to raise several recent hot-button issues. In response to a Pakistani Senate resolution, Secretary Babar raised protests against alleged U.S. attacks inside Pakistani territory. He reiterated MFA requests to repatriate Aafia Siddiqi and pushed back on pending 1267 cases. The protests were largely pro forma but the meeting is already being reported in Pakistani press as MFA’s “strong protest” against U.S. violations of sovereignty. End Summary. ¶ 2. (C) On October 27, the Pakistani Senate passed a resolution strongly condemning alleged attacks by U.S. drones in Pakistani territory. The Senators called upon the GOP to convey this protest to U.S. and NATO/ISAF authorities. In response, Acting Foreign Minister Khalid Babar convoked Ambassador to register their ongoing complaints. Babar repeated previous GOP statements condemning the violation of territorial integrity and also reiterated that such attacks undermine political solutions in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Ambassador noted the ongoing and successful military cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan. ¶ 3. (C) Babar also raised concern about Dr. Aafia Siddiqi’s repatriation and the whereabouts of her two young children. Ambassador made it clear that U.S. authorities do not know the whereabouts of the children, who have never been in U.S. custody, and noted that the Pakistani Embassy has been given full consular access to Siddiqi. Babar was aware that Siddiqi is currently being assessed for mental fitness to stand trial in the U.S., but noted that the MFA had been required to report to the Islamabad High Court on a case demanding that the GOP repatriate Siddiqi. ¶ 4. (C) Babar lastly raised the issue of 1267 case statements, particularly four new cases including that of former Director General of ISI Hamid Gul. Babar requested that the case statements include more verifiable evidence so that the GOP would not block them. He suggested that more intelligence sharing early in the process would expedite these cases and highlighted cases regarding terrorism financing where technical evidence might be shared. Additionally, he suggested that the cases be disaggregated to allow the easy one to go forward faster. By submitting the 1267 cases in a block, the GOP refuses them in a block as well even if some would pass independently. ¶ 5. (C) Comment: Despite the MFA’s media statement, Babar delivered his concerns in a pro forma manner. We have told the MFA repeatedly that there currently is no legal basis to repatriate Siddiqi, and we have no idea on the location of her other two children. PATTERSON
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