SIG MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN POLITICAL STRATEGY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: February 2, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ROUTING SLIP
STAT
Executive Secretary
3 Mar 86
9 jChm/NIC
VC/NIC
17 1 C/NE/DO
ACTION INFO I DATE I INITIAL
18 DNES D X
19 NI0/NESA X
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24 :CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
8606607
United States Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
February 2 , 1986
Attachment)
Senior Interagency Group Number 50
OVP - Mr. Donald Gregg
NSC - Mr. Rodney McDaniel
DOD - Colonel David Brown
AID - Mr. Richard Meyer
USIA- Mr. C. William LaSalle
CIA ~
JCS - Major Michael Emerson
SUBJECT: SIG Meeting on Afghanistan Political Strategy
Wednesday, February 26, 1986
There is attached a record of decisions taken at the
February 26 meeting of the Afghanistan SIG, chaired by Under
Secretary Armacost.
Atz~
Nicholas Platt
Executive Secretary
As stated.
STAT
tachment)
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
SECRET
February 26, 1986
Record of Decisions Taken at the February 26 Afghanistan SIG
1. Opening of resistance alliance offices: Mr. Armacost
directed State to produce a game plan for putting into effect
its plan for the opening of Afghan resistance alliance offices
around the world, beginning in New York and Jeddah. By March
S, Embassy Islamabad is to be instructed to raise the matter
once more with the GOP, and telegrams will be sent to Riyadh
and Beijing, asking that the Saudis and Chinese urge the
Pakistanis to allow the offices to be opened.
2. Enhancing the status of the resistance alliance: Mr.
Armacost asked the NSC to chair a SIG sub-committee to examine
and develop plans on NSC proposals for enhancing the alliance's
status. As a first step, Embassy Islamabad's comments will be
solicited immediately. The sub-committee should report by
March 10.
3. The Afghan media project: The SIG concurred in USIA's
propose s: a) to despatch three USIA officers to Peshawar to
provide short-term guidance to existing Afghan information
offices there; and b) to award grants to Boston University and
King Features Syndicate to promote the development of an
independent Afghan news agency.
The SIG also instructed USIA to chair a small SIG working
group whose mission would be to think more ambitiously about
the possibilities for expanding the project and for obtaining
additional funding, perhaps through co-financing arrangements
with interested governments and private American and foreign
groups.
4. The McCollum Amendment: The SIG agreed that the submission
date for the report requested by the NSC on how the McCollum
Amendment is to be implemented over the long term should be
March 14.
S. Short-term humanitarian assistance: Mr. Armacost agreed
that-Ambassador Helman should convene the inter-agency task
force for short-term assistance to approve a plan for
disbursing the $1 million remainder of the $8 million
appropriated for short-term humanitarian assistance inside
Afghanistan.
SECRET
DE OADR
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88G01116R000300380018-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88GO1116R000300380018-9
SECRET
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6 Lone-term humanitarian assistance: With respect to the $1S
Million appropriated for the long-term cross-border assistance
program, the SIG directed AID, in consultation with Embassy
Islamabad, to develop alternative options if the projected
Pakistan Government policy review does not produce an
acceptable oversight mechanism. These options should be ready
for consideration by March 14.
7. Report on Afghanistan-related prp1rams: The SIG directed
NEA to prepare a status report for the President on the status
of Afghanistan-related programs managed by the SIG. The report
is to be submitted by March 14.
SECRET
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/24: CIA-RDP88GO1116R000300380018-9