Office of the Historian

232. Intelligence Information Cable Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency1

[cable number not declassified]
Washington, March 12, 1980

COUNTRY

  • Afghanistan/Saudi Arabia

SUBJECT

  • Saudi Financial Aid to Afghanistan Rebel Groups [1 line not declassified]

SOURCE

  • [4½ lines not declassified]

1. According to a prominent supporter of the Afghan exile movement, each of the five Afghan political groups which joined together in early February 1980 to form the United Islamic Liberation Front of Afghanistan (UILFA) received 1,000,000 Pakistani rupees (approximately U.S. $100,000) from the Saudi Arabian Government when the UILFA was formed. UILFA has been promised $6,000,000 more by the Saudis. (Headquarters comment: See State telegram 035357, 9 February, for background on the formation of UILFA.)2

2. Many leaders of Afghan tribal paramilitary forces fighting in Afghanistan are aware of the sums received by the UILFA groups in Peshawar, and some believe the sums are greater than they really are. The UILFA’s failure so far to spend any of the Saudi money in support of the groups fighting inside Afghanistan is creating a credibility gap between the people of Afghanistan and the exiled political leaders greater than has previously existed. This credibility gap has been enhanced by the paramilitary leaders’ observations that some of the political leaders in exile are prospering by conducting various forms of trade.

3. ACQ: [1 line not declassified]

4. [less than 1 line not declassified] Dissem: [1½ lines not declassified]

  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Intelligence, Office of Support Services, Job 97S00360R: Intelligence Document Collection (1977–1981), Box 86 (3150470080–3150639980). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].↩
  2. In telegram 35357 to USNATO and other posts, February 9, the Department noted that the formation of UILFA “marks an important step forward after more than a year and a half of fruitless efforts to bring unity to the fragmented Afghan nationalist movement.” The Department cautioned, however, the UILFA was “still a very fragile organization” whose leaders remained “separated by important ideological as well as personal differences.” These differences included varying attitudes toward both the United States and the USSR and the form of government Afghanistan should adopt, ranging from a Western-style democracy to a fundamentalist Islamic orientation. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800069–0479)↩