SUBJECT: NARCOTICS: NELSON GROSS VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN
FROM GROSS

1. AS DEPARTMENT AWARE I WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH KABUL IN VIEW ADVERSE WEATHER AND TRANSPORTAION CONDITIONS. I REMAINED IN JALALABAD UNTIL ADVISED BY RESPONSIBLE AFGHAN OFFICIALS THAT I COULD NOT REACH KABUL FEB 13. I THEN RETURNED BY CAR TO PESHAWAR WITH KABUL ESCORT OFFICER HELSETH AND THENCE VIA FIRST AVAILABLE FLIGHT TO TEHRAN FOR REGIONAL MEETING.

2. ALSO STRANDED IN JABALABAD WAS MFA CHIEF OF PROTOCOL SADULLAH GHAUSSI. REALIZING THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR PLANNED MINISTERIAL TALKS, I EMPHASIZED TO GHAUSSI DEEP INTEREST AND CONCERN USG AND PRESIDENT NIXON RE INCREASING DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM. I ASKED GHAUSSI PASS TO RGA THRU FONMIN SHAFIQ FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT NIXON AND SECRETARY ROGERS:

A) USG HOPES RGA WILL BE REPRESENTED AT GENEVA PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE IN MARCH TO AMEND SINGLE CONVENTION.
B) USG ASKED FOR RGA SUPPORT OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO SINGLE CONVENTION AS STATED IN POTENTIAL CONSENSUS WHICH EMBASSY KABUL HAD ALREADY PROVIDED TO MFA.
C) USG URGES RGA JOIN AND PARTICIPATE IN CND AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ILLICIT TRAFFIC.
D) AMB NEUMANN WILL SOON BE PRESENTING TO RGA PLAN FOR COOPARATIVE NARCOTICS CONTROL WHICH USG HOPES RGA WILL RECEIVE AND CONSIDER FAVORABLY, PLAN INCLUDES PROPOSALS AIMED AT (1) INCREASING AFGHANIS ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES. (2) IMPROVING AFGHAN CAPABILITY FOR INTELLIGENCE DATA COLLECTION IN REGARD TO ILLICIT TRAFFIC. AND (3) SOME SUGGESTIONS WHICH EVENTUALLY WILL INVOLVE PLANS FOR CROP SUBSTITUTION FOR AFFECTED AFGHAN FARMERS IF RGA AGREES STOP ALL NARCOTIC PRODUCTION.

3. GHAUSSI TOOK NOTES AND SAID HE WOULD INFORM FONMIN AS SOON AS HE COULD TRAVEL TO KABUL. HE SAID HE COULD NOT, OF COURSE, RESPOND TO MY MESSAGE.

4. GHAUSSI THEN SAID HE "HAD HEARD" USG OFFERING TURKEY 39 MILLION DOLLARS TO STOP OPIUM PRODUCTION BUT THAT TURKS HOLDING OUT FOR 40 MILLION DOLLARS, BELIEVING IT BEST. I TOLD GHAUSSI 35 MILLION FIGURE WAS FIRM AND ALREADY AGREED, BUT I EXPLAINED THAT BULK THAT AMOUNT WAS TO MAKE Up FOR TURK LOSS FOREIGN EXCHANGE AS RESULT LOSS OF LEGAL EXPORT MARKET. I HOPE THIS MAY FORESTALL AFGHAN EXPECTATIONS OF EQUIVALENT QUID PRO QUO. GHAUSSI DID NOT
RESPOND.