PRT JALALABAD: NEW NANGARHAR CHIEF OF POLICE APPOINTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005274

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, S/CT, SA/A
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID
USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
TREASURY FOR APARAMESWARAN

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SNAR AF
SUBJECT: PRT JALALABAD: NEW NANGARHAR CHIEF OF POLICE APPOINTED


1. (SBU) Summary. Governor Gul Agha Sherzai welcomed newly appointe
Nangarhar Police Chief Basir Salangi at a special ceremony on Decembe
27 attended by district chiefs of police, the Nangarhar chief justice
and other key judicial sector personnel. Sherzai, who has been activ
campaigning to keep Nangarhar free of opium poppies this year, called
for an end to police bribery and illegal roadway tolls. He also
expressed pride in the changed political climate in Afghanistan which
enables the national government to appoint officials regardless of
ethnicity to positions around the nation without fearing ethnic viole
(Salangi is a Tajik taking a leadership role in a primarily Pashtun
region). Salangi stated his priorities were fighting terrorism,
counter-narcotics and eliminating bribery. Despite the pledges, many
Nangarhar will be skeptical and suspect that Salangi's appointment is
continuation of politics as usual rather than a chance to launch refo
as touted by Governor Gul Agha Sherzai. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Salangi, who hails from Parwan Province, most recently serv
for about a half a year as chief of police in Wardak Province followi
his removal as chief of police in Kabul, where he had served a short
term of about a half a year. Salangi reportedly has no significant
police training. He reportedly belonged to the same Northern Allianc
mujahideen faction as Minister of Defense Wardak. Governor Sherzai,
is also a former mujahideen commander, cited Salangi's bravery and
background as fine qualifications for service in Nangarhar.


3. (SBU) Salangi, a polished speaker, played well to the audience -
starting by emphasizing support for the national government. He then
paid homage to fallen Pashtun national heroes Abdul Haq and Haji Qadi
while noting his own status as a former mujahid. He expressed thanks
the U.S.-led Coalition and the PRT for all they had done for the
reconstruction of Afghanistan. Finally, he pledged to fight terrori
narcotics, and bribery, the last of which which he called "a signific
threat to security."


4. (SBU) Outgoing Nangarhar Chief of Police Khalil Zaie (pronounced
ee),who reportedly will go to Faryab as chief of police, was not at
ceremony. He left with a questionable local reputation after serving
Nangarhar only since July. One district police chief as well as seve
police officials in Jalalabad told us that Zaie had put pressure on t
district police chiefs to make substantial payments to him, resulting
a significant increase in extortion by the police at checkpoints
stretching across Nangarhar from the border with Pakistan to the bord
with Kabul Province. We have heard from other sources that police
pressure on truckers and others for "taxes" increased significantly l
summer.


5. (SBU) One disturbing development prior to the start of the ceremo
was the arrival of Wolesi Jirga (national parliament) member Hazrat A
with two police vehicles donated by the PRT to the police. On the si
of the vehicles was the slogan "donated by the People of the United
States of America to the People of Nangarhar." Hazrat Ali, who was t
chief of police prior to Zaie, supposedly was assigned these two
vehicles for his protection prior to the September 18 elections but w
supposed to return them afterwards. Other parliamentary candidates
complained to UNAMA during the lead-up to the elections that Ali was
using the vehicles to intimidate them and voters. Local police
officials believe that the vehicles were "gifts" to Hazrat Ali from t
Ministry of Interior. Local sources tell us that Hazrat Ali was rath
corrupt as a chief of police. The PRT is working with our local MOI
representative to obtain the return of these vehicles. (Note: the
rumored price for a position as chief of police in a potentially
lucrative province such as Nangarhar is one or two Toyota Landcruiser
or a monetary equivalent, i.e. $30 to $50 thousand, even for someone
with political connections. This might lead a cynic to wonder whethe
the two vehicles "given" to Hazrat Ali by the MOI were a "refund" sin
he was not appointed to another position as chief of police.)

Comment
--------------


6. (SBU) While we are not in possession of proof that allegations ab
Zaie's extortion activities are true, his arrival in Nangarhar did
coincide with the slowdown in fuel shipments to Kabul and Bagram last
summer which had serious national security implications. At that ti
a significant number of petroleum truck drivers sat at the Pakistan s
of the border at Torkham, refusing to drive into Afghanistan on the
grounds that the police payoffs had risen so high that they could not
make any money on their deliveries. Coalition forces had to escort t
to Kabul and Bagram to break the stalemate and end the fuel shortage
that was shutting down firms and stopping air line flights. Several
our contacts have expressed concern in recent weeks that President
Karzai is continuing his practice of re-appointing corrupt officials
rather than replacing them with more capable men with better
qualifications; Zaie's transfer to Faryab will be seen as confirmatio
of that concern.

7. (SBU) It is obviously too soon to judge Salangi. While he has ma
a good initial impression here, his two short stints as chief of poli
in Kabul and Wardak raise questions about why he was transferred so s
from those positions. Governor Sherzai, despite his problematic reco
in Kandahar, is proving to be a reform-oriented politician with
considerable drive and charisma. While they both hit the same themes
their speeches, it is also not yet clear whether Sherzai will be able
work effectively with Salangi. End comment.

NEUMANN