CORRECTED COPY PRT/QALAT: CHALLENGES IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005292 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, SA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF OSD FOR BREZINSKI USAID FOR AID/ANE/ AID/DCHA/DG SENSITIVE E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ECON EAID ELTN AF SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY PRT/QALAT: CHALLENGES IN SOUTHEASTERN ZABUL PROVINCE THIS IS A CORRECTED COPY OF KABUL 5273 TO CORRECT FORMATTING ERRORS. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Zabul Governor Arman has a strategic goal of a good road connecting the Ring Road in Qalat to the Pakistani border in southeastern Zabul Province. The road improvement is underway (with US funding),but the districts are not secure yet nor under the effective control of the central government. ¶2. (SBU) PRT PolOff discussed the goal with the Governor, as well as his actions and proposals to get rid of the most corrupt officials in this area. In addition, PolOff accompanied PRT personnel on trips in this area, visiting four villages. In three villages, the PRT supplied boots and gloves to ANP officers. In two villages, PRT and UNOPS engineers discussed locations and plans with village leaders for proposed clinics, schools, and community centers. End Summary. Goal Of Connecting Pakistan and the Ring Road in Zabul ¶3. (SBU) Governor Arman?s vision is to have a good road connect Qalat to Zanjshir, at the southeastern Zabul border, which would meet a good road from Pakistan. That would enable trucks heading north, such as to Kabul, to save up to six hours by not having to go to Kandahar Province to cross the border there and then get on the Ring Road. It would also be an economic and commercial boost to Zabul, which is one of the poorest, most backward provinces in Afghanistan. A well-administered customs post would likely boost central government revenues as well. That is a long-term goal first requiring safe southern districts in Zabul, and well-equipped, honest and effective Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Border Police (ANBP) and officials. At present, the road is being improved (with US funding),but the capacity of the police, and the central government in general, in those districts is extremely limited. The Taliban transit the districts and there are IED attacks on these roads occasionally. Shinkay District ¶4. (SBU) Shinkay village is about two hours from Qalat by road, a fairly decent gravel road. There was not much traffic except for some jingle trucks, a few minivans and a few motorcycles. At the Shinkay ANP compound, most of the officers did not have uniforms. Very few had boots, wearing either shoes or sandals. The chief reported that about 10% of the officers had been through the ANP Regional Training Center (RTC) in Kandahar and the rest had had no training whatsoever. About half the officers had weapons (these statistics were similar at all four ANP compounds visited in both Shinkay and Shamulzai districts). In Surrey village (the scene of fairly heavy fighting earlier this year),the ANP reported that one vehicle out of three was drivable. Shamulzai District ¶5. (SBU) Shamulzai village is a further two hours drive. The road is not as good, although it is still being worked on. However, it will support vehicles as large as jingle trucks. The village itself was surrounded by a single coil of concertina wire with two access points, neither of which was manned. ¶6. (SBU) (SBU) The Governor had relieved the Shamulzai district chief (who was also functioning as the police chief) the previous month, for allegedly striking a deal with the Taliban and the village elders that the Taliban could transit the district going from Pakistan to northern Zabul province if they did not cause any problems in Shamulzai itself (septel). At PolOff?s request, our interpreter discretely, casually discussed this in the evening with some of the ANP officers. They indicated that they were satisfied with the new district chief who had been transferred over from Shinkay District. ¶7. (SBU) Zanjshir is another two and a half hours further still. The road is not as good, but apparently can handle jingle trucks (none were seen on the road, but a number were parked in the village). From Zanjshir, one can look across the border into Pakistan. The Governor wants to remove the ANBP commander here, but is proceding slowly, by first appointing a deputy chief that he trusts and letting him become established first. Some villagers indicated to our interpreter that they only felt safe in the immediate village area, and that outside the village the Taliban moved freely. Comment ¶8. (SBU) Observations on these trips graphically illustrate how tenuous the reach of the central government is, especially in outlying districts. The police are generally neither trained nor equipped, and honest, competent officials are hard to find. Building a good road from Qalat to Zanjshir is not as challenging as keeping it secure and clear of IEDs and Taliban, as well as having an honest border crossing. NEUMANN