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