ELIMINATION/ERADICATION UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000120 SIPDIS DEPT FOR INL/FO. SA/FO AMB QUINN NSC FOR AHARRIMAN/KAMED E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015 TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV PTER KCRM AF SUBJECT: ELIMINATION/ERADICATION UPDATE Classified By: DCM NORLAND AS PER E.O. 12958 REASONS 1.4 (b and d) This cable replaces Kabul 0113. Subject Line has been added. Please collect and destroy all copies of the referenced cable. ¶1. (U) Summary: In a series of meetings over the past weeks, INL Kabul and the British Embassy Drugs Team (BEDT) have worked closely with officials from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) to finalize governor- and centrally-led eradication plans. A key component of these plans is the Afghanistan Eradication Force (AEF) which instituted recent organizational changes that will result in a more flexible and responsive force. As the Poppy Elimination Program (PEP) teams grow to full size, they will play an increasingly important role in planning and verification. End Summary. PEP PERSONNEL -------------- ¶2. (U) International Advisors (IAs): The contractor has hired four IAs who have deployed to Afghanistan. Their current assignments are as follows: Kandahar (Sessum),Nangarhar (Renteria),Balkh (Barbosa),and Uruzgan(Stiffey). Stiffey will replace Sessum in Kandahar for the January 5 ) 20 period while Sessum is on leave. Sessum, Renteria, and Barbosa are housed at Regional Training Centers (RTCs) in their respective provinces. The plan is for Stiffey to be housed at the PRT. The PRT Commander in Uruzgan has indicated that she cannot accept a permanent move until all lines of authority and support requirements are identified. Dyncorp Deputy Program Manager traveled to Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan on January 8-9 to discuss these issues with the Commander. ¶3. (U) Recent interviews have resulted in almost a full complement of staff for the seven provincial PEP teams. Seventy-five percent of the positions have been filled; candidates have been identified for all but two of the vacant positions. A master list will be sent to INL Washington via email. Challenges on the Ground -------------- ¶4. (U) While the teams have grown, the pace of establishing the offices is slow and operational problems constrain the activities of the Aghan PEP staff. Except in the case of Balkh, the Afghan staff are improvising with borrowed office and furniture, and no internet connection. Reporting to date has therefore been sparse as reporting is conveyed through slower and less detailed channels. INL Kabul has been engaged with the contractor to resolve delays in these deliverables. As resources are added, Post expects the quantity and quality of reporting to grow. ¶5. (U) Dyncorp has indicated that they intend to provide internet service through Deployable Communications Kits, which have been ordered but not delivered. Dyncorp has purchased one kit per province as well as one for its Kabul office. ¶6. (U) Dyncorp has cited cost, accountability, high theft risk, technical issues related to set-up, and the fact that these kits can be easily damaged or destroyed if not operated properly, for not considering installing them until the permanent offices are established. These kits are multi-functional and Deputy Program Manager has asked local PEP staff in Balkh, where the issue emerged first, to investigate the possibility of a dial-up connection. INL Kabul will work with DynCorp to reach a mutually agreeable solution on this matter. ¶7. (U) The AEF continues preparations for the upcoming season. The MOI is in the final stages of developing an operations plan outlining AEF and ANP support for governor-led eradication. The plan to support the governors with central police and eradication forces is scheduled to begin in mid-January and will continue for two to four weeks. The AEF personnel will then return to their base for a refit and begin preparation for missions for the forced eradication season. ¶8. (U) Despite direct requests from the MCN and MOI, provincial governors have been slow to respond to requests for detailed information relating to their needs to accomplish governor-led eradication. Stemming from a meeting held on December 31 with the BEDT and INL KABUL, Deputy Minister of Interior Daud formed a committee of eight senior staff members. Daud assigned a regional zone to each and the coordinator made direct contact with the individual governors in that zone. Thanks to the committee,s persistence, the MOI has developed a spreadsheet outlining the provincial requirements. These plans still need to be refined but INL Kabul and BEDT have at least enough information now to start planning the allocation of resources. ¶9. (C) Comment: It became apparent early in the discussion stages regarding MOI,s eradication operational plans that the MOI had not actually developed any plans, at least not the level of providing sufficient information that would enable INL Kabul or BEDT to plan our own support requirements to the PEP provinces. There was not a question of commitment or lack of will, but more of a lack of experience in formulating these types of plans in order to provide us with the needed information. There were, frankly, also several instances of literacy challenges on the part of the governors and their staff. We took the position and approach of &coaching and mentoring8 our POC in MOI responsible for assembling the governor,s plans. We developed and provided to the MOI a model plan, making sure that it was &their plan8, to use and send out to the governors. The subsequent return of operational plans from the provinces began to produce the type of information that was useful for us to begin our final planning preparations. We will keep this experience in mind for future operational requests to the provinces. End Comment. ¶10. (U) INL Kabul received the new Tashkiel at the end of December 2005. The Tashkiel is the official Afghan police manning document, signed by the President. Utilizing a manning document prepared by the UK CN police planning team, the AEF established a new maximum manning level of 720 officers (from 535). This reorganization will streamline the unit by increasing available troop strength while reducing the heretofore top-heavy rank structure in accordance with the planned rank reform. The troops are happy as the reduction in rank will be accompanied in most cases by a doubling of pay in accordance with the new pay reform. This change, combined with the addition of Field Pay Supplements and Cutters, Pay Supplements, will increase their individual salaries during the operation season substantially. We are working to institute a direct deposit salary pay system in order to avoid past problems with supervisors &taxing8 part of the salaries of their subordinates. ¶11. (U) The AEF DynCorp Deputy Program Manager departed 13 December and was replaced the same day by a new Deputy Program Manager who previously worked on the CIVPOL training program in Jordan. We have been working in unison to develop and review operations plans for the upcoming season. The big change for this eradication season is the reorganization of the AEF into smaller more mobile teams and the inclusion of aerial assets for transportation and targeting during the operation. The changes are coming rapidly and we look forward to the first shakedown operation to refine the newly developed skills and plans. NORLAND