PRT/QAL I NOW: RING ROAD IN BADGHIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002291 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, SCA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND OSD FOR BREZINSKI CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD TREASURY FOR D/S KIMMITT, APARAMESWARAN, AJEWELL COMMERCE FOR AADLER TRANSPORTATION FOR MODESITT REL NATO/ISAF/AS/NZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC ECON EAID KCRS ELTN SP TU, AF SUBJECT: PRT/QAL I NOW: RING ROAD IN BADGHIS REF: KABUL 2214 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) recently began construction of a road from the Sabsak pass, on the border between Herat and Badghis provinces, to Qal I Now, the capital of Badghis. This stretch will form part of the Afghanistan Ring Road. A 95-kilometer segment from Qal I Now to Bala Murghab, also in Badghis, and a 32-kilometer stretch in Herat, are the only parts of the Ring Road either not built or without international commitments for construction. Post is working with Amembassy Madrid to encourage Spain to do more in road building efforts (reftel). END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Afghanistan Ring Road, when completed, will circumscribe the center of the country and will be 2,227 kilometers in length. According to Dr. Rasooli, Deputy Minister of Public Works in charge of roads, 1500 kilometers have now been built. There are international commitments to build the remainder, with the exception of 32 kilometers in Herat province and 95 kilometers in Badghis. ¶3. (U) With no good roads to adjacent provinces, Qal I Now and Badghis province have suffered relative economic isolation. Until improvement and asphalting last year of a 61-kilometer, Iranian-financed stretch of the Ring Road between Herat and Armalek, 43 kilometers from the Sabsak pass on the border between Herat and Badghis, travel between Qal I Now and Herat, a distance of 150 kilometers, took more than eight hours. Travel time is now about five hours. When the Spanish PRT was established in May 2005, Spanish development officials identified an improved road linking Herat and Qal I Now as a prerequisite to Badghis development. Spanish engineers designed a 58-kilometer road from Qal I Now to the Sabsak pass, to be built with AECI funds, on and adjacent to the existing dirt road. There are no plans as yet for improvements of the road between Armalek and Sabsak, which would be the last stretch of unimproved road between Herat and Qal I Now. ¶4. (U) Spanish development personnel presented plans for the Qal I Now-Sabsak road to Badghis authorities last year. The Spanish at that time had no communication with Ministry of Public Works officials in Kabul; they assumed their plans would be forwarded to Kabul by Badghis officials. Until a meeting with Dr. Rasooli in March, they were unaware this stretch of road was part of the Afghan master plan for the Ring Road. Dr. Rasooli also informed them that their project does not meet Ring Road specifications which call for an asphalted road 7 meters in width with at least 1 1/2 meter-wide shoulders. The un-asphalted Spanish road will be 6 meters wide with 1 meter shoulders. ¶5. (U) The Spanish began construction of the Qal I Now-Sabsak road in March, shortly after meeting with Dr. Rasooli, using their original plans. Widening the road would have required removal of a number of houses that abut the road; further AECI has not allocated sufficient funds to asphalt it. Development officials told Dr. Rasooli that, should funds become available, they would consider improving it to Ring Road standards. Spanish officials maintain that KABUL 00002291 002 OF 002 with the construction to Spanish specifications, the road will be useable by all types of traffic throughout the year. (Comment: Because of inadequate maintenance and higher than expected traffic, many of the more robust asphalt roads built by donors throughout the country are experiencing substantial wear and may soon be in need of improvements. Embassy and AID officials do not believe that an un-asphalted road will last very long. End Comment.) ¶6. (U) The 95-kilometer Ring Road segment from Qal I Now to Bala Murghab and the 32-kilometer segment from Armalek to Sabsak are the only remaining parts of the Ring Road without international funding commitments. In conversations with Ambassador Neumann, Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos and Spanish Ambassador to Afghanistan Turpin have indicated GoS interest in collaborating with the U.S. and possibly Turkey on funding and building the road from Qal I Now to Bala Murghab. However, according to AECI, which normally coordinated international development funding commitments, Spain has no plans for road building in Afghanistan other than the Qal I Now-Sabsak road now under construction. Dr. Rasooli told us he is anxious to find funding for the Armalek-Sabsak and Qal I Now-Bala Murghab segments of the Ring Road and is working with the Ministry of Finance to find donors. ¶7. (C) Comment: Completion of the Qal I Now-Sabsak stretch will cut driving time between Qal I Now and Herat substantially and facilitate commerce between Herat and Badghis provinces. The Spanish project has drawn high interest from Badghis residents; many are upset that the road will not be asphalted as is the Iranian-built portion of the Ring Road between Herat and Armalek. Embassy and AID officials agree that the unasphalted road will wear rapidly. Post is working with the Spanish Ambassador Turpin and Embassy Madrid to develop a bureaucratic strategy to gain additional Spanish funds to build additional road networks. End Comment. NEUMANN