PRT HERAT - ALLEGED ATTACK ON AMANULLAH KHAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002427 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, SCA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD REL NATO/ISAF/AS/NZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2026 TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR PGOV AF SUBJECT: PRT HERAT - ALLEGED ATTACK ON AMANULLAH KHAN DISRUPTS DIAG IN HERAT Classified By: POL COUNSELOR ANGUS SIMMONS FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: An apparent grenade attack on Shindand/based Amanullah Khan (AK),allegedly launched by his rival Ismael Khan (IK),disrupted plans for his appearance at a May 20 DIAG (Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups) ceremony in Herat. Despite high-level GOA attendance, the ceremony itself did not visibly advance the process, as commanders loyal to both IK and AK continue to exclude themselves from DIAG. Without commitment from these two commanders, DIAG cannot make much headway in Herat, and the province will remain split into de facto fiefdoms of both men. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) The May 20 DIAG (Phase I) ceremony was delayed two hours when word came of an attack in Herat city on Amanullah Khan (AK),one of the two key warlords in the province, who was driving up from Shindand to participate in the ceremony. Allegedly, a grenade was thrown into his SUV by boys on a motorcycle who had pulled along side the vehicle. AK, very slightly wounded, was immediately taken to Herat city hospital. Because of his expressed concerns the doctors affiliated with Ismael Khan (IK) would try to kill him, AK was transferred to the ISAF hospital at Herat Airport, then released. AK's bodyguard was also slightly injured. ¶3. (C) Amanullah Khan immediately accused IK of attempting to assassinate him. Such an attack while AK was on his way to the DIAG ceremony would presumably garner much sympathy for AK and place IK in a negative light. Kabuki Theater in Herat? -------------- ¶4. (C) But was there on attack on AK? Governor Anwari immediately formed an investigation board to look into the incident. However, possible witnesses remain reluctant to come forward. Herat officials are certain that something detonated in AK's vehicle. If it had been a fragmentation grenade, however, the occupants would have been more seriously injured, probably killed. They also believe that if IK loyalists had really wanted AK killed, they would have used a more reliable method. In one official's opinion, it was more likely that a "practice" grenade went off in the vehicle. ¶5. (C) Meanwhile, the alleged attack left the scheduled DIAG ceremony without its star attraction. (Note: AK was given permission by doctors to attend, but Deputy Defense Minister and head of the Disarmament and Reintegration Commission Nuristani reportedly nixed the idea. End Note.) Instead, AK was represented at the ceremony by his brother. A Poor Performance -------------- ¶6. (C) The DIAG ceremony itself was anti-climatic. In the presence of DIAG VIPs from Kabul, including the D&R RAC-W Commander, and Afghan New Beginnings Program (ANBP) officials, only three out of 38 DIAG letters were handed out. The "commanders" who stepped forward to receive the letters received only tepid applause. The audience was lethargic, applause light, and the speeches predictable. This was the third DIAG ceremony in Herat in the last six months, although this meeting marked the "official" kick of the "Phase I DIAG," which is focusing on Kapisa, Herat, Farah, and Takhar Provinces. The weapons handed in for viewing resembled artifacts from a World War II military museum. ANBP officials agreed that little useful weaponry or ordnance was turned in. ¶7. (C) The other no-show was Ismael Khan who had been invited to participate by Governor Anwari during the Energy and Water Minister's last visit to Herat. The Minister had "pressing business" in Kabul. (Note: When approached by KABUL 00002427 002 OF 002 Governor Anwari about returning to Herat for the DIAG ceremony, IK reportedly was indignant and harshly criticized the Herat team. His mujahideen, he retorted, had already turned in their weapons during the DDR process. End Note.) Get Rid of the Ordnance -------------- ¶8. (C) During sidebar discussions prior to the meeting, Deputy Minister Nuristani concurred with UN, U.S., ISAF and Afghan military officials that ordnance currently located at the Shahidan storage site be disposed of promptly. The Afghan and U.S. military have already taken what little usable munitions had remained there. Local officials emphasized that the weakly protected ordnance site, about 25 kilometers east of Herat city, posed a severe explosive hazard and an open invitation to the theft of explosive material. Before moving forward with allowing disposal, however, the ANA had sought MOD authorization which it now appears to have. DIAG Is Grounded -------------- ¶9. (C) Comment: At the present time, the DIAG process in Herat has reached an impasse. Despite being selected as a priority DIAG province by the D&R Commission, Herat cannot move forward without the commitment of IK and AK commanders to participate in DIAG weapons collection. The May 20 theatrics by AK strongly suggest that he was never serious about bringing his subordinates into DIAG. And unless Kabul leaders take on IK directly, his loyalists will not be swayed by a provincial-level disarmament effort. Herat political leadership had already passed this message to President Karzai. ¶10. (C) Embassy Comment: The D&R Commission in Kabul and the international donors are well aware that political will at the highest levels of the GOA is necessary for a positive DIAG outcome in Herat and throughout the country as a whole. Unfortunately, this will appears to be weak. Ambassador Okuda, DSRSG Alexander, and ANBP head Peter Babbington have approached President Karzai in the past to ask him to intervene with IK (to no avail) and have engaged IK directly themselves, also with little discernible impact. The DIAG process has not been particularly effective in sanctioning government officials who have links with Illegal Armed Groups, in spite of six months of effort to identify and dismiss them. The Parliament has not made a public statement in support of the DIAG process, although the D&R Commission has requested such an announcement from National Assembly leadership. There has also been little coordination between the capital and the provinces, with poor-quality weapons being handed in at impromptu ceremonies, often with little publicity of Kabul-based representations. End Comments. NEUMANN