PRT JALALABAD: PTS RECONCILIATION PROGRAM NANGAHAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005216 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, SA/PB, S/CT, EUR/RPM STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG NSC FOR AHARRIMAN OSD FOR DANIEL FATA CENTCOM FOR CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD, JICCENT REL TO ISAF E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC MARR AF SUBJECT: PRT JALALABAD: PTS RECONCILIATION PROGRAM NANGAHAR REF: KABUL 4800 Classified By: A/DCM Angus Simmons for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Jalalabad PRT Officer met with Khuja Mohammed Naim Sadiq, the Director of the Jalalabad PTS Office, on October 19. Mr. Khuja reported that 115 former Taliban have been processed through his office, although only 25 are on record as having been reconciled through the PTS head office in Kabul in the past 14 months. Khuja requested more funding from the international community in order to better support the reconcilers currently in the program and to recruit more former Taliban now in Pakistan. The Nangahar program and the activities appear to differ sharply from those recently reported in Herat Province. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Jalalabad PRT Officer met with Khuja Mohammed Naim Sadiq, the Director of the Nangarhar and Logman Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PTS) on October 19. This is ONE of seven regional PTS offices in Afghanistan. Khuja reported that in the last year, his office had processed only 115 former Taliban through the program. He said that his focus has been on reconciling the &big fish8, which he believes is more beneficial than trying to bring in large numbers of people, regardless of their Taliban role. These 115 people are now staying with their families in the two provinces, and are all &good citizens now8. ¶3. (SBU) Note: These figures contrast with figures received at the PTS central office in Kabul. On October 12, CFC-A/PMI Ron Stafford held a teleconference with Khuja and raised U.S. concerns about the lack of performance from his office. Stafford pointed out that only 25 individuals had been reconciled in 14 months of operations. Khuja responded that there was no excuse for his non-performance and stated that he had sufficient funding, personnel, and equipment. He promised to increase PTS reconciler contacts over the next several weeks and would try to actively recruit members. End Note ¶4. (SBU) Khuja told PRT officer that the reconcilers receive no support from the government. He reported that his office tries to find jobs for the participants in the program and land for a house if they lost their property. He said that they do watch the people in the program but don,t let them know about it. Notwithstanding comments noted above to CFC-A, he said that the program would be better if they had more resources. As it is, they are lacking in funds even for transportation for the reconcilees to get home or for the PTS officials to travel to Pakistan to make contacts with potential recruits. He asked for more funding from the international community. In contrast, he reported that the Pakistani ISI gives some Afghan mullahs 10,000 Pakistani rupees monthly (USD 165),which is a disincentive for them to return to Afghanistan. When questioned whether the members in the program felt safe here, or worry about being arrested by CF, he reported that this was a concern. ONE individual was arrested by CF when he returned but has been released and is now living and working in Nangarhar. ¶5. (SBU) Other former provincial officials during the Taliban era who have been reconciled through the program here include Dr. Wafiulla who was the Deputy HEALTH Minister for the Taliban; Mul Mohammed Alam, Deputy Governor of Kabul and Herat; Zahir, Director of the Ministry of Religion, and Muliaha Fibullak. Other reconcilers include Mulikachmir Khan, who came back from Iran, and Mullah Auturahman from Saudi Arabia, and a reconciler Abdullah, son of Alaf Khan. KABUL 00005216 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) The Jalalabad PTS Office has 15 people, including guards and drivers. Two are advisers, two are relations officers, and the rest are guards, drivers, and other support staff. The relations officers are both former Taliban. Khuja is from Logar Province and was living in Peshawar before returning to Kabul to work in this program ONE year ago. He worked in Kabul for four months and then was asked to come to Nangarhar to open the office here. He knew President Karzai and Sibghatullah Mojadaddi, head of the PTS Program, when they were in Pakistan, and Sibghatullah offered him the position with PTS. Khuja is not former Taliban himself, but he cannot return to Pakistan, as he is now "known by the enemy there". ¶7. (C) PRT Comment: The program described by Mr. Khuja appears to be run differently from that of Herat (Reftel). It is not known whether Khuja was simply not comfortable sharing the details or if the program really does have few integration elements. He described the processing as being a matter of filling out forms and did not mention any intensive administrative programs or vocational training. There was also no mention of the responsibility taken by local tribal leaders and elders for returned reconcilers. Khuja's comment that the PTS office watched reconcilers without their knowing it was notable. Immediately following the meeting, PRT Officer met with the Director of the Provincial Shura who is usually a very good source of information for the PRT. He had no knowledge about the program but knew it existed and believed it to be a good program. PRT Interpreter suggested that Khuja is not the most effective person to direct this program, as he is not from this province and was appointed from Kabul based upon his relationships with senior government officials there. ¶9. (C) Embassy Comment: Weaknesses in this particular office point to the need for a well-run and adequately supported program, with oversight from Kabul. The PTS program continues to provide value and serve U.S. interests. We will continue to monitor and assess its effectiveness and management in all district offices. NEUMANN