STABILITY AT STAKE IN ZABUL: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 005499

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NOFORN
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STATE FOR SCA/FO (DAS GASTRIGHT),SCA/A, S/CRS, S/CT,
EUR/RPM STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG, NSC
FOR AHARRIMAN, OSD FOR KIMMETT, CENTCOM FOR CFC-A, CG
CJTF-76, POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MASS AF
SUBJECT: STABILITY AT STAKE IN ZABUL: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES
AUXILARY POLICE, SECURITY ISSUES

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Neumann, for reasons 1.4 (B),(D).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Ambassador and Embassy officers
visited the Romanian Forward Operating Base (FOB) and the
U.S. run Qalat Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Zabul
province November 6, where they attended security briefings
on Taliban activity and redeployment of artillery assets as
well as a graduation ceremony for 51 Afghan National
Auxiliary Police (ANAP) recruits. (Note: 55 ANAP recruits
were supposed to graduate. However, on the day of the
graduation, three were killed and one critically wounded in a
fire fight. End note.) Many of the recruits complained of the
lack of payment. In a separate meeting with the Ambassador,
several INL contracted trainers suggested the ANAP curriculum
needs modification to include more time for police tactical
and firearms instruction, arguing curriculum modification was
critical if the ANAP is going to be an effective force
against insurgents. Combined Security Transition
Command-Afghanistam (CSTC-A) is addressing the payment
problem with the Ministry of Interior and promises action by
next payday, November 15. CSTC-A's training division is also
addressing the curriculum issue. Provincial Governor Arman
addressed the need to pay ANAP recruits faster and said
nonpayment hurt recruitment and aided the insurgents. Arman
also requested more reconstruction projects from the PRT. END
SUMMARY

ZABUL: SECURITY AND POLITICAL ASSESSMENT


2. (C/NF) Addressing security, Commanding Officer of the
Romanian maneuver unit Lieutenant Colonel Petrescu
acknowledged there is less stability in Zabul province than
last year. Petrescu said Romanian forces are working with
Afghan National Army (ANA) kandaks (battalion) to secure
Highway One, the single hard-surface road connecting the
province to northern and southern Afghanistan. He cited
increased insurgent activities, including an improvised
explosive device (IED) making cell operating out of western
districts of the province. Petrescu noted that U.S. Special
Forces groups units are working with ANA and Romanian
companies to pacify the area. He also identified the presence
of two Taliban cells in Mizan district responsible for recent
ambushes. He acknowledged security in the districts could be
improved but stated that his priority is securing Highway One
as well as the southern districts bordering Pakistan.
Petrescu added that ISAF is redeploying 120 mm mortar support
and other light artillery out of the province. He has
requested additional HMMWVs from ISAF to provide better
mobility throughout the province for his units. However, he
complimented the quality of air support from Kandahar Air
Field (KAF). (NOTE: U.S. Special Forces Task Force 31 (TF-31)
noted the Romanians did not operate extensively outside of
Highway One but offered praise of their efforts to secure the
highway. They also indicated that more Afghan locals are
fighting against coalition forces than previously. They
attributed this to both unemployment and the infiltration of
Taliban and Al Qaeda elements into villages. END NOTE)


3. (C) Petrescu said the Afghan National Police (ANP) units
in Zabul need better training as they are at least three to
four years behind the ANA in capability. He claimed Zabul's
Provincial Governor Arman has grossly exaggerated the number
of ANP units on duty in Zabul, while noting that the accurate
number of ANP forces in the province is currently unknown.
Arman is reportedly claiming to the MOI in Kabul that the ANP
has over 100 checkpoints throughout Zabul, but Petrescu said
the number of checkpoints was probably under 70. (Note: in
an effort to obtain ground truth on the number of ANP in
Zabul, the GOA Policy Action Group (PAG) and Security
Operations Group directed an audit of the ANSF forces there.
This audit has recently been completed and the results are
being compiled at this time. Embassy will report septel as
information becomes available. End note.)

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4. (C) TF-31 suggested a fundamental change is needed for ANP
training to include a greater emphasis on counterinsurgency
and heavy weapons training. Additionally, both ANA and ANP
need mortar training so they can deliver their own fire power
without relying solely on coalition forces. (Comment:
International donors might view the equipping of the ANP with
mortars as a step towards excessive militarization of the
police, but it is essential to protect them from the threat
they face. The Ministry of Interior has stated that
tsecurity forces (specifically the ANP) need stronger support

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to counter the lethality of the insurgent forces.
Frenquently the ANP are attacked with larger caliber weapons,
which places the ANP at a disadvantage. The current equipment
fielding plan for the ANP addresses this disparity by issuing
assualt rifles, heavy and light machine guns and Rocket
Propelled Grenade Launchers but does not include any plan to
field mortars. This equipment plan was briefed on November
11 to the international community (including the German
Police Ambassador, UNAMA, EU, NATO SCR, ISAF, and British,
Canadian, and Dutch Embassies) and no one raised any
objection. End comment.



5. (C/NATO) PRTOffs briefed the Ambassador on Zabul's
political situation. The PRT officers said Governor Arman is
doing a good job, compared to other provincial governors, but
he needed better transparency in his administration.
Accusations of corruption surround Arman. He is purported to
have taken money from his subordinates for their positions as
well as shifting administrative and ANP district chiefs
around the province. His use of the Governor's Operation Fund
is also unclear. Additionally, Arman needs to delegate more
authority to his subordinates. The PRT team said that while
there are currently 44 ongoing reconstruction projects in
Zabul, there is untapped funding available from the Ministry
of Finance for more projects but Arman has not taken
advantage of this. (Comment: The national-level inability to
move money from the ministries to provinces is hindering
reconstruction in all provinces, not just Zabul. End
comment.) PRToffs also cited the need for additional
civilian advisors in provincial ministries.

ANAP: DELAYED SALARIES IMPEDE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING
ADJUSTMENT NEEDED


6. (SBU) Provincial officials held a graduation ceremony for
51 ANAP recruits in the second ANAP training class and the
Ambassador delivered remarks thanking them for their
willingness to serve their country. According to the INL
contracted instructors, the recruits had participated in a
firefight the previous night against a Taliban attack on an
isolated ANAP checkpoint; three recruits were killed and one
critically wounded. The recruits heard word of the attack
and willingly went in to join the fight to protect their
comrades. Following the ceremony, the Ambassador had a candid
conversation with some of the recruits. Their main complaint
was the lack of payment of salaries. According to the
recruits, the provincial officials promised payment but
alleged administrative processes had held it up. One recruit
said the lack of payment hurt morale and more than 22
recruits quit the ANAP. Rumors were also spreading through
Zabul that the officials were pocketing the ANAP salaries.
Another recruit expressed concern over the officials' lack of
concern for the welfare of the families of two classmates
killed during an ambush. One recruit noted that several
recruit family members had been threatened, causing
additional dropouts.


7. (SBU) Note: Combined Security Transition Command
Afghanistan confirmed that the first pay distribution for
ANAP will be November 15, in accordance with the normal pay
period for the ANP nationwide. This is part of a pay reform

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activity that is being phased in gradually (see septel). Many
of the recruits are former Afghan Highway Police and other
non-registered hires who are expecting four months backpay
that is not covered under the ANAP terms of reference.
Nonetheless, the perception of non-payment could undermine
the ANAP initiative; A/DCM raised this issue in the November
8 Policy Action Group (PAG) and urged the MoI to ensure that
all police are paid on time (septel). End note.

GOVERNOR ARMAN: PROMISES ANAP RECRUITMENT, WANTS MORE USAID
PROJECTS


8. (C) During a meeting with the Ambassador, Governor Arman
pledged to increase ANAP recruitment all across the province.
He cited the need to explain to the people the added security
a trained ANAP force would bring to the province. Arman
strongly stressed the need to pay recruits on time. He also
wanted to increase coordination between ANA and ANAP units in
Zabul, and requested additional reconstruction projects for
his province. According to the governor, PRT projects are
successful in Zabul because the PRT can provide security for
the sites the ANSF is currently unable to provide. He noted
the provincial security situation is declining with ANAP
personnel receiving 'night letters' warning them to quit.


9. (C) Arman proposed the idea of a tribal jirga in Zabul
between the ulema and tribal elders to "help settle
tensions." He added, he would like to do this independently
and without involvement from Kabul.


10. (C) The governor also pledged to do more in Zabul on
poppy eradication in the upcoming year and cited the November
5 destruction of 400 metric tons of opium during a recent
narcotics bust in Zabul.

COMMENT


11. (SBU) Zabul was the first province in which the ANAP
concept has been implemented. It was chosen because it has a
strong provincial governor, ANA presence, and support from
the U.S. PRT. The complaints and concerns of both recruits
and trainers highlight how complicated the program is, and
how it is affected by long standing problems with the police
(such as non-payment of salaries) and the difficult security
environment. The MoI, with international assistance, is
gradually developing ways to address these concerns. UNAMA
has agreed to contribute its political expertise to help
recruit ANAP who reflect the ethnic and tribal balance of
local districts. We are increasingly confident that we can
generate sufficient numbers of auxiliary police. 251
patrolmen have graduated to date from the 10-day program in
Zabul and Kandahar and hundreds more are in the training
pipeline in the six southern provinces. We are now shifting
our focus to assuring quality: we want to establish quality
control over the ANAP, not just while they are in training,
but extending out to their performance in the field.
NEUMANN