ISAF TRANSITION COULD DECREASE DEVELOPMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000611 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, SA/CT AND SA/A NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFA-A, CG CJTF-76 USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG STATE PLEASE POST TO SIPR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID ASEC ECON AF SUBJECT: ISAF TRANSITION COULD DECREASE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AT THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL Classified By: AMBASSADOR RONALD NEUMANN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A FACTOR COMPLICATING THE HAND-OVER OF U.S. PRTS TO ISAF IN THE PHASE III TRANSITION IS THE DIFFERING VIEWS AMONG THE NATO MEMBERS ABOUT THE ROLE TO BE PLAYED BY CIVILIANS AND BY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IN THE PRT CONTEXT. CURRENTLY, AT EACH COALITION-LED PRT, THE U.S. SPENDS AN AVERAGE OF USD 7.5 MILLION YEARLY ON QUICK IMPACT AND COMMANDERS' EMERGENCY PROJECTS, FUNDS WHICH ARE UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE PRT. IN CONTRAST, MOST ISAF NATIONS DO NOT PLAN TO REPLICATE THIS LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE AT THEIR PRTS, AND SEVERAL BELIEVE THAT PRT'S ARE APPROPRIATE PLATFORMS ONLY FOR THE DELIVERY OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE, AND SHOULD NOT HAVE AN EXTENSIVE CIVILIAN/DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT. ONE WANTS NO DEVELOPMENT EFFORT INSIDE THE PRT AT ALL. IN A FEBRUARY 9 MEETING OF THE PRT EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE, ASSESSMENTS BY THE VARIOUS ISAF AMBASSADORS REVEALED THAT IN TWO OF THE FOUR PRTS THAT WILL BE HANDED OVER IN PHASE III, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE WILL FALL TO LESS THAN HALF THE AMOUNT THE U.S. IS NOW PROVIDING. GIVEN THE CURRENT FUNDING SHORTFALL WE ARE EXPERIENCING, PRESSURE MAY NEED TO BE APPLIED IN HOST COUNTRY CAPITALS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT AID THAT THEY WILL ADMINISTER THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE PRTS. WE SUGGEST WASHINGTON TAKE THIS ON. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) IN A FEBRUARY 9 MEETING OF THE PRT EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE, THERE WAS LIVELY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IDEAL COMPOSITION OF A PRT AND THE ROLE OF CIVILIANS IN A PRT. COMISAF PROPOSED A PARADIGM WHEREBY A PRT WOULD HOUSE AT LEAST SIX CIVILIAN COMPONENTS - FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL(S) TO MENTOR AND SUPPORT THE PROVINCIAL COUNCILS; AN ADVISOR TO THE PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE; AN EXPERT POLICE TEAM TO MENTOR AND SUPPORT POLICE TRAINING; A RULE OF LAW SPECIALIST; A DIAG EXPERT TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL EFFORTS, AND A CN TEAM TO SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS. DSRSG HAQ OPPOSED THIS VIEW, SAYING THAT EACH PROVINCE WAS UNIQUE AND THUS SHOULD HAVE A PRT STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO ITS CONDITIONS. ¶3. (C) AMBASSADOR NEUMANN AND CFC-A COMMANDING GENERAL EIKENBERRY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF ASSISTANCE U.S.-LED PRT'S PROVIDE - AN AVERAGE OF USD 5 MILLION IN COMMANDER'S EMERGENCY RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (CERP) FUNDS, AND USD 2.5 MILLION IN QUICK IMPACT PROGRAM (QIP) USAID FUNDS, FOR A TOTAL OF USD 7.5 MILLION ANNUALLY THAT ARE QUICKLY AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PROJECTS. WE ASKED OTHER AMBASSADORS PRESENT FOR AN ACCOUNTING OF THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE THEY PLAN TO PROVIDE DIRECTLY TO THEIR PRTS (AS OPPOSED TO ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL). THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR SAID THAT HIS COUNTRY WOULD MAKE 1 MILLION EUROS AVAILABLE TO THE PRT AT TARIN KOWT FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, NOTING THAT THE AMOUNT WAS PURPOSELY KEPT SMALL TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SHORT TERM "HEARTS AND MINDS" PROJECTS AND LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, ALL OF WHICH SHOULD BE IN LINE WITH AFGHANISTAN'S NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES. HE ADDED THAT HE WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT A CIVILIAN COMPONENT SHOULD BE WITHIN A PRT, BUT MERELY LINKED TO IT. THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR SAID HIS COUNTRY WAS PROVIDING A TOTAL OF 5 MILLION EUROS TO THEIR PRT IN HERAT, NOTING THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO BRING THEIR PRT IN LINE WITH COMISAF'S GUIDELINES AND THAT THEY WOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO AREAS WHICH WERE HELPFUL IN COUNTER NARCOTICS EFFORTS. THE DANISH AMBASSADOR GAVE NO CONCRETE FIGURES, SAYING ONLY THAT THEY HAD TWO DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS IN COUNTRY AND WOULD PLACE A THIRD ONE IN HELMAND SOON. THEY WORK WITHIN THE NATIONAL FRAMEWORK AND GOVERNANCE IS A PRIORITY; THEY ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING A PROGRAM TO TRAIN CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL. ¶4. (C) THE U.K. AMBASSADOR SAID THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE BUDGET TO BE GIVEN TO THEIR PRT IN LASHKAR GAH WOULD TOTAL ONE MILLION POUNDS, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING AN AFGHAN FACE ON THEIR PROJECTS. OTHER U.K. AID WOULD BE ADMINISTERED ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL. THE CANADIANS HAVE COMMITTED CD 11 MILLION TO THEIR PRT IN KANDAHAR, AND THE SPANISH ARE GIVING USD 10 MILLION TO THEIR PRT IN QILA-E NOW. THE GERMAN DCM NOTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF GERMAN ASSISTANCE WENT THROUGH THEIR MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND WAS DETERMINED AT THE AFGHAN NATIONAL LEVEL. WITHOUT NAMING A PRECISE FIGURE, THE NORWEGIAN DCM SAID THAT NORWAY'S MONEY WAS GOING TO THE SECURITY SECTOR, IN CONCERT WITH THEIR FINNISH COLLEAGUES. THE SWEDISH AMBASSADOR SAID THAT THEY WOULD PLACE A POLITICAL ADVISOR AT THEIR PRT IN MAZAR, AND THAT A GROUP FROM STOCKHOLM WAS CURRENTLY IN COUNTRY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF FUNDING SHOULD BE. THE SWEDES HAVE BEEN CLEAR WITH US THAT THEY ARE KEEPING THEIR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SEPARATE FROM THEIR PRT, WHICH THEY VIEW AS A SECURITY FUNCTION. FOR THIS REASON, THEY HAVE REJECTED A USAID OFFICER IN THE MAZAR PRT, DESPITE THE EXCELLENT RESULTS THIS COOPERATION HAS SHOWN UNDER CURRENT U.K. LEADERSHIP. MINISTER OF REHABILITATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ATMAR URGED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO CONSULT WITH LOCAL AFGHAN BODIES WHEN DETERMINING DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES, AS THIS WOULD ENSURE MORE AFGHAN BUY-IN. HE NOTED THAT A COMMON COMPLAINT FROM AFGHANS WAS THAT NO DEVELOPMENT WAS BEING DONE, AND SAID THAT WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR NOT BEING INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: GIVEN THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PRT FUNDING ALLOCATED IN THE U.S. BUDGET FOR THE COMING YEAR, IT SEEMS LOGICAL TO APPEAL TO OUR NATO PARTNERS WHO ARE TAKING ON PRT RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL. AS WAS EVIDENCED BY THE RECENT MEETING, HOWEVER, NATO MEMBERS ARE DIVIDED ON WHAT TYPE OF POLICIES TO PURSUE IN THEIR PRTS, AS WELL AS ON THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE THE PRTS SHOULD PROVIDE. THIS DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PRTS' MISSION, WHICH HAS BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL IN THE COALITION-LED TEAMS, DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE FLEXIBILITY AND QUICK IMPACT OF THE ASSISTANCE UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE COMMANDERS. GIVEN THAT THE FOCUS OF THE GOA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS NOW ON IMPROVING PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE, IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF THIS TYPE OF ASSISTANCE WERE TO DROP PRECIPITOUSLY. WE SUGGEST WASHINGTON APPROACH CAPITALS TO ASK THAT DEVELOPMENT LEVELS BE MAINTAINED AND TO URGE THEM TO FORGE A UNIFIED PRT CONCEPT WHICH INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT CIVILIAN COMPONENT. THE CANADIANS, AS A COUNTRY THAT IN OUR VIEW HAS IT RIGHT, MIGHT BE AN ALLY IN SUCH AN APPROACH. END COMMENT NEUMANN