PRT MEHTARLAM: SIX MONTH REPORT ON SECURITY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 KABUL 001036

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR HARRIMAN
OSD FOR SHIVERS
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-82 POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MCAP MOPS PREL PGOV PTER PHUM AF
SUBJECT: PRT MEHTARLAM: SIX MONTH REPORT ON SECURITY,
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS

REF: A. KABUL 5651

B. KABUL 4327


1. (SBU) Summary. Laghman province is positioned to take
advantage of new attention to governing capacity and
increases in developmental funding after heightened
anti-government activity in 2006. The security situation
worsened somewhat in the second half of 2006 due to limited
Coalition presence and lack of Afghan National Security
Forces (ANSF) capacity. A major security operation in
December stabilized the situation and with the exception of
a heightened IED threat, 2007 thus far has seen a drop-off
in attack levels. Poppy cultivation continues at low
levels in Laghman but provincial leadership is dedicated to
its eradication. Governor Gulab Mangal and the Provincial
Development Council are beginning to provide strong
leadership in setting provincial developmental priorities.
The Afghan Army and Police are showing some improvement
through PRT assistance and a new commander but progress is
gradual. Laghman's agrarian economy has potential but
needs infrastructure development. The provincial
government has established some interim developmental
priorities focused on road and agricultural infrastructure
that will greatly assist the PRT with CERP, USAID, and
other donors in providing reconstruction funding. The
electrical power grid and media capacity are set to
expand. Women's affairs programs suffer from lack of
capacity. End Summary.

Security -- Early Improvement After Heightened 2006
Anti-Government Activity
--------------


2. (SBU) The security situation in Laghman province has
improved slightly from the heightened levels of
anti-government activity expierienced in 2006. Local
insurgent activity is led by the Taliban and the Hezb-I
Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) with most of the financing coming
from the Taliban via outside sources. Casualties and lack
of funding limited PRT reconstruction efforts and outreach
in the second half of 2006. IED attacks increased in the
fall and included an unsuccessful assassination attempt
against Governor Mangal that resulted in the death of a
provincial government engineer (reftel A). Coalition
operations in late 2006 directly affected insurgent
leadership and their ability to conduct operations in the
province. There have been no attacks directed against the
PRT in 2007. Governor Mangal, Chief of Police Abdul Kariem
Omaryar, and PRT mobile patrols report that the population
no longer lists security as a leading concern; obtaining
sufficient job opportunities and health care are now the
biggest priorities.

IED Attacks Slowed Pace of Reconstruction in 2006
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) During November and December of 2006, the IED
threat intensified due to the presence of an active IED
cell in Laghman. Earlier in the year, the regional IED
threat focused on Nuristan Province and the Korengal
District of Kunar province to Laghman's north and east and
the IED cells targeted heavily transited routes and
Coalition/ISAF patrols. The IED threat remained constant
throughout the summer and did not change until late October
2006 when the insurgents shifted their focus to Laghman
because they perceived the province as a safe haven and saw
fresh targeting opportunities including the main road in
Alingar District. The introduction of a large ISAF led
operation in Alishang District in late 2006 prompted the
insurgents to introduce an IED cell with an increased
capability into Mehtarlam District. This cell targeted
the two roads transiting Alingar and Alishang because they
are the only means of moving vehicle traffic along river
valley routes and the volume of Coalition/ISAF and GoA
traffic has increased. The Alingar road will continue to
be a location for IEDs as more supplies and material are

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moved into Nuristan province and northern Alingar.

Poppy Cultivation Ongoing, Eradication Efforts Are Strong
-------------- --


4. (SBU) Poppy cultivation continues at low levels in
Laghman but provincial leadership is dedicated to its
eradication. The major cultivation areas are in Dawlet
Shah and Alingar Districts with smaller amounts cultivated
in the outlying regions of Alishang District. Insurgents
cultivate poppy to finance illegal weapons trafficking and
have recently increased their efforts to safeguard the crop
from eradication. Governor Mangal is strongly opposed to
poppy cultivation. The provincial government qualified for
USD 150,000 from the Good Performers Program because less
than 1,000 hectares of poppy was harvested in 2006. (UNODC
statistics report that Laghman's total cultivation area was
2,750 hectares in 2004 and 709 hectares in 2006.) Governor
Mangal and the Director of Agriculture, Hussin Safi
estimate that over 300 additional hectares of poppy have
been eradicated in early 2007.

New Attention to Governing Capacity
--------------


5. (U) Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal has begun to
provide strong leadership in setting provincial
developmental priorities. Governor Mangal demonstrates
interest and skill in including departmental directors,
district governors, and village elders in discussions about
provincial priorities. His abilities are based in part on
his prior experience as a member of the Emergency Loya
Jirga, South East Regional Coordinator for the 2002
Constitutional Commission, and his recent tenure as
Governor of Paktika province. Mangal informed PRToff that
he has no family or other political ties to President
Karzai and believed Karzai chose him for his current
appointment based on past good performance. He added that
he intends to stay in the job until told his services are
no longer needed. His current focus is on power, roads,
and education.

Afghan Army and Police Showing Some Progress
--------------


6. (SBU) The capabilities of the Afghan National Army
(ANA),Afghan National Police (ANP) and NDS in Laghman has
fluctuated since the summer of 2006. The ANA rotated four
new companies through the province during the last ten
months. While the operational capabilities have increased
within each company, this rotation negatively impacted the
coordination between the ANA, ANP, and NDS.


7. (SBU) ANP performance improved with the arrival of
provincial Chief of Police Abdul Kariem Omaryar in October

2006. The ANP have steadily increased their capabilities
over the last ten months and, with the exception of the
Dawlet Shah District, are now able to project their
influence into all of the districts with limited success.
The major problems with the ANP continue to include a lack
of adequate equipment and corruption. The ANP are more
capable of providing security of the district centers,
however, beyond those locations, their capabilities are
severely limited. PRT officials considered Omaryar's
predecessor, Mohammed Leqha, somewhat effective but very
corrupt (reftel B). The PRT is enhancing the ANP's public
standing and capability with its Police Training Assessment
Team (PTAT) course on police tactics and procedures. The
course focuses on imparting police ethics, professional
image and basic techniques to include suspect and vehicle
searches and patrolling. Graduates will train fellow ANP
officers when they return to their duties. The PRT plans
to conduct two 10-15 man courses per month throughout the
spring. A provincial communications center building built
with CERP funds in Mehtarlam will enhance capability by
allowing Afghan security forces to coordinate responses to

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provincial emergencies.

Agrarian Economy Has Potential, Needs Infrastructure
Development
-------------- --------------


8. (U) According to provincial government statistics, 80
percent of Laghman's population of 593,000 depends on
agriculture and animal husbandry for their livelihood
according to provincial government statistics. The main
crops produced from about 116,000 hectares of cultivatable
land are wheat, rice, corn, beans, various vegetables and
cheese. Laghman has significant water resources; however,
inadequate and badly damaged irrigation systems limit
farmers' ability to harness the resource effectively. One
of the most common requests from provincial officials and
citizens and one of the most promising options for
increasing agricultural output is the construction of
dams. However, the lack of hydrological and seismologic
data makes donors unwilling to fund such activity.
According to the province's Director of Agriculture, a lack
of improved wheat seeds and modern agriculture machinery
poses a significant challenge for Laghman's farmers.
Inadequate roads and electricity limit access to markets
from remote areas and make it difficult to establish a
manufacturing base. The last industrial plant, a plastics
factory, closed when it could not compete with Pakistani
firms. The provincial Director of Economics stated that
the province would like to open a plant to process
sugarcane when sufficient power sources become available.
An early draft of a provincial development strategy
identifies shrinking job opportunities as the cause for
Laghman's youth either traveling to foreign countries to
seek jobs or resorting to illegal activities.

Governor Mangal and PDC Energizing Reconstruction Efforts
-------------- --------------


9. (U) Laghman made strides in setting priorities for
reconstruction efforts over the last six months. In August
and September 2006, the USAID Field Program Officer (FPO)
from Jalalabad led a strategic planning workshop that
involved over 60 Laghman government officials, ulema, and
top elders. These sessions yielded a consensus list of
strategic development goals to form the basis of a
provincial development plan. However, from late September
through December, MRRD in Kabul did not provide a mentoring
team to guide the interim PDC through the Provincial
Development Plan building process.


10. (U) The addition of a USAID FPO to the PRT and a visit
from the CJTF-82 commander seeking CERP funding proposals,
have motivated provincial leadership to identify
reconstruction priorities and begin drafting a provincial
development strategy. The provincial government considered
its developmental priorities in coordination with UNAMA,
USAID, the MRRD, and the PRT. Projects were identified in
part for their ability to address specific criteria
proposed by CJTF-82, including their likelihood for
providing short and long term economic and security
benefits. The process identified three projects for road
construction, three projects for water supply, four
projects for flood protection, and a request for heavy
equipment to assist in planting and harvesting. A more
comprehensive provincial development plan addressing
security, governance, social and economic sector issues is
currently underway. Participants are presently awaiting
additional guidance and training from the MRRD in Kabul.


11. (U) The top priority is the widening, leveling and
surfacing of a 46 kilometer road from Mehtarlam, the
provincial capital, to the Dawlet Shah District Center.
Approximately USD 8 million of CERP funding for the road is
pending CJTF-82 approval - roughly enough for the stretch
from Mehtarlam to the upper Alishang river valley (between
the Alishang and Dawlet Shah District centers). This

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funding level would be enough to connect two of Laghman's
five district centers, Mehtarlam and Alishang, and more
than 100 villages, facilitating access to markets and
services for more than 50,000 people. The existing road is
unimproved, extremely rocky and uneven, narrow and
degrading rapidly. In some areas it is simply the clearest
path through large boulders. An improved road would also
provide faster and safer access for ANA, ANP, and ISAF
forces to remote and unstable areas in the northeast of the
province. The road priority complements the USD 8.4
million Army Corp of Engineer project to widen and
resurface the road from Mehtarlam to Nuristan province in
Alingar District scheduled for completion in September

2007.


12. (U) CJTF-82 approved USD 500,000 in CERP funds at the
beginning of January 2007 for the PRT and is reviewing an
additional USD 1.5 million for projects identified above as
priorities by Governor Mangal and the PDC. Projects under
consideration for funding include the Gonapal Road and
Dumbulam Bridge in Alishang District as well as another
road and vehicle bridge in the Kundagal valley. Both
projects would help extend government presence and market
access to two remote valleys and enhance security in these
areas. Other projects address PDC requests for flood
protection walls, improvements to irrigation systems and
canals, refurbishment of buildings to establish a
provincial motor pool maintenance facility, and purchase of
five tractors and associated equipment.


13. (U) Prior CERP projects have also focused on current
provincial development priorities. CERP funds have
supported 50 projects worth USD 1.77 million during FY06
and FY07 with an emphasis on roads, bridges, the power
grid, and water infrastructure. The PRT has also
concentrated CERP expenditures on education, health care,
religious, and government related projects.


14. (U) USAID has already provided USD 6.5 million toward
provincial development goals under the Alternative
Livelihoods Program (ALP) during FY 05 and 06. A similar
amount is budgeted for FY 07. Examples of ALP programs in
Laghman include infrastructure development, cash-for-work,
fruit orchard development, and institutional management
training classes for the provincial government.


15. (U) In spring 2007, USAID is implementing 5 projects
worth about USD 470,000 under the Local Governance and
Community Development Program (LGCD) focused on
constructing irrigation canals and flood protection walls.
An assessment of provincial and municipal capacity to
deliver services and address citizen needs is currently
underway and should be completed in April, 2007. Once the
assessment is complete future LGCD projects in the area of
capacity building for such institutions will be considered.

Electricity Slowly Becoming Available
--------------


16. (U) Laghman is slowly obtaining greater access to power
through grid construction in Mehtarlam and PRT-funded
micro-hydro projects. Power distribution in the province
is limited to Mehtarlam, the provincial capital. The
Russians installed the original power grid in 1984 with the
intent of covering Mehtarlam District and used six 160
kilowatt Czechoslovakian generator sets as the primary
power source. The original power cables were subterranean
and supplied power to an ice factory, plastics shop, metal
fabricators, carpenters and a few residences. During war
with the Soviets and under Taliban rule, rocket attacks
against one of the power plants, stolen parts, and cut
cables gradually degraded the system. Makeshift repairs
did little to keep the system up and running.


17. (U) The PRT has made initial efforts to reconstruct the
power grid in Mehtarlam. In May 2006, the preceding PRT

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command signed a contract for rebuilding the electric
transmission distribution network that will provide 800
homes with power. A new 250 kilovolt CAT diesel and
another new 500 kilovolt generator will power the system.
In addition to the city system, there are about 100
micro-hydro plants (MHP) in the province built with funding
from the PRT, the NSP program, or individual communities.
The Mehtarlam project has been slow to take off since the
contractor lacks the experience and technical guidance to
handle safety issues. With additional PRT funding and
technical assistance, the project will add greatly to
Mehtarlam's power infrastructure.


18. (U) The PRT is addressing the heavy reliance on small
individually owned diesel generators for power in the rest
of the province. The PRT has completed or started eight
MHPs in Laghman; these water driven turbines each generate
15-25 kilowatts and power 25-300 houses. Most residents
pay approximately 30-60 Afghanis a month for a light bulb
used mostly at night. During the day the channeled water
can also be used for operating a grinding mill or hot water
tank for washing clothes. In addition to the PRT-provided
MHPs, there are a couple of cases, such as the village of
Ghaziabad in Alishang District, where private citizens have
invested in their own MHPs and charge approximately 60
Afghani per month to power their village from a pair of 7.5
kilovolt systems. This is a model that the PRT is pointing
out to other villages as an example of how to keep their
MHP profitable and operational once it is up and running.


19. (U) In the medium term, Laghman may acquire additional
power resources. In 2010, a main power grid from the
Surobi Dam is slated to bring power up from Qarghayi
District to Mehtarlam. The extent of the transmission line
is unknown at this time.

Refugee Returns Ebb, Possible Small Surge in 2007
--------------


20. (U) UNHCR-Jalalabad reports that Laghman has aQeady
received most of the returnees expected in the province and
UNHCR is closing out most of its project activities. From
2002 to October 2006, 648,169 persons or 115,400 families
have returned to Laghman. Of this total, 3,501 persons or
569 families returned in 2006 (March-October timeframe).
Returnee totals are divided evenly along gender lines.
UNHCR anticipates the 2007 closure of two refugee camps in
Peshawar that may result in up to 30,000 returnees to the
eastern provinces covered by the Jalalabad office. Laghman
would be a likely recipient of some portion of this
amount.


21. (U) UNHCR is phasing out its activity in Laghman in
relation to the overall decrease in the returnee rate and
plans to end project support in 2007. In 2006, UNHCR
coordinated its general support of returnees with the MRRD
and provided 340 shelters for returnees throughout Laghman
but the majority of assistance focused on projects in
Mehtarlam and Qarghayi Districts. UNHCR assistance in
these two districts included resettlement of 18 families
relocating from Kabul to Qarghayi, a beekeeping project for
income generation, food distribution, two school tents, a
protection wall, and a micro-hydro plant.

Women's Issues Need More Attention
--------------


22. (U) Provincial government interest in promoting women's
affairs remains a low priority. The Director of Women's
Affairs lacks capacity to plan and organize projects and
was sent by Kabul-based officials without a program budget
and told to approach the PRT for resources. Outreach from
the PRT military officer for humanitarian affairs is one of
the only sources of assistance and mentoring support in the
last year. Recent activities include DAI (USAID
implementing partner) funded English training classes for

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female employees of the Department of Women's Affairs, a
skills training program supported by Afghan Blind
Migration, and a celebration of International Woman's Day.
However, the province needs effective leadership and
additional funding to create more opportunities in this
area.

Media Outreach Will Expand With New Radio Transmitters
-------------- -


23. (U) Radio, television, and print media exist to varying
degrees in Laghman. The province has one 150 watt
transmitter (97.2 FM) that operates for six hours a day and
offers music and limited newscasts developed at the
provincial level; there are no rebroadcasts of Kabul
programs. Current transmissions cover only the central
portion of Laghman although listeners can receive
broadcasts from neighboring provinces depending on
location. Residents in the Najil area of the upper
Alishang district told PRToff that they cannot receive
radio transmissions for example. A USD 350,000 CERP
project will expand radio coverage by adding two 500 watt
transmitters and broadcast center building in Mehtarlam and
repeaters in Alishang and Dawlet Shah Districts by April

2007. One of the transmitters will be government owned;
the other will be an independent radio station. (Comment:
Governor Mangal debuted a weekly call-in radio show on
January 29, a welcome development since he has not been
using this resource to communicate his vision for the
province or progress on security or reconstruction
efforts. End Comment.)


24. (U) Television and especially print media remain
underdeveloped and provincial directors lack capacity to
marshal resources to widen their use. Television from
Kabul is rebroadcast for two hours a day and there is
widespread interest in watching. Print media is nearly
nonexistent; the government produces about 1000 copies of
the provincial newspaper two times per month, Alingar
District issues an occasional magazine, and Mehtarlam has
an occasional paper aimed at young adults. Printing
services are contracted in Kabul and Jalalabad due to the
lack of printing presses in the province. The Directors of
Radio/TV and Information/Culture do not have sufficient
capacity to develop media resources or communication
strategies. Governor Mangal would like to replace them.

Comment
--------------


25. (U) There is good reason to be cautiously optimistic
about the future of Laghman province Governor Mangal is a
positive influence and new capacity building efforts will
likely improve the effectiveness of the PDC, subject to the
constraints posed by a lack of financial resources and
authority. The noticeable lack of NGO presence needs
attention and is a potential significant source of funding
and capacity building, particularly in the areas of women's
affairs, health, and education. Laghman's agrarian economy
has potential to expand and provide job growth. New
infrastructure and investment are vital to maintain gains
in counterinsurgency efforts. Laghman's population is
telling us that jobs are their main concern, not security,
but the province needs to maintain the current reduction
from the 2006 threat level to allow reconstruction to
progress rapidly and extend the reach of the government to
remote areas. PRT efforts to train the ANA and ANP and
build their professional image are vital in this regard.
The population residing nearby specific development
projects appears grateful. However, more could be done to
build general awareness of the total ISAF and GoA effort
throughout the province. Governor Mangal's recent radio
outreach is a step in the right direction but we should
seek out opportunities to advertise successes through
public speaking and media outreach.


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NEUMANN