ERADICATION CONTINUES AMID DEMONSTRATIONS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001059 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG OSD FOR KIMMITT ONDCP FOR DIRECTOR STATE FOR INL/AP, INL/FO, AND INR CIA FOR CNC E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2017 TAGS: SNAR KCRM AF SUBJECT: ERADICATION CONTINUES AMID DEMONSTRATIONS AND POLITICAL GAMES Classified By: DCM Richard B. Norland for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Poppy eradication in Afghanistan on April 2 surpassed last year's total. Provisional calculations show 15,829 hectares of eradication this year compared to 15,300 hectares in 2006. In Helmand, the U.S.-funded Afghan Eradication Force (AEF) was back in the field after three days of sitting idle due to weather and political uncertainty surrounding the AEF's continued operations in the province. Governor-Led Eradication forces in Nangarhar met strong resistance and large demonstrations as Governor Shirzai stepped-up operations in Bati Kot district. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) UNODC released updated verified eradication totals for Governor-Led Eradication on April 1. TABLE: Verified GLE Results (Through 01-April-2007) Province Eradication (ha) -------------- -------------- Badakhshan 804 Badghis 123 Day Kundi 16 Farah 209 Faryab 74 Ghor 4 Helmand 484 Herat 63 Kandahar 5662 Kunar 2 Laghman 369 Nangarhar 751 Nimroz 43 Nuristan 0.25 Sar i Pul 9 Takhar 61 Uruzgan 25 Zabul 119 -------------- TOTAL: 8819 hectares ¶3. (U) The Afghan Eradication Force (AEF) eradicated approximately 800 hectares on April 2 and increased its total for the year in Helmand to 7010 hectares. Last year the AEF eradicated 1807 hectares in Helmand. The AEF operated in a region about 5km WNW of Lashkargah City on April 2, finding lush, contiguous fields of poppy. Farmers and residents gathered to watch the eradication, offering personal protests, but there was no organized resistance. Intentional flooding of some fields limited progress towards the end of the day. ¶4. (C) The AEF was only able to return to the field after reaching agreement with provincial officials and the UK's Task Force Helmand (TF-H) for two more days (at least) of activity. On March 31, Helmand's Governor Wafa had informed the AEF that it was no longer welcome and should prepare to leave the province. The Ministry of Interior (MOI),at Embassy's behest, ordered the AEF to stop packing until it had received clear orders from Kabul. President Karzai, then, contacted Governor Wafa and ordered him to provide assistance for continued operations. Karzai, relaying a message from Ambassador, who in turn was conveying instructions received from President Bush during NSC SVTC on March 30, stressed the importance of achieving 10,000 hectares of total eradication in the province. ¶5. (C/NF) Governor Wafa convened a shura on April 1 and informed district leaders that eradication will continue in Helmand, but this decision contradicts earlier promises that he made to elders from Nad Ali district, among others, that he would no longer support eradication. In an effort to provide Wafa some political cover and spread the AEF's activity throughout the region, Embassy is trying to find a location north of Lashkargah that is safe for eradication. We are encountering resistance from Task Force Helmand, which KABUL 00001059 002 OF 002 informed ISAF that it had deployed an IO campaign in advance of military operations in Babaji (about 10km north of Lashkargah City) intended to assure residents that its operations were not a precursor to eradication. ISAF tells us that TF-H did not/not clear or coordinate this IO campaign with Kabul and admits that it has interfered with other policy priorities. Nonetheless, ISAF wants us to avoid the Babaji area out of fear that the AEF will undermine the Task Force's credibility. ¶6. (C) On April 3, the AEF plans to target fields south of Lashkargah City. After that we expect Embassy and the AEF will find ourselves negotiating again with the Governor's office and Task Force Helmand for new operating locations. TF-H wants the AEF to return to Marja sub-district, a priority for us, as well, but the AEF's current location does allow for easy access to Marja, some 80km distant. We are agnostic as to location and just want the AEF to follow the poppy, but it is clear that both TF-H and Governor Wafa want the AEF to leave as soon as possible, and each party is making it difficult for the AEF to operate. TF-H refuses to permit activity to the north of Lashkargah, and Wafa is uncomfortable about hitting fields to the south of the city. President Karzai's personal intervention bought us some time and increased cooperation, but each additional hectare requires political battle and negotiation. ¶7. (U) In Nangarhar, Governor Shirzai has stepped up the pace of eradication in the wake of a visit from Embassy's Counter Narcotics Task Force Director and General Mohamad Daud, Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter Narcotics. During their visit on March 28, they traveled with the Governor to Bati Kot district and found a surprising amount of cultivation. Shirzai promised the visitors that he would personally oversee eradication operations over the next few days. UNODC informed Embassy that Nangarhar's GLE teams have eradicated 500 hectares (provisional total; not recorded in table above) in Bati Kot, alone, over the past two days. This increased activity motivated large demonstrations--reports indicated up to 1000 protesters--in Bati Kot and Chaparhar districts. Initial, unconfirmed reports from multiple sources indicate that government security forces fired upon the crowds in the two districts, killing one (or two) and wounding up to 14. Information about the demonstrations is still vague. ¶8. (U) COMMENT: We have made significant progress over the past few weeks in pushing eradication beyond last year's totals, and there is still time remaining in the eradication season. We have made it clear to Karzai and Wafa that the minimum target for Helmand is 10,000, and we have 3,000 hectares remaining. These will be the year's toughest hectares to achieve. The demonstrations in Nangarhar highlight that there are many in Afghanistan who will fight to protect their poppy fields, and the AEF is losing the element of surprise with each extra day that it remains in Helmand. Yet, while rich fields remain, we will continue to push for access. END COMMENT NEUMANN