PRT JALALABAD: FALLOUT FROM MILITARY OPERATION IN NANGARHAR;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001478

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016
TAGS: MCAP MOPS PREL PGOV PTER PHUM AF
SUBJECT: PRT JALALABAD: FALLOUT FROM MILITARY OPERATION IN NANGARHAR;
KARZAI CONCERNED

Classified By: Ambassador William Wood for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On the night of April 28, coalition and Afghan
National Security Forces (ANSF) conducted an operation against a
suicide bomb cell in the vicinity of Bati Kot, about 20 miles
southeast of Jalalabad. In the course of the operation, four
insurgents as well as a woman and teenage girl were killed. Two
other girls, a 15 year-old and a three year-old, were injured. The
following day between 500-1000 area residents temporarily blocked the
highway linking Jalalabad and the border to protest the deaths as
well as the evacuation of the two injured females to the U.S. medical
facility at the Bagram Airfield (BAF) without the escort of a male
relative. Particularly coming against the backdrop of the March 4
incident in Nangahar in which U.S. Marine Special Forces killed 15
civilians and injured 35 others after coming under attack, Governor
Sherzai quickly returned to the province to help quell
concerns. With the help of his intervention, along with a visit by
two village elders to the BAF medical facility, the situation
appeared to be calming as of April 30. This incident, and the public
affairs fall-out of a separate clash in Shindand District of Herat
Province on April 28-29 in which ANA and U.S. forces were involved
and in which civilians were allegedly killed, underscore the
challenge of addressing the serious security problems facing
Afghanistan while minimizing civilian casualties and disruption to
the lives of local residents. President Karzai expressed concern
that these incidents could affect popular attitudes toward ISAF and
the Coalition in a May 2 meeting with his security advisors, the
Ambassadors from U.S., EU, NATO and UN SRSG, and COMISAF. Karzai
said a fourth day of demonstrations was underway in Jalalabad
(today's was peaceful) and called for better coordination before and
after military (especially SOF) operations. He assigned MOD Wardak
to engage with COMISAF on this matter. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On the evening of April 28 Coalition and Afghan National
Security Forces conducted an operation to capture a suicide vehicle
borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) cell operating in the Bati
Kot area in Nangarhar. During the operation, Coalition Forces killed
four militants as well as an adult woman and a 15-year old girl.
Another 15 year-old girl and a 3 year-old girl were wounded, the
former suffering a femur fracture and the latter lacerations to the
right arm. The two girls, together with a female relative of the
three year-old, were
airlifted to the U.S. military hospital at Bagram Airfield (BAF) for
treatment.

TRANSFER OF GIRLS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT INCITES PROTESTS
-------------- ---


3. (SBU) On the morning of April 29 between 500 and 1000 area
residents blocked the Torkham-Jalalabad highway in Markoh Bazaar in
the Shinwar District in response to the incident. The crowd,
carrying the bodies of the men killed, chanted anti-American slogans
and demanded the immediate return of the two injured girls, even if
doing so would result in their deaths. The crowd dispersed around 2
p.m. after Governor Sherzai's representatives arrived with
caskets and funds for funeral expenses and convinced the leaders to
stop inciting the crowd and displaying the bodies of the men killed
in the operation. The Governor, who had been out of the province,
returned quickly to deal with the situation, met with the PRT, and
intervened with village elders.


4. (SBU) The issue of the two girls, particularly the
teenager, appeared to be a real flashpoint. The local
community was troubled by the prospect of the teenager being treated
by male doctors and nurses in a facility also housing male patients
without a family member or community leader present. PRT Jalalabad
arranged for two elders, a distant relative of the girls, a female
medic, an Afghan doctor, and the Commander of TF
Spartan to travel to BAF on the evening of the 29th. Once there, the
elders were able to establish that the teenager was being kept
segregated from other patients and receiving care from female doctors
and nurses. This, together with a realization that the complicated
treatment for the teenager's leg could not be continued in an Afghan
facility and that premature transfer would likely result in permanent
deformity instead of the otherwise expected full recovery,
the elders agreed that she should remain at BAF until the leg is

KABUL 00001478 002 OF 002


stabilized (3-5 days). They returned to Nangahar the following day,
along with the three year-old, who was ready for release. While at
BAF, the elders also agreed to try to quiet fears at home regarding
the teenager's treatment. Meanwhile, PRT officials located a brother
of the 15-year-old and had him airlifted to Bagram.

GOVERNOR SHERZAI SUPPORTIVE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Following the April 30 protests, Governor Sherzai held met
with PRT officials and pleaded for the USG to assist Karzai, who
Sherzai maintains is losing local support in Nangarhar. On April 30,
Governor Sherzai held a press conference defending the actions of the
Afghan and ISAF forces as appropriate." The DCM called Governor
Sherzai's office to convey thanks for his support. During a smaller
demonstration in Jalalabad on May 1, students
burned an effigy of President Bush, chanted anti-American slogans and
called for President Karzai to step down.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) This incident comes at a time when the PRT had come to
believe it had finally "turned the corner" on the March 4 incident in
the same area. The PRT's April 29 meeting with Governor Sherzai had
actually
been pre-arranged to introduce the Navy CSI team that
recently arrived to investigate the March 4 shootings and possibly
bring criminal charges, emphasizing the USG desire to "do the right
thing."


7. (C) In Nangahar Province, particularly areas of the south,
insurgents are stepping up operations as the weather improves and the
poppy harvest winds down. With a long season of hostilities ahead,
further incidents cannot be excluded, and we will need to be ready to
respond quickly. We have a very constructive partner in Governor
Sherzai.


8. (C) KARZAI CONCERNED: President Karzai raised the Jalalabad
incidents, as well as alleged civilian deaths stemming from April
28-29 clashes in Shindand District of Herat Province involving ANA,
U.S. forces and armed opponents, in a meeting he convened on May 2
with COMISAF Gen. McNeill, Amb. Wood, EU Rep Vendrell, UNAMA SRSG
Koenigs and NATO SCR Everts as well as his two vice presidents
(Massoud and Khalili),MOD Wardak, MOI Zarar, NSA Rassoul, NDS Saleh
and Chief of Staff Daudzai. Karzai noted there was a fourth day of
anti-Coalition demonstrations in Jalalabad (today's were peaceful).
He expressed concern that further incidents of civilian casualties
could turn segments of the Afghan population against ISAF and the
Coalition, and called for better advance coordination. Vendrell,
Everts and Koenigs echoed this. COMISAF pointed out that the facts
of each incident are still in dispute but that coordination
mechanisms do exist and the ANA is engaged. Amb. Wood said the real
issue appears to be developing an after-action strategy to contain
the situation long enough for the real truth to emerge and be
disseminated to the population. Karzai assigned MOD Wardak to work
with COMISAF on an appropriate "mechanism" to address these issues.

WOOD