PRT HERAT: IRAN AS A MULTI-FACETED ACTOR IN HERAT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 002334

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, SA/PB, S/CT,
EUR/RPM AND NEA
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN
OSD FOR SHIVERS
CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A. CG CJTF-82 POLAD, JICCENT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC MARR IR AF
SUBJECT: PRT HERAT: IRAN AS A MULTI-FACETED ACTOR IN HERAT
PROVINCE

REF: KABUL 2324

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Carol Rodley for reasons
1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (S) SUMMARY: Iran's strategic and economic
interests in western Afghanistan, and particularly in
Herat, are expressed in a mix of traditional (mostly
soft) and non-traditional (harder-edged) engagements.
While Iran's sponsorship of official and unofficial
crossborder delegations and aid/development projects
is welcome by Afghanistan, evidence of Iranian-
manufactured weapons in Herat (recently witnessed by
PRTOff) is of growing concern to Afghan officials who
voice concern over Iran's potentially destabilizing
influence in the province. END SUMMARY

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SOFT POWER
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2. (C) Iran maintains a strong and obvious presence in
Herat. The robustly-staffed Iranian Consulate-General
in Herat (33 officially accredited diplomats)
facilitates ministerial delegations and a effective
and wide-ranging program of lower level exchanges.
These include student-faculty exchanges with the
university and inviting Herat Provincial Council
members to meet their counterparts in Mashad, Iran.
A large Iranian trade delegation recently visited the
province. It included investors representing the
dairy industry, medical procurement services, flour
and pasta factory owners, electrical appliances,
machinery and tools, engineering services and
commercial insurance. Afghan industries in these same
sectors are concerned that the local businesses will
not be able to withstand a concerted and significant
Iranian challenge.


3. (C) Iran's traditional cultural influence in
western Afghanistan is being reinforced by GOI
cultural projects. It recently dedicated three
library facilities at the university in Herat - the
Pilgrimage library, the new Herat
University library, and the library of the Women's
Affairs Department.

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HARD WEAPONS
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4. (S) Iran is also providing weapons to Afghans. In
April, the Herat PTS Director showed PRToff weapons
that were turned in by Taliban reconcilees. These
weapons included light weapons and grenade launchers
and bore the stamps of the Iranian factories where
they were manufactured, primarily in 2006 and 2007.
According to the PTS Director, the reconcilees had
claimed they received training in the Birjand, Zabul,
Chaloos, and Karaj provinces of Iran and said that
Iranian officials promised them access to anti-
aircraft rockets. The Afghan Ministry of Interior
(MOI) reported that the Herat Regional Police Command
located SA-7 missiles supplied by Iran and that a
number of local residents are reputedly on the
receiving end of the Iranian weapons supply line,
including Mullah Abdul Hamid Eshaqzi and Nassrullah
Khan (the titular successor and son of former
assassinated Warlord Amunallah Khan). According to
MOI, Shindand district, located in the southern part
of Herat province, is a major conduit of illegal arms,
supplies and narcotics to and from Iran. This
contributes to Shindand volatility.


5. (S) Ghoryan's District Governor stated that
Iranian elements have instigated Ghoryan residents to
demonstrate against the upgrade of the Shindand

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Airbase. He claimed that many senior officials of his
district and others are direct, paid agents of the
Iranian regime. These Afghan officials allegedly meet
with Iranian intelligence officials (the Iranian
Intelligence Service 113) multiple times every month
in Iran and are issued multiple-entry visas for easy
access. The District Governor added his view that
major Jamiat and former Jihadist figures maintain
close links with Iran. He said they consider their
western neighbor an "elder brother." The District
Governor says that relatives of senior local NDS
operatives enjoy these multiple-entry visas to Iran.
He mentioned the elder brother of the local district
prosecutor in Ghoryan district as being among these
agents.

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MUSCLE FLEXING AND RECRUITING
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6. (S) PRToff's principal interlocutors from NDS and
other GOA agencies assert that Iran could have
substantial destabilizing influence if it chose.
There was concern expressed in March, when Iran
undertook major maneuver operations in Tayebaad and
Torbate Jam without any warning to GOA authorities.
Local GOA authorities saw these maneuvers as
aggressive and resented the Iranian muscle-flexing.
The maneuvers coincided with the detention of five
Iranian diplomats in Iraq.


7. (S) The ANP Police Chief showed PRToff a recent
police report in FARSI, detailing the debriefing of an
Afghan male, recruited by the IGRC to a training camp
in Birjand, Iran. He was told to return to
Afghanistan and recruit others. The IGRC reportedly
recruits Afghan youth with the promise of large
bonuses for service in Iraq against Coalition forces.
This particular Afghan recruit had been issued an
Iranian identification document and given 2.5 million
Tomans, which were deposited into an Iranian bank
account. The recruit reported that units of seventy
men each were trained in Birjand to serve with the
Mahdi Army in the Basra region of Iraq. This recruit
claimed he fled to Turkey, then back to Iran, and
eventually returned to his home in Afghanistan.

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DEPORTEES AND MEDIA MANIPULATION
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8. (C) Approximately 140,000 Afghans have been
deported by Iran since April 21 (ref). Others left
voluntarily before Iranian authorities evicted them.
The flow continues through the border crossing point
at Islam Qala. The rough treatment dealt to some of
the deportees in Iran has been featured in television
and audio broadcasts. There have been claims of
several deaths and numerous instances of physical
mistreatment by Iranian authorities. The Iranian
Consul-General in Herat responded to the reports with
a letter to the station protesting the coverage of the
deportee issue. This letter, in turn, provoked anger
from provincial leaders who complained that the
station was being manipulated by Iran. Herat TV
showed viewers the letter written by the Iranian CG.
Text follows:


9. (U) Text of Letter: From the Consulate-General of
Islamic Republic of Iran in Herat:

In the name of God, the Most Merciful and
Compassionate

Dear Mr. Hassamudin SHAMS
Director, Herat National TV and Radio


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Greetings,

Taking into consideration that Herat TV has published
interviews contrary to reality and truth regarding
physically abusing and beating up illegal Afghan
refugees recently repatriated to Afghanistan, and
other slander and lies against the Islamic Republic of
Iran, it is now expected that in the future you will
respect the principles of a free media by not
publishing or airing fake news that is designed to
adversely affect the fraternal, friendly and
historical relations of our two countries. We ask
Herat TV to take action upon receipt of this letter,
in order to further enlighten the Afghan public, based
on your current Afghan media climate and rules
pertaining to free speech.

Najafi MANESH
Consul-General

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PLAYING WITH THE TIGER
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10. (C) Edgy about the harder elements of Iranian
influence, Afghan officials are calibrating their
reaction. In June, Herat Governor Anwari accepted yet
another donation from the Iranian Consul-General -
five new Samand vehicles produced under license in
Iran from BMW to be used for "protocol purposes,"
including presumably the weekly delegation of official
Iranians. Iranian Consul-General has promised the
Governor renewed attention on development efforts, and
has stated that a team of development experts will
travel to Herat from Iran in the near future.
WOOD