MOI MAKES PROGRESS ON FINAL PHASES OF ANP RANK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002384 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, S/CT, INL/CIVPOL, NSC FOR HARRIMAN, OSD FOR SHIVERS, CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A, CG CJTF-82, POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS PGOV AF PREL SUBJECT: MOI MAKES PROGRESS ON FINAL PHASES OF ANP RANK REFORM REF: KABUL 313 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The GOA is making progress towards completion of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) Rank Reform Process to reduce the currently over-manned Afghan National Police (ANP) officer corps to an efficient level by selecting the best qualified officers through an extensive testing, selection and vetting process. President Karzai recently signed the 2007 "Tashkil" (Force Manning Authorization) that authorized the 82,000 personnel for the MOI. The Tashkil approval is critical to assign the correct numbers of officers at the appropriate grade. Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) is working closely with the MOI Rank Reform Selection Board to complete the selection and assignment of 8,956 field and company grade ANP officers. Additionally, CSTC-A is working with post and the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) to complete vetting of the field grade officers. Completion of Rank Reform is necessary for the GOA to professionalize the ANP and move forward on police pay reform. End Summary. KARZAI SIGNS 2007 TASHKIL ¶2. (SBU) President Karzai signed the 2007 "Tashkil" (Force Manning Authorization) on July 5. The Tashkil authorizes the MOI 82,000 personnel for ANP, Afghan National Auxiliary Police (ANAP),Afghan Border Police (ABP),Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP),Counter-Narcotics Police (CNPA) as well as administrative and staff headquarters positions at MOI and throughout the country. CSTC-A police mentors worked with their MOI counterparts to develop an organizational structure for 8,959 officers to command the 73,000 police force. (Note: Previously, the MOI Rank Reform Selection Board had based their decisions based of the 2006 Tashkil that had approximately 3,000 more ANP officers than the 2007 Tashkil. End Note.) MOI SELECTION BOARD COMPLETING PHASE III TIER 2 AND PHASE IV SELECTIONS ¶3. (SBU) The MOI Rank Reform Selection Board is working with CSTC-A to complete the final two Phases of the Rank Reform process. Minister Zarar and Major General Durbin met with the MOI Selection Board June 20 and directed them to focus their efforts on completing the selection, vetting and 
assignment of approximately 8,956 ANP officers. The Board is working on completing the Phase III, Tier 2 and Phase IV Officer selections concurrently. (Note: Per reftel, Phase III Tier 2 includes field grade MOI Headquarters and other district level positions. Phase IV positions include all company grade ANP officer positions. End Note.) ¶4. (SBU) CSTC-A predicts the Selection Board will be able to complete selection for approximately 8,956 positions by August 4. (Note: There are approximately 250 positions remaining to be filled. End Note.) Additionally, CSTC-A reports that senior MOI leadership is engaged with keeping the Selection Board focused on their task. (Note: CSTC-A mentors report that both Minister Zarar and Deputy Minister Khalid have paid close attention to the Board's progress and both personally have gone to the board to redirect them to double their efforts. This is a positive development because the MOI leadership understands the importance of completing reform process and are engaged with the Selection Board to finish the work. End Note). However, the MOI understands that Rank Reform will not be completed until the field grade officers pass the human rights vetting. ¶5. (SBU) Post and UNAMA are performing human rights vetting of field grade officers. The officers who complete vetting will be eligible for direct appointment by Brigadier General Nuristiani, MOI Chief of Personnel. (Note: Per Department guidance, post is vetting all field grade Phase III officers selected for positions but will not vet Phase IV company grade officers. UNAMA previously had adopted a similar policy. End Note) The MOI is already moving forward on appointments of company grade officers while the international community conducts vetting on field grade officers. Once the Selection Board completes its task, KABUL 00002384 002 OF 002 Minister Zarar will stand the board down and create a new Rank Reform Board with different members to make additional selections for any officers that are removed in during the vetting process. COMPLETION OF RANK REFORM NECESSARY FOR FURTHER PAY REFORM ¶6. (SBU) Completion of Rank Reform is necessary to complete pay reform which will establish new salary levels for the ANP. At the June 6 Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA) Steering Committee Meeting, the international community concluded that completion of rank reform is necessary before introducing pay parity between the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). (Note: The donors to decided to support pay parity; this will raise the salary for an ANP patrolman from $70 per month to $100. However, the international community does not support increasing ANAP salaries to the ANA level because the ANAP program is a temporary arrangement to strengthen the police presence in high security risk provinces. End Note.) COMMENT ¶7. (SBU) Completion of Rank Reform will be an critical accomplishment for the MOI and the international community's efforts to reform the ANP. It is necessary for senior MOI leadership to remain engaged with the Selection Board in order for them to complete their tasks. The Selection Board will also require close monitoring by post and CSTC-A to ensure that they proceed with assignments once the selection process is concluded. WOOD