STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP SECURITY WORKING GROUP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000661

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, S/CT,
EUR/RPM, INL/CIVPOL
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG,
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN
OSD FOR SHIVERS
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MARR SNAR NATO AF
SUBJECT: STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP SECURITY WORKING GROUP
FOCUSES ON ANSF DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY ASSISTANCE PLANNING,
MOI REFORM


1. (SBU) Summary: The February 15 Strategic
Partnership Working Group meeting ranged broadly over
issues related to building Afghan National Security
Force capacity and increasing security sector links.
The discussion covered the growth, equipping, and
capacity building of both the army and police, with a
particular emphasis on training and long-term
programs, including the need for an Afghan vision for
the security forces based on a threat assessment. The
Afghan side warmly welcomed the U.S. delegation and
expressed its support of the Security Partnership as
an expression of the commitment of the United States
to Afghanistan. Both sides agreed that the Working
Group talks were very productive and set the stage for
a successful Plenary meeting. End summary.


2. (SBU) The Security Working Group of the U.S.-
Afghanistan Strategic Partnership met on February 15
in Kabul. The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of
Defense (MOD) Wardak and Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense Shinn. Attendance on the Afghan

SIPDIS
side included Deputy Minister of Interior Khalid and
senior officials of the Ministries of Defense and
Interior as well as a representative from the National
Directorate of Security. The U.S. delegation included
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Senior
Advisorfor Central Asia Mitchell Shivers, Afghanistan
Policy Director John Kreul and Country Director
Madeline LePage from the Office of the Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy, Commander Gene Black from the
Joint Staff J5/Central and South Asia Division, and
Brett Floro from Defense Security Cooperation Agency
(DSCACombined Security Transition Command -
Afghanistan (CSTC-A) Deputy Commanding General for Pol-
Mil Affairs and Deputy Commanding General for Programs
represented CSTC-A. Polmiloff represented the
U.S. Embassy and Department of State.

Introductory Remarks
--------------


3. (SBU) MOD Wardak opened the meeting by stating
that the U.S. and Afghanistan had common goals, and
that the Strategic Partnership was the beginning of a
new era of cooperation. The agreement was a great
political victory for the Afghan people, he said, and
this meeting was the first step in working out the
practical steps to implement it. He emphasized the
need for a long-term vision so that Afghanistan can
work toward the goal of independent self-defense,
citing the costs on the US of continued presence in
Afghanistan, and the Afghan desire to one day be an
allied provider of assistance to the US. PDASD Shinn
reviewed the Security Working Group agenda,
emphasizing the connections between the topics and the
declaration: there are 6 topics to cover, the first 4
fit together as capacity building and the last 2 to
build ongoing links between our governments.

Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF)
Development
--------------


4. (SBU) Commander Black briefed on the status of
ANSF development, including the plan to increase the
size of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan
National Police (ANP) and supply better equipment. It
was agreed that U.S. support for the ANA and ANP not
only builds Afghan capacity, it also sends a message
to our enemies that we are committed to a long-term
partnership. Several challenges were identified,
including the need to establish a red-amber-green

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troop rotation cycle, which will require a larger
number of ANA troops to backfill those on leave and
training (it was noted that the British keep a full
company for each platoon deployed in Helmand, so that
troops can be rotated out of the battle); increased
ability of ANA to rapidly come to the assistance of
ANP, which will require increasing ANA airlift
capability; and the tremendous needs of the ANP - and
with them, the need for the ANP leadership to commit
to making necessary changes so that it can benefit
from the new resources being requested from the USG by
CSTC-A. Deputy Minister Khalid emphasized that it is
important for all Afghan National Police to be trained
and equipped to address narcotics, not just the
Counternarcotics Police Afghanistan (CNPA). MOD
Wardak alluded to his desire to increase the size of
the ANA.

Security Assistance
--------------


5. (SBU) In his briefing on security assistance, Brett
Floro explained that to prepare for the time when
procurement procedures return to the authorities
of the Foreign Military Sales program, the ANA will
need to develop the personnel to take over many of the
duties now performed by CSTC-A. Minister Wardak said
that in order to develop a weapons procurement program
that meets Afghanistan,s needs, the GOA will need to
articulate its long-term vision for the ANA. This
vision needs to be based on a threat-based assessment
of Afghanistan,s security needs. Wardak committed to
provide a framework presentation at the Strategic
Partnership plenary meeting. Subsequent Security
Working Group meetings will flesh out the details.

Professional Military Education (PME)
--------------


6. (SBU) After a brief by Commander Black on PME
programs available to ANA personnel both in the U.S.
(International Military Education and Training or
IMET) and at the Kabul Military Training Center
(KMTC),discussion turned to how best to meet the
needs of the younger generation of military officers
and NCOs. The Afghan side emphasized the need to
focus on English language training for ANA personnel,
since without sufficient language skills the training
recipients are not able to derive full benefit from
the instruction they receive. Another key point was
the lack of capacity in the non-combat ranks of the
ANA, requiring heavy reliance on contractors for such
support functions as maintenance. Minister Wardak
remarked that it would be useful to formalize a
comprehensive training regimen in Afghanistan to
prepare future military leaders, starting with junior
officers and technical support staff and only
gradually shifting emphasis to senior training.
Deputy Minister Khalid noted that there is no
equivalent to KMTC or IMET advanced leadership
programs for the ANP and said that much more needs to
be done to develop advanced police training.

MOI Anti-Corruption Efforts
--------------


7. (SBU) Deputy Minister Khalid gave a presentation on
Ministry of Interior (MOI) reform efforts and the link
to anti-corruption programs. While admitting that
professionalizing the MOI remains a big task, he
pointed out that significant progress has been made in
the last 12 months, including removing a number of

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corrupt or incompetent police chiefs and instituting
new systems for recruiting and vetting as well as pay
and rank reform. It was agreed that these
improvements need to be systematized with an ANP
personnel program that provides for promotions and
career-enhancing assignments, but that also provides a
way to remove non-performing officers without the need
for extensive involvement of the Minister and Deputy
Minister. In addition, the Afghan side emphasized the
need for more progress in the justice sector, so that
those who are criminally malfeasant can be prosecuted.
Deputy Minister Khalid said that accountability needed
to start at the top, by punishing corrupt senior
leadership. He emphasized that corruption is the most
serious problem faced by Afghanistan and is also a
security issue, since it emboldens the enemy and
disheartens the police on the ground.

Parliamentary Exchange and Defense Cooperation Forum
-------------- --------------


8. (SBU) Two programs proposed at the March 2006
Strategic Partnership talks were reviewed by the
Working Group. Regarding the Interparliamentary
Exchange on Defense Issues, Minister Wardak said he
welcomed the program as an opportunity to increase the
understanding of Members of Parliament regarding their
responsibilities in the security area so that they can
play a constructive role in cooperation with the
executive branch. On the Defense Cooperation Forum
concept, Wardak said that was an excellent proposal
and that the Afghan side viewed the Forum as an
additional assurance that the partnership will remain
vital and Afghanistan would not be forgotten.
Regarding the draft Terms of Reference presented by
the U.S. side, Wardak said that the GOA is agreed on
the principle and the details of planning the meetings
can be worked out separately.

Conclusion
--------------


9. (SBU) In concluding the session, Minister Wardak
and PDASD Shinn both agreed that the meeting had been
very useful and had set the stage for the Plenary
session. Senior Advisor Shivers reviewed the key
points of the meeting, with an emphasis on continued
cooperation and equal partnership between the U.S. and
Afghanistan. Both sides left this session with a
sense that solidification of the partnership
continues.


10. (U) PDASD Shinn cleared this cable.


NEUMANN