PRT MEHTAR LAM: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENT

UNCLAS KABUL 001507 DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, EUR/RPM NSC FOR WOOD OSD FOR WILKES CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-101 POLAD SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ECON AF SUBJECT: PRT MEHTAR LAM: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENT BODE WELL FOR LAGHMAN PROVINCE ¶1. (U) Summary: Governance in Laghman is improving as the Provincial Council (PC) takes on a more assertive role. The coordinated development strategy in "Laghman Forward" should improve the agricultural sector. The warmer weather has brought an upswing in insurgent activity compared to the quiet winter. Relationship Between PC and Governor Evolves -------------- ¶2. (U) Lutfullah Mashal became Laghman's governor on March 1, 2008, replacing Mohammad Mangal who took over as governor of Helmand. Prior to his appointment as governor, Mashal, a Pashtun, was Advisor to the office of the National Security Council (NSC). Mashal held several positions at the NSC to include Director of Strategic Communication. He was also previously on the staff of the Christian Science Monitor and served as interpreter to former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. Mashal professes his desire to "bond with the people" of Laghman, to work closely with tribal elders, and to extend governance to the more remote areas of Laghman. The PRT views Mashal as an articulate and highly educated consensus builder. He is well-connected to Kabul and uses the media to his advantage. ¶3. (U) Cooperation between the Laghman Provincial Council (PC) and Governor Mashal is improving despite recent setbacks. Afghan authorities detained two PC members, including the chairperson, for physically assaulting members of a visiting Pakistani circus because the PC members objected to women circus performers. Another situation involved the arrest of the PC's deputy chairperson for his alleged involvement in an IED incident. No charges were brought in either incident; however, the PC refused to meet for several weeks in protest. The PC has recently begun to accept its role in provincial governance. Instead of looking to PRT staff during meetings for solutions to problems, PC members now direct questions and their constituents' concerns to the Governor and his staff. Rule of Law: Tribal Traditions Overshadow Rule of Law -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Tribal traditions still overshadow the rule of law in many areas of Laghman, despite Governor Mashal's support for the formal justice sector. Many residents continue to turn to tribal elders to solve disputes. Several of the elders' recent decisions have forced Mashal to intercede. Of particular concern was an instance when tribal elders ordered one family to give their six-year-old daughter to another family as compensation. The District Administrator and the District Chief of Police upheld the decision. Mashal interceded and ordered the families to meet and come up with a different solution to their dispute. Governor Mashal insists all district officials use and conform to the rule of law when dealing with disputes among residents, but the both the formal and informal legal systems will continue to need help and attention before rule of law establishes itself in Laghman. Development: The Laghman Forward Plan -------------- ¶5. (U) Laghman PRT, in consultation with Governor Mashal, has developed a multi-faceted plan called "Laghman Forward" that uses CERP funds for both short- and long-term development projects. A key part of the plan is the proposed construction of a government radio station in Mehtar Lam that would reach the northern-most areas of Laghman, bringing the government's message to inhabitants of these remote areas and countering the insurgent propaganda that is ever-present. ¶6. (U) Another significant project in Laghman Forward is the construction of Agricultural Empowerment Centers in each of Laghman's five districts. The Centers will have buildings for dry and cold storage in addition to a flour mill to process wheat. The Centers will allow Laghman farmers to process wheat in the province and store it for use in the winter. This will save money for farmers who traditionally sell wheat to grain merchants who process it into flour in Pakistan. The merchants then sell the flour in Laghman at four times the farmers' original price for the wheat. A cold storage facility will also allow farmers to preserve other crops for sale in winter. Care of Returnees Continues To Be a Challenge -------------- ¶7. (U) According to United Nations reports, approximately 11,700 individuals have returned to Laghman from Pakistan, with about 65 percent of those coming from the Jalozai camp. Approximately 25 percent of returning families have settled in a temporary site designated by the provincial government in the desert near Mehtar Lam. Many of these families are unable to return to their villages due to tribal conflicts, the presence of insurgents, or lack of land. UNICEF is helping to provide water, and other NGOs have started drilling test wells for water. A mobile health clinic comes to the site two times per week with plans to increase to three times. USAID-sponsored agencies are distributing additional humanitarian aid. A local tribe has complained to the PC that land currently used by the returnees belongs to their tribe. Governor Mashal has convened several meetings to try to resolve the dispute. Upswing in Insurgent Activity -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Although Laghman does not have the security problems of more volatile provinces, security continues to be a concern. In the past month, Laghman PRT has experienced rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire attacks. Information from informants led to the discovery of three 107mm rockets aimed at the PRT. IED attacks have decreased over the last six months; however, direct attacks (RPG, small arms fire) have slightly increased near Highway One in Qarghayi district. The normal upswing of insurgent activity in the summer months may explain the insurgents' increased activity. DELL