ISAF AND PAKISTAN MILITARY AGREE TO BEGIN PLANNING

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002839

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA
NSC FOR WOOD
OSD FOR WILKES
CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-101 POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2013
TAGS: MOPS PREL PGOV AF PK PTER
SUBJECT: ISAF AND PAKISTAN MILITARY AGREE TO BEGIN PLANNING
FOR COORDINATED BORDER OPERATIONS

REF: KABUL 02601

Classified By: Special Advisor, TF Duke, RC-E, Jeremy Brenner for reaso
n 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S) Summary: At a Border Security Subcommittee Meeting
(BSSM) on October 18, Pakistani Army and Frontier Corps,
ISAF, Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan Border Police
(ABP) commanders agreed to begin planning coordinated
offensive operations designed to deny safe haven to
insurgents on either side of the border. Pakistani military
operations inside the Bajaur Agency will continue, with the
current focus on internal stability operations to shift
toward border management at the end of
November. Pakistani officers estimate that as many as 950
insurgent reinforcements have entered Pakistan since the
operations began. End summary.

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FATA Operations
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2. (C) The 38th meeting of the BSSM was held at the Khyber
Border Coordination Center on October 18. The BSSM brings
together Flag-rank officers from the Pakistani military and
Frontier Corps with counterparts from ISAF and the Afghan
Army and Border Police to discuss border issues of common
interest. This meeting began with a pull-aside session
between Brigadier General (BG) Milley, CJTF 101 Deputy
Commanding General for Operations and Pakistani General
Tariq, 11th Corps
Commander. BG Milley conveyed the desire expressed by
COMISAF General McKiernan for the conduct of mutually
supportive military operations on both sides of the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border. General Tariq explained that
the Pakistani military operations in the Bajaur Agency of the
Federally Administer Tribal Area (FATA) began this August
when the government concluded that national integrity was
threatened by the activities of militants who had integrated
into the population in remote safe havens and had established
hardened military defenses.

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Maintaining Internal Stability
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3. (C) General Tariq said that Pakistani forces were
conducting two related campaigns. One is focused on
establishing internal stability and maintaining open lines of
communication with neighboring Agencies through hostile
territory. The other "fight" centers on border management,
however, the current focus is on internal stability.
According to Tariq, once the local population recognizes that
the military is conducting serious operations aimed at
eliminating the militant presence, tribes organize themselves
under the tradition of "Lashkar" to raise a force of armed
men to drive the militants from their territory. The
Lashkars clear only their own territory, although Tariq said
that the success of one tribe inspires neighboring tribes to
act as well.

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Coordinated Border Operations
--------------


4. (S) General Tariq said that the internal stability
operations would end by the end of November, and the force
posture would shift to the border. Tariq asked for
assistance now from ISAF in controlling the border. The
General said that the Frontier Corps operations, coupled with
effective support from tribal Lashkars had driven the
militants out of many areas. He told BG Milley that
as many as 950 fighters had returned to Pakistan from
Afghanistan and were reinforcing the militants inside Bajaur
Agency. The number of fighters inside Bajaur was estimated
at 2000 at the beginning of the campaign. Pakistani forces
claim to have killed 1000, yet the insurgent strength has
been restored to initial levels. The General insisted

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(without a hint of irony) that if the logistics trail and
flow of fighters into Pakistan were cut-off, the militants
would be "finished within a week or 10 days."

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Hammer and Anvil
--------------


5. (S) Tariq said that insurgent leader Faqir Mohammed and
militant spokesman Maulvi Omar have made overtures to the
Pakistanis, which were rejected. According to Tariq,
Pakistani forces face 2000 fighters belonging to as many as
121 disparate groups connected to the Taliban, HiG, and Al
Qaeda. He asked that ISAF forces provide a "blocking force"
on the Afghan side of the border, primarily along the eastern
side of the Kunar river, to prevent the influx of fighters or
equipment into Pakistan. Colonel Spiszer, Commander of the
3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st
Infantry Division that constitutes TF Duke, said that there
are currently few friendly forces east of the Kunar river,
with most of his forces engaged in the populated valleys. BG
Milley pointed out that ISAF military operations along the
Pakistan border require close coordination due to recent
incidents in which there were exchanges of fire between ISAF
and Pakistani forces. He noted a significant increase in
Opposing Militant Force activity in the last 45 days and
agreed that coordinated operations would yield positive
results. Staff-level operations officers began to draft a
concept of operations for such coordinated offensive
operations, and BG Milley proposed that a date be set for
detailed planning at CJTF 101 Headquarters in Bagram. BG
Milley was invited to the Frontier Corps HQ in Peshawar to
conduct detailed coordination.


6. (S) With the impending arrival of additional forces, TF
Duke expects to be able to position forces east of the Kunar
river as soon as January. In the meantime, the Pakistani
officers called for improved communication and coordination,
especially in the sharing of intelligence. They insisted
that if given the necessary information, they would
immediately go after the "common enemy."


7. (C) In contrast to a number of Border Flag Meetings, the
tone of this BSSM was positive and without rancor. The
Pakistani officers made it clear that their instructions were
coming from the "very top," and the "common enemy" theme was
prevalent throughout.
WOOD