IMPROVING OPERATIONAL COORDINATION WITH PAK-MIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002842

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: IMPROVING OPERATIONAL COORDINATION WITH PAK-MIL
ALONG THE BORDER

Classified By: DCM Christopher Dell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Combined Task Force Currahee leadership held
a Border Flag Meeting with Pakistani Military (Pak-Mil)
officials in southern Paktika province as part of an ongoing
process to enhance dialogue between the forces along the
border, build trust and improve the flow of information and
coordination. Pak-Mil highlighted the negative consequences
arising from Coalition cross-border raids and suggested that
these operations "should be avoided," though they also
commended recent tactical cooperation in disrupting
"miscreant" activity. Pak-Mil and CTF Currahee commanders
agreed to plan coordinated operations along the border to
further restrict enemy movement and infiltration. End
Summary.

--------------
PRE-EMPTING CONVERSATIONS IN A CRISIS
--------------


2. (C) CTF Currahee leadership, including the Brigade
Commander, 2-506 IN Battalion Commander, and POLAD,
participated in an October 13 Border Flag Meeting (BFM) at
Forward Operating Base Lilley in Paktika province with
Pakistani Military (Pak-Mil) Brigadier General Ali Sadiq (HQ,
116 BDE),LTC Dahir (Commander, 33d Punjab BN) and LTC
Maqbool (Commander, 20th AQ Regiment).


3. (SBU) CTF Currahee Commander opened the meeting,
commending Pak-Mil for its operational cooperation, which led
to a string of recent tactical successes in interdicting
cross-border enemy movements and attacks. He stressed the
need to continue building trust between Pak-Mil and Coalition
Forces (CF) with additional refinement of communications
procedures so that "the first conversation we have is not
when we,re in a crisis." CTF Currahee Commander also
acknowledged Pak-Mil,s ongoing military operations in Swat
and Bajaur, the positive impacts of these campaigns in
degrading enemy capabilities and the sacrifices of Pakistani
soldiers. (NOTE: BG Sadiq stated that 1368 Pakistani
soldiers died in FATA fighting. END NOTE.)


4. (SBU) BG Sadiq expressed gratitude for the opportunity to
meet and continue dialogue between Pak-Mil and CF. He noted
that he arrived in the theater of operations only two months
ago, but that cross-border coordination and communication had
improved markedly in this period. He emphasized the common
enemy faced by both Pak-Mil and CF and stressed the need for
continued collaboration to further build confidence and
effectiveness in disrupting "miscreant" activities. BG Sadiq
asked that the Coalition understand Pak-Mil limitations -
particularly related to surveillance and intelligence
collection assets along the border.

--------------
"AVOID" COALITION CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS
--------------


5. (C) The Pak-Mil General contended that recent CF
cross-border raids and other operations inflamed local
populace sentiments, undermined Pak-Mil efforts in the region
and "should be avoided." He requested that the Coalition
respect the "sanctity of the border." CTF Currahee Commander
assured Pak-Mil that his forces will continue to follow
strict rules of engagement and will not impinge on the
sovereignty of Pakistan. He further observed that the
militants, goal is to drive a wedge between Pak-Mil and CF
partnership, which both sides must resist through continued
close communication and coordination.


6. (C) BG Sadiq pointed out that, across the Brigade sector,
they conduct roughly 60 patrols during the day and about 30
at night. He gently pressed to see more CF patrols along the
border and suggested that they could be coordinated with
Pak-Mil patrols to more effectively cover gaps and restrict
enemy movement. CTF Currahee Commander expressed support for
the idea of coordinated operations and issued guidance on the
spot for maneuver commanders to seize this initiative. He

highlighted, however, Coalition economy of force and offered
that this limitation can be partly offset by introducing
greater numbers of Afghan National Army (ANA) into the area.
On this point, CTF Currahee Commander also recommended that -
at the next BFM - he bring relevant ANA leadership, who,
ultimately, will be responsible for building the long-term
coordination relationship with Pak-Mil through continued
dialogue and mechanisms such as Border Coordination Centers
(BCC).

--------------
RECENT TACTICAL COOPERATION "MARVELOUS"
--------------


7. (C) CTF Currahee Commander and BG Sadiq confirmed monthly
BFMs (more as needed) underpinned by the daily communication
and coordination already taking place between CF at Forward
Operating Base Lilley and Pak-Mil stationed along the border.
LTC Dahir raved that this coordination, especially over the
last two weeks, was "marvelous." He complained, however,
that there were occasional instances when it appeared that CF
sought to "kill flies with a hammer." He argued that
massive, long-distance artillery strikes were potentially
counter-productive (threat of collateral damage) and that
better effects might be achieved through direct small unit
engagement. CTF Currahee Commander explained that, given
terrain and manpower constraints, launching a patrol to
engage the enemy was not always possible. Furthermore,
counterfires serve the important purpose of defeating rockets
set on timers, a common militant technique.


8. (SBU) BG Sadiq commented that besides conducting military
operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA),
education and development are the long term keys to success
in fighting militancy. He contended that the Waziri tribal
members in his area of responsibility are "tired of the
miscreants" and their use of the borderlands as a rear
staging area. LTC Maqbool, a Pashtun originally from
Peshawar, claimed that he had never seen local tribesmen so
eager for education and greater economic opportunity. He
held that USAID should begin to carry out assistance
activities in the region, which would dramatically and
positively influence perceptions. POLAD noted ongoing USG
efforts to devise a comprehensive FATA development strategy,
which would complement COIN efforts on the Afghan side of the
border.

--------------
TANGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS NOTED
--------------


9. (C) After several cancelled Border Flag meetings with
Pak-Mil in southern Paktika, the renewed dialogue is a
positive step forward. Even more encouraging, however, is
the tangible improvement in cross-border communication and
coordination between Pak-Mil and Coalition Forces, which has
led to a number of successful operations resulting in
numerous enemy killed or captured. U.S. ground commanders
repeatedly remarked on the apparent strategic shift in
Pak-Mil approach. Conducting coordinated patrols on either
side of the frontier and ensuring that the ANA (or,
eventually, Afghan Border Police) are an integral part of the
border security plan should serve to further impeded
militants, though the area is so vast, CF and Afghan forces
so few and the border so porous that the "miscreants" will
undoubtedly continue to employ Pakistani borderlands as a
rear-base to carry out operations in Afghanistan.
WOOD