Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group Established at

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003195

DEPT FOR SCA/A, SCA/FO, S/CRS, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA
OSD FOR WILKES
NSC FOR WOOD
AGRICULTURE FOR EATON
CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-101 POLAD

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD EFIN AF MOPS KDEM PINS KCRS
SUBJECT: Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group Established at
Embassy Kabul


1. (SBU) Summary. Embassy Kabul has established an Integrated
Civilian-Military Action Group (ICMAG) to begin a rigorous,
systematic effort to better align the respective actions of USG
agencies across the civilian and military lines of operation. This
decision builds on efforts over the last year to improve
coordination between the Embassy, USAID and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
(CJTF-82 and subsequently CJTF-101),as well as the
S/CRS-facilitated integrated civilian-military planning effort
throughout Regional Command-East (completed in October 2008). The
ICMAG ultimately reports to the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S.
Forces-Afghanistan, reporting through and taking direction from the
Executive Working Group (EWG),a body comprised of senior
decision-makers representing Embassy Kabul and U.S.
Forces-Afghanistan. The EWG's mission is to unify USG efforts in
Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution. As the
planning and action staff of the EWG, the ICMAG will support USG
decision-makers to facilitate unity of effort and help translate
national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for
implementation in the field. The ICMAG will focus initially on
sustaining integrated planning in RC-East and building collaboration
by all key USG organizations on three sub-national initiatives:
Nangarhar Inc. (expanding economic opportunity and employment in
Afghanistan's eastern region),comprehensive Focused District
Development (synchronizing development and governance activities
with training of Afghan police forces in high priority districts),
and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA)
district mapping effort (working with the government of Afghanistan
to identify district strategies for governance, development and
security in critical areas). End summary.

STAFFING AND OVERSIGHT
--------------


2. (SBU) The ICMAG is staffed by representatives of the Department
of State, USAID, and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan with full support and
reach-back to their agencies. The ICMAG works under the aegis of the
DCM and the Military Advisor to the Ambassador and supports the
decision-making of the Executive Working Group (EWG). The EWG is
comprised of the DCM, USFOR-A Director Pol-Mil Affairs, USAID
Mission Director, RC-East Deputy Commanding General-Support, CSTC-A
Deputy Commanding General-Programs, and RC-South Deputy Commanding
General-Stability. Its mission is to unify USG efforts in
Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution under overall
guidance of the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S.
Forces-Afghanistan (CDRUSFOR-A). The EWG is empowered by the
participating organizations to engage in USG coordinated planning
and execution, provide guidance that synchronizes civilian and
military efforts, convene interagency groups as appropriate, monitor
and assess implementation and impact of integrated efforts, inform
strategic documents, and recommend course changes to achieve USG
goals in support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan (GIRoA) and stability in Afghanistan. The EWG may also
raise issues for decision to Ambassador Wood and CDRUSFOR-A General
McKiernan.


MANDATE
--------------


3. (SBU) The ICMAG's mandate is to support the EWG's integration of
civilian and military actions to improve unity of effort along four
lines of operations - security, governance, development, and
information. The ICMAG works with all key stakeholders to link
strategy with geography, identifying critical areas where the USG
can create transformative effects. It also coordinates with
technical sector working groups - such as the Governance Policy
Group, the Economic Policy Group, and the Special Committee on Rule
of Law, among others - so that their strategies are linked and
mutually reinforcing to achieve local effects.


4. (SBU) The ICMAG collects information from across the USG
interagency on what is being achieved on the ground and conveys this
information to the EWG in periodic, geographically focused
assessment briefs. The assessments include recommendations for

KABUL 00003195 002 OF 002


changes to plans and programs to respond to shifting dynamics and to
seize windows of opportunity. The ICMAG shares information across
participating organizations to inform the development of strategic
planning and budget documents, such as the Mission Strategic Plan,
USAID strategies and programs, military campaign plans and
operations orders, and supplemental requests. The ICMAG also
identifies friction points or diverging efforts and makes
recommendations to the organizations and the EWG on ways to realign
programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES
--------------


5. (SBU) The EWG has established the ICMAG as the designated
interagency body to execute the EWG's assessment, planning and
coordination responsibilities: to lead the process to develop
integrated USG national, regional, provincial and district support
plans and facilitate regional updates based on these plans for EWG
review; to review and evaluate USG national, regional and provincial
plans across all lines of operation, identify gaps and shortcomings,
recommend mechanisms to address gaps and raise issues to the EWG for
decision; to call for and collect information from all U.S. Embassy
agencies and USFOR-A to maintain a "common operating picture" for
security, development, governance and information efforts; to inform
strategic planning and budget development; to organize and
facilitate working groups and sub-working groups as required; to
inform and disseminate EWG guidance (including revised Integrated
Guidance); and to develop and support use of shared regional
assessment, monitoring and metrics templates for the EWG.

FIRST STEPS AND COMPLEMENTARY EFFORTS
--------------


6. (SBU) The ICMAG was officially stood up on November 16, 2008.
The ICMAG has started with a small core group representing each of
the U.S. players involved in RC-East. As this effort moves forward,
and demonstrates value-added through the translation of
national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for
implementation in the field, it is anticipated that the ICMAG may
grow, both in size and in geographic responsibility. The ICMAG's
work will also complement the efforts of recent USG assessments for
Afghanistan. Embassy Kabul expects the ICMAG to model and further
develop best practices for civilian-military integration and joint
action.


7. (SBU) The ICMAG is focusing initially on sustaining integrated
U.S. planning in RC-East and supporting interagency problem-solving.
The ICMAG has facilitated a collaborative process to inform the new
campaign plan for RC-East and has developed a framework for
implementing rule of law at each regional level. In November, the
ICMAG led the launch of a new approach for Nangarhar Inc. with all
key partners. The team is currently piloting collaboration in a
critical ring road district to ensure that development, government
and economic growth activities are fully synchronized with police
training and security efforts. The ICMAG has also worked with UNAMA
on its district mapping effort, ensuring that this process benefits
from USG provincial planning and the intensive work of USG actors on
the ground. The ICMAG will continue to work closely with ISAF,
UNAMA, and GIRoA on this effort.

WOOD