DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILIP VISITS KABUL

UNCLAS KABUL 003286 DEPARTMENT FOR INL, SCA/A SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KJUS AF SUBJECT: DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILIP VISITS KABUL ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip visited Kabul December 20-21 to meet with Attorney GeneralQs Office, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Interior officials. In the meetings, Attorney General Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior advisors and discussed security for government facilities in the provinces; Justice Minister Danish asked for USG assistance with drafting a new penal code and new internal and external security laws; and Deputy Interior Minister Mangal committed to strengthening judicial security. The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) was accompanied on these visits by the Acting Rule of Law Coordinator and Kabul-based DOJ senior legal advisors. The DAG also held a Town Hall meeting with Kabul DOJ employees. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The DAG met with Attorney General Aloko at the AGQs office and congratulated the AG on the inception of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and continuing good work with the Counter-narcotics Justice Task Force (CJTF). Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior advisors in mentoring CJTF prosecutors and in providing technical advice and vetting assistance to the ACU. Aloko noted in particular that the Attorney GeneralQs Office needs more professional prosecutors, buildings, computers, technological assistance, and furniture outside of Kabul. Aloko also stated that security is a big problem for the provinces and that he does not feel that the government can adequately protect its own facilities in all areas of Afghanistan with currently- available resources. Aloko further commented on the poor quality of cases being received from police and stated that he is working with MOI to improve the quality of cases to be presented to the courts. ¶3. (U) The DAG met with Justice Minister Danish at the Ministry of Justice and expressed his gratitude and appreciation for DOJQs opportunity to help MOJ with its work on the final Criminal Procedure Code as well as on the Counter-Narcotics Law. The DAG mentioned two issues of ongoing DOJ concern regarding the Counter-Narcotics Law: specifically, the removal of language from the draft law granting subject matter jurisdiction over narcotics- related corruption, and the removal of most procedural safeguards for wiretapping. Danish did not comment on the merit of the concerns but said that he understood the DAGQs views and agreed to send a copy of the final draft of the law to the U.S. Embassy prior to submission to Parliament. Danish in turn asked the DAG to pass on to the Ambassador and the new Administration his request for Embassy assistance in drafting a new penal code and new internal and external security laws. In addition, Danish stated that he would welcome the opportunity to send some MOJ employees to legislative drafting courses in the United States. ¶4. (U) The DAG met with Deputy Minister Mangal at the Ministry of the Interior. He congratulated Mangal on progress of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and pledged continued FBI participation and support for the AKU. They discussed judicial security in light of the September 2008 assassination of the Chief Appellate Judge of the counter-narcotics court in Kabul. A DOJ senior advisor present at the meeting brought to MangalQs attention that only 21 of 50 recruits to the MOIQs judicial security program had showed up for training; Mangal pledged to look into the matter, and noted that he had upped the total of recruits for the unit to 75. Mangal also mentioned that employees of the MOIQs Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Extortion Department were going to receive salary increases, but did not elaborate further. WOOD