EASTERN AFGHANISTAN GOVERNORS DISCUSS REGION'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000349 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A NSC FOR WOOD OSD FOR SHIVERS CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-82 POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2018 TAGS: PREL MOPS AF SUBJECT: EASTERN AFGHANISTAN GOVERNORS DISCUSS REGION'S ISSUES REF: A. A) KABUL 175 ¶B. B) KABUL 262 Classified By: DCM Chris Dell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The governors of four eastern Afghan provinces decided at a conference in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, that they will work together to help eastern Afghanistan. The governors claimed they are making progress on governance, development, security and counter-narcotics, but that they need additional support from Kabul and the international community and greater autonomy and decentralized budget authority to secure recent gains. They called for more electricity, more roads, improved irrigation, and a regional airport. Electricity is crucial for job creation, which is the only sustainable solution to the poppy problem. Although regional security is generally good, the governors called for improved border security and emergency response, and cited the need for justice sector reform. Task Force (TF) Bayonet gave the governors an overview of the brigade's operational planning for spring and summer 2008, (TF Bayonet's area of operation includes all four provinces.) The Nuristan governor plans a cross-border shura with the Chitralis in the spring to reduce border attacks. He also said the Afghan Government's recent rejection of Paddy Ashdown was popular with Afghans, shows increasing independence, and serves to counter Taliban claims that Karzai's government is a puppet for the West. Eastern Governors Jointly Promote Region's Interests -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) The governors from Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, and Nuristan met with Task Force Bayonet officers, PRT commanders and State Department officers in Nangarhar on February 2-3. Although they do not have a unified view of the current situation in Afghanistan, all of the governors participated in the recent "Peace Caravan" that Nangarhar Governor Sherzai spearheaded (ref A) and appeared determined to work together to promote the interests of the eastern region. The governors acknowledged Sherzai's regional leadership, asking that he be "the Chairman" of future conferences. They were enthusiastic about the conference, and asked that Kabul)based ministry officials be invited to subsequent conferences, in particular the Ministries of Interior, Rural Reconstruction and Development, Defense, and Finance. (This presents a good opportunity to link the provincial governments more closely to Kabul.) ¶3. (U) The meeting provided the governors a venue to give their perspectives on regional governance, development and security. Jalalabad-based Eastern Region Afghan Army Brigade Commander General Zamry and Border Police Brigade Commander Colonel Akram also participated, as did provincial police chiefs and Provincial Council chairmen. The governors claimed they are making progress in each province, but they need more support from Kabul and the international community to solidify recent gains, and direct coordination with donors on reconstruction and reform projects. Governance: A Decentralized Vision -------------- ¶4. (U) The governors had unique perspectives on governance in their home provinces, but recurring themes emerged in their comments. Each claimed to need greater autonomy and an independent operating budget to provide effective leadership at the provincial level. Currently, budgets are controlled in Kabul and funds are disbursed through ministries to line directors at the provincial level, decreasing the Government's responsiveness to local needs. (The governors' position is largely consistent with the long-term plans of Local Governance Director Jelani Popal, who wants to devolve to the governors more authority to oversee spending and budgeting decisions within the scope of the constitution. Ref B.) As Kunar Governor Wahidi said, "The ministers need to leave us alone." At the same time, the governors all agreed that ministers must visit the provinces more frequently to gain a realistic understanding of the region's issues. ¶5. (U) The governors said the lack of justice sector reform is endangering security in the region. They praised the KABUL 00000349 002 OF 003 Afghan security forces' efforts in the fight against insurgents, but said the judiciary is failing the country by accepting bribes to release anti-government actors once they are in custody. Nuristan Governor Nuristani cited the need for higher quality personnel in the justice sector, but said they cannot be recruited at current salaries. Development: The Key to Keeping Poppy Down -------------- ¶6. (U) The four governors called for more electricity, more roads, improved irrigation, and a regional airport located in Nangarhar, but said electricity is the area where the eastern region most lags behind the rest of the country, even more than roads. "Power is the most important. We cannot go anywhere without it . . . no investors will come," Nuristani said. Laghman Governor Mangal pointed out that five years ago, eastern region governors were talking about these same needs. Although joint Afghan and Coalition efforts have achieved progress on roads and irrigation, there has been none on electricity. "If we continue to say electricity is too expensive and we need to wait, in five more years we'll be in the same state as today," he said. All four governors pointed to this year's (the 2007-2008 cultivation season) reduction in poppy cultivation in the region and linked electricity to sustaining these gains. In their view, the only lasting solution to the poppy problem is creating more jobs in their provinces, which they said is impossible without electricity. "Otherwise, farmers just go back to growing poppy," Mangal said. Security: Borders, Emergency Response Need Improvement -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The governors benefited from the presence of the eastern region army and border police brigade commanders and engaged them in vigorous debate. (Both are based in Jalalabad but are responsible for the other provinces as well.) The governors agreed that regional security is generally good, but said significant challenges remain, in particular with border security and emergency response. Sherzai said the border police need to plan with ISAF forces to "seal the border" and establish more secure checkpoints. The other governors concurred and called for the deployment of more border forces in the region. Border Police Brigade Commander Akram responded that regional border forces will expand from 1,950 troops to 3,050 troops within the next six months. TF Bayonet Commander Colonel Preysler called on governors to encourage locals from their provinces to volunteer for the border police, offering to assist with training the recruits. Akram thanked TF Bayonet for recent assistance and said his troops now have approximately 60 percent of the equipment (including heavy machine guns) they require, a substantial improvement from when he assumed his post seven months ago. ¶8. (U) To gain confidence in the Afghan government, the governors said people need to see it render assistance in times of chaos -- whether man-made or the result of natural disaster. Although this capacity varies by province, Nuristani, in particular, said his provincial government is unable to respond to crises because it lacks the necessary personnel and tools. The governors also called for better regional security planning and more direct engagement between security forces -- both Afghan and coalition -- and the local populace, including through increased media outreach. In response, Preysler invited the governors to TF Bayonet HQ for a briefing on operational and development plans for spring and summer 2008. The governors said the overview was useful and gave them a regional view of strategy they normally do not receive. ¶9. (C) In a side conversation, Nuristani told TF Bayonet Polad that a transit route for ARMS and insurgents begins in Chitral, Pakistan, and passes through Nuristan along two routes; one through Bargi Matal district, another through Kamdesh district. He said the Chitralis as a group do not support either the Taliban or al)Qaeda, but may be engaged in smuggling for economic reasons. Nuristani plans to organize a cross-border shura with the Chitralis in the spring, with the goal of reducing attacks along the border. He added that the village of Kamdesh is a center for insurgent leaders in Nuristan, including some with ties to the HiG. Seperately, Nuristani said the recent refusal by KABUL 00000349 003 OF 003 the Afghan Government to accept the recent appointment of Paddy Ashdown was popular with Afghans as a gesture of their increasing independence; it will also serve to counter Taliban claims that Karzai's government is a puppet for the West. WOOD