Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ISLAMABAD1227
2009-06-05 03:32:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
JUNE 4 DISPLACED PERSONS AND MILITARY SITUATION
how-toVZCZCXRO1163 OO RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHIL #1227/01 1560332 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 050332Z JUN 09 ZFR FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3076 INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0431 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0558 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 5032 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 1775 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 7377 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 6321 RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 4010 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 9553
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 001227
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM EAID PTER PGOV PINR PK
SUBJECT: JUNE 4 DISPLACED PERSONS AND MILITARY SITUATION
UPDATE
ISLAMABAD 00001227 001.2 OF 003
ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSGAGE ON ALL SYSTEMS
DUPLICATE OF ISLAMABAD 1225
ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR
ISLAMABAD 00001227 002 OF 003
Food Assistance
--------------
6. (U) According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) the GoP Ministry of Food and Agriculture plans to
transfer 50,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat donated through
USDA's Food for Progress program as follows: 20,000 MT to the
GoP Special Support Group; 20,000 MT to the U.N. World Food
Program (WFP; and 10,000 MT to the Ministry of Social
Welfare. The recipient organizations will be responsible for
associated handling, milling, and distribution costs of the
food donations.
7. (U) WFP food monitors confirmed local news reports of the
sale of a substantial amount of humanitarian food assistance
through a well-developed network of wholesalers and
retailers. On June 3, local police arrested 16 people
selling food meant for displaced populations. WFP reported
that the problem originated due to double counting and other
inaccuracies in registration lists, resulting in a surplus of
food distributed in May. WFP also noted that some displaced
persons had legitimately sold the wheat grain distributed to
buy wheat flour.
8. (U) WFP assured the USAID/DART food officer that WFP will
henceforth distribute wheat flour and not wheat grain, will
pause operations for five days beginning June 24 to
incorporate the revised, reduced and validated beneficiary
lists created by the National Database and Registration
Authority (NADRA) into food distributions. WFP expects the
problem of substantial sales of food assistance will be
greatly reduced with the new registration lists.
--------------
GoP Actions
--------------
9. (U) Pakistan,s Information Minister, Qamar ul-Zaman
Kaira, said that registered internally displaced persons
would begin receiving a one-off cash grant of 25,000 rupees
(USD 312) per family on Tuesday, June 9. While power, water
and gas remain cut-off in Mingora, he said the utilities will
be restored within the next two weeks, along with schools and
hospitals. Special Support Group (SSG) Chairman Lt Gen
Nadeem Ahmed said that 1,300 soldiers were providing services
to IDPs in the Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsada and Peshawar
districts.
--------------
Military Activity
--------------
10. (U) Reporting on June 4 on military operations in Swat
focuses on the town of Charbagh, about 10 kilometers
northeast of Mingora. The military's chief spokesman, Major
General Athar Abbas, said on June 3 that GoP forces had met
stiff resistance in the town but had, nonetheless,
successfully secured it and were consolidating their
positions. Charbagh was a likely destination for some of the
militants who fled Mingora. Abbas reported the discovery of
a very large cache of explosives just north of Charbagh.
Despite the claimed stiff resistance, reported casualties
were very light, with only three militants and one government
soldier killed. MG Abbas was in Mingora and told reporters
that it could take another two months of fighting to rout the
militants from their hideouts in Swat.
11. (U) Just to the west of Mingora, the military appears to
be gearing up for a fight over the town of Kabal. Major
General Ijaz Awan, a senior commander in the battle for
Mingora, said that they have taliban commanders "bottled up"
in Kabal. To the north, along the road that follows the Swat
river, the military continued to consolidate its positions as
far as Kalam, 70 kilometers north of Mingora.
12. (U) In the June 4 daily military press conference, the
ISLAMABAD 00001227 003 OF 003
spokesman said that 1400 militants have been killed and 100
captured, militant radio broadcasts have been disrupted, and
government forces are targetting the taliban leadership.
Television news reports claimed that an operation in
Chakdarra, a town in Lower Dir, is imminent. Also on June 4,
47 students and four instructors from the Razmak Cadet
College who were kidnapped in North Waziristan on June 1 were
reported to have been released. Eighty one others had been
immediately rescued, but the fate of the remaining 51 was
unknown until today.
PATTERSON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM EAID PTER PGOV PINR PK
SUBJECT: JUNE 4 DISPLACED PERSONS AND MILITARY SITUATION
UPDATE
ISLAMABAD 00001227 001.2 OF 003
ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR
PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSGAGE ON ALL SYSTEMS
DUPLICATE OF ISLAMABAD 1225
ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR ZFR
ISLAMABAD 00001227 002 OF 003
Food Assistance
--------------
6. (U) According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) the GoP Ministry of Food and Agriculture plans to
transfer 50,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat donated through
USDA's Food for Progress program as follows: 20,000 MT to the
GoP Special Support Group; 20,000 MT to the U.N. World Food
Program (WFP; and 10,000 MT to the Ministry of Social
Welfare. The recipient organizations will be responsible for
associated handling, milling, and distribution costs of the
food donations.
7. (U) WFP food monitors confirmed local news reports of the
sale of a substantial amount of humanitarian food assistance
through a well-developed network of wholesalers and
retailers. On June 3, local police arrested 16 people
selling food meant for displaced populations. WFP reported
that the problem originated due to double counting and other
inaccuracies in registration lists, resulting in a surplus of
food distributed in May. WFP also noted that some displaced
persons had legitimately sold the wheat grain distributed to
buy wheat flour.
8. (U) WFP assured the USAID/DART food officer that WFP will
henceforth distribute wheat flour and not wheat grain, will
pause operations for five days beginning June 24 to
incorporate the revised, reduced and validated beneficiary
lists created by the National Database and Registration
Authority (NADRA) into food distributions. WFP expects the
problem of substantial sales of food assistance will be
greatly reduced with the new registration lists.
--------------
GoP Actions
--------------
9. (U) Pakistan,s Information Minister, Qamar ul-Zaman
Kaira, said that registered internally displaced persons
would begin receiving a one-off cash grant of 25,000 rupees
(USD 312) per family on Tuesday, June 9. While power, water
and gas remain cut-off in Mingora, he said the utilities will
be restored within the next two weeks, along with schools and
hospitals. Special Support Group (SSG) Chairman Lt Gen
Nadeem Ahmed said that 1,300 soldiers were providing services
to IDPs in the Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsada and Peshawar
districts.
--------------
Military Activity
--------------
10. (U) Reporting on June 4 on military operations in Swat
focuses on the town of Charbagh, about 10 kilometers
northeast of Mingora. The military's chief spokesman, Major
General Athar Abbas, said on June 3 that GoP forces had met
stiff resistance in the town but had, nonetheless,
successfully secured it and were consolidating their
positions. Charbagh was a likely destination for some of the
militants who fled Mingora. Abbas reported the discovery of
a very large cache of explosives just north of Charbagh.
Despite the claimed stiff resistance, reported casualties
were very light, with only three militants and one government
soldier killed. MG Abbas was in Mingora and told reporters
that it could take another two months of fighting to rout the
militants from their hideouts in Swat.
11. (U) Just to the west of Mingora, the military appears to
be gearing up for a fight over the town of Kabal. Major
General Ijaz Awan, a senior commander in the battle for
Mingora, said that they have taliban commanders "bottled up"
in Kabal. To the north, along the road that follows the Swat
river, the military continued to consolidate its positions as
far as Kalam, 70 kilometers north of Mingora.
12. (U) In the June 4 daily military press conference, the
ISLAMABAD 00001227 003 OF 003
spokesman said that 1400 militants have been killed and 100
captured, militant radio broadcasts have been disrupted, and
government forces are targetting the taliban leadership.
Television news reports claimed that an operation in
Chakdarra, a town in Lower Dir, is imminent. Also on June 4,
47 students and four instructors from the Razmak Cadet
College who were kidnapped in North Waziristan on June 1 were
reported to have been released. Eighty one others had been
immediately rescued, but the fate of the remaining 51 was
unknown until today.
PATTERSON