CODEL SMITH VISITS TARBELA TRAINING CENTER; MEETS

S E C R E T ISLAMABAD 002201 NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2019 TAGS: MASS MOPS PGOV PK PTER SUBJECT: CODEL SMITH VISITS TARBELA TRAINING CENTER; MEETS MILITARY LEADERS IN PESHAWAR Classified By: Candace Putnam, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate Peshawar. REASON: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a September 5 visit to Tarbela, Codel Smith praised the quality of training provided by U.S. Special Forces for its Pakistani Army counterparts; as part of a training demonstration, the delegation fired Glock 17 pistols and AK47 assault rifles. At a later meeting with 11th Corps and the Frontier Corps in Peshawar, the Codel was briefed on the current security situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Malakand Division, Northwest Frontier Province. The briefing emphasized the need for popular and political support for military operations, improved civilian governance and socio-economic development, and efforts to stop cross-border attacks from Afghanistan into Pakistan. The 11th Corps said the "tide had turned" against militants but admitted there was "far to go" in pacifying continued pockets of Taliban activity. Frontier Corp Major General Khan praised U.S. equipment which had been a "force multiplier" in the fight and asked for weapons and additional night vision goggles to assist his campaign. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On September 5, Codel Smith (Congressman Adam Smith, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Congressman Bobby Bright) visited Tarbela, where U.S. Special Forces are training the Pakistani Army's Special Services Group (SSG). They later met in Peshawar with 11th Corps Commander Lieutenant General Masood and Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General MG Tariq Khan. Also attending were House Armed Services Committee staffers McClees and Kugajevsky, Office of Defense Representative Pakistan RAdmiral LeFever and (in Peshawar) Principal Officer. Satisfaction with Training -------------- ¶3. (C) In Tarbela, the party received an overview of all the training that team has been providing to the SSG and the tremendous impact that it is having on the performance of the SSG during combat operations. They also received a capabilities brief and demonstration on the new sniper weapon systems and equipment that the US has provided and how the equipment has increased the lethality of the SSG on the battlefield. The Codel received a great up close look at how the funding for the training, weapons, and equipment has greatly increased the capabilities of the SSG. They talked to the SSG snipers and heard how joint exercises have improved their combat readiness and effectiveness. They also received a very detailed brief on the medical training and equipment that the US is providing and how the training has saved multiple lives on the battlefield. The visit concluded with a weapons familiarization fire as each congressional member fired the Glock 17 pistol and AK47 assault rifle with the weapons instructors. The Tide Has Turned -------------- ¶4. (C) Congressman Smith congratulated LTG Masood on the progress the Pakistani security forces have made in battling the Taliban and said he was pleased by the quality of training at Tarbela. Masood emphasized the need to carry out operations within the tribal cultural context in the Northwest Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Ares (FATA). Smith noted that this was precisely why U.S. Special Forces, which are trained to work closely with local cultures, were so valuable. ¶5. (S/NF) MG Khan joined for the following PowerPoint briefing by 11th Corps Chief of Staff, BG Aamr, on the current security situation. The briefing emphasized the historical independence of the Pashtun tribes, the importance of popular and political backing for minimum force military operations, and the need to concurrently address militancy and weak socio-economic development that bred extremism. Aamr reviewed the situation throughout the seven agencies of FATA and some of the NWFP and stressed the growing role that "good" tribes and populations were making against militant forces: --North Waziristan: A blockade of roads and intelligence-based strikes were keeping the situation "manageable" during the ongoing Taliban leadership crisis. --South Waziristan: The Army was ignoring the Taliban's unilateral ceasefire and continuing small operations; there were "lots of foreign fighters" present. (Note: Per ODRP, there have been no air strikes since August 24 and few kinetic operations over the past several weeks. Operation Sarkawei II, conducted to secure the Wana-Jandola Road ended prematurely on or about August 25 without success.) --Orakzai: Continued air strikes were inflicting serious losses on militants, but there was "far to go" in pacifying this area. --Kurram: Sectarian conflict continued, abetted by Taliban forces. --Khyber: A current operation was underway against militant Mangal Bagh and his forces. The GOP was ensuring that coalition supplies continued to move through the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan. --Mohmand: "Sanitation" operations were ongoing and the area was under "reasonable" control, but GOP forces faced a continued influx of fighters from Afghanistan. --Bajaur: The Charmang Valley had been cleared and the security forces now were concentrating on the area north of Kit Kot. (Note: Per ODRP, the Charmang Valley was not completely cleared during Operation Sherdil 12; currently FC is planning another offensive into the Charmang Valley.) --Malakand (NWFP) District: "All" of the population centers in Swat were under control but persistent pockets of Taliban resistance remained. The need now was to focus on civilian administration. 2,500 ex-Army members were being recruited for the NWFP Police; 3,101 of a planned 6,725 men had been enrolled as "community police." Terrorist operations in southern Malakand were being foiled. Casualties: To date, the security forces had killed 3,978 militants and suffered 1,583 deaths. ¶6. (C) Aamr concluded by saying the "tide had turned" against the militants. He and Masood praised ongoing cooperation and coordination with U.S. Special Forces in Pakistan and with coalition forces in RC East. Problems included: lack of resources, poor governance and socio-economic conditions, and the differing causes of conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan. ¶7. (C) Masood dodged a question by Congressman Smith on GOP progress in shutting down cross-border attacks from militant networks led by Siraj Haqqani and Gulbaddin Hekmatyar by saying that cross-border attacks went in both directions. Masood said that al-Qaida was providing leadership, finances and technical (communications, explosives, heavy weapons) support to local militants but remained an unorganized group in Pakistan. ¶8. (C) Masood lamented what he believed was the slow progress in delivering U.S. assistance promised under the 2006 FATA Development Plan. MG Khan outlined the FC's Agency Reconstruction Team approach, which involved the FATA Political Agent, the local security commander, tribal elders and