Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ISLAMABAD912
2009-04-29 12:49:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

BUNER OPERATIONS CONTINUE WITH REQUEST FOR IDP

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREL PTER 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1971
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #0912/01 1191249
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 291249Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2491
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0183
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0191
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 4802
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 1531
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 7136
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 6071
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000912 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREL PTER
SUBJECT: BUNER OPERATIONS CONTINUE WITH REQUEST FOR IDP
ASSISTANCE

REF: A. ISLAMABAD 901

B. ISLAMABAD 887

Classified By: CDA Gerald Feierstein for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000912

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREL PTER
SUBJECT: BUNER OPERATIONS CONTINUE WITH REQUEST FOR IDP
ASSISTANCE

REF: A. ISLAMABAD 901

B. ISLAMABAD 887

Classified By: CDA Gerald Feierstein for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).


1. (C) Summary. Following several Pakistan Air Force
airstrikes on April 28, Pakistani Military ground troops
moved into Daggar, the main city within Buner District
(Malakand Division, Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP)),
early on April 29 and secured the city. During the
operations, approximately 55 taliban members, including
unspecified high profile leaders, were reportedly killed
while local law enforcement officials confirm that
approximately 60 security officials were taken hostage by
militants. In a late afternoon press conference on April 29,
Pakistan Military Inter Services Public Relations announced
that 18 of the 60 kidnapped officials had been released and
two militant ammunition dumps had been destroyed. Frontier
Corps Inspector General (IGFC) outlined to U.S. officials his
plans for reactivating the lashkhars (tribal militia) in
Buner to further seal the Buner/Swat border and for moving FC
operations into neighboring Shangla District. Due to this
week's operations, varying humanitarian agencies indicate
there are approximately 100,000 internally displaced persons
(IDPs) from Dir and Buner, and the IGFC requested immediate
relief support in the form of food and clothing for the
displaced. NWFP Provincial Minister for Information
announced on April 28 that the appellate courts under the
Nizam-e-Adl had been organized and was prepared to share the
plan with Tehreek-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) Chief
Maulana Sufi Mohammad, but Sufi has been out of contact since
April 27. End Summary.

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN BUNER
--------------


2. (S/NF) On April 29, U.S. Special Operations Command -
Forward (SOC-FWD) Chief met with Major General Tariq Khan,
the Inspector General for the Frontier Corps, to discuss the
ongoing Pakistan military operations in Buner District
(Malakand Division, NWFP). Khan reported that the Pakistan
Air Force was unsuccessful in many of its targeted strikes in

the initial phases of the Buner operations on April 28 but
that later airstrikes killed approximately 55 taliban
members, including unspecified high profile leaders.
Following these airstrikes, the 3rd Commando Group of the
Pakistan Special Services Group (SSG) exploited the weakened
state of the taliban surrounding Daggar, the main city within
Buner, to secure the city early on April 29. (Note: Although
reported in reftel that U.S. officials would accompany the FC
deployment to Daggar, a late-night decision on April 28 by
the Pakistan Military General Headquarters (GHQ) denied the
joint deployment, saying the FC had all the assets needed.
Embassy will work with GHQ to determine the reason for the
late change and to promote integrated operation support. End
note.)


3. (SBU) Local law enforcement officials have confirmed media
reports that approximately 60 Pakistani security officials
were taken hostage during the Buner operations on April 28.
These officials primarily belong to the local Buner police
and Frontier Constabulary. In a late afternoon press
conference on April 29, Pakistan Military Inter Services
Public Relations announced that 18 of the 60 kidnapped
officials had been released and two militant ammunition dumps
had been destroyed.


4. (S/NF) Khan reported that ground troops from the Frontier
Corps had moved into Buner to link with the SSG in order to
secure entry into Buner from Swat District along the border.
He also planned to reactivate the lashkhars (an armed,
community-based watch group that was disbanded by the Buner
district Commissioner in early April to allow for unimpeded
entry to Buner by Swat taliban) to assist with sealing the
Buner/Swat border.


5. (S/NF) Following the Buner operations, Khan planned to
take the fight to neighboring Shangla district, which
reportedly fell to the taliban on April 22. If all
operations go according to plan, Khan believed he could deny
militant ability to move from Swat into Dir, Buner, and
Shangla districts.

ISLAMABAD 00000912 002 OF 002



IDPS AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
--------------


6. (C) According to media and non-governmental organization
(NGO) reports, the IDP population, following the operations
in Lower Dir and Buner districts, has grown to over 100,000,
with approximately 40,000 from Buner and 60,000 to 80,000
from Lower Dir. Because of the dramatic increase in IDP
numbers, Khan requested SOC-FWD Chief to push for immediate
humanitarian assistance for the displaced, primarily in the
form of food and clothing.


7. (SBU) The UN assessment mission into Lower Dir scheduled
for April 29 (reftel) was postponed by the Pakistan military
due to security concerns after four local staff from a UN
local partner were kidnapped on the road between Peshawar and
Mardan. However, a team from the UN High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR) traveled to Mardan to assess sites there for
new IDP camps. UNHCR also plans to visit a new camp site
near the existing IDP Jalozai camp on April 30, which will
have the capacity to house approximately 5,000 families.
(Note: To date, UNHCR reports that very few families have
actually approached the camp seeking assistance. End note.)


8. (SBU) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
reports that the Pakistani military has denied ICRC access to
Lower Dir to conduct a humanitarian assessment due to
security concerns. However, ICRC is prepared to feed the
IDPs within Lower Dir if they can get access; they currently
have food for 7,000 families with more assistance in the
works.


9. (SBU) The NWFP Social Welfare Department (SWD) plans to
start IDP registration on April 30 in Mardan, Charsadda,
Swabi, and Kohat districts for the IDPs from Lower Dir,
Buner, and Orakzai. The registrations will be done at central
locations within each district and monitored by UNHCR staff
and district officers. Following the registration, the
families will be referred to distribution points for relief
assistance, such as non-food item kits (NFIs) from the Sarhad
Rural Support Program (SRSP). SRSP currently has 3,000 NFIs
available for distribution, and UNHCR has pledged 5,000
additional kits for distribution.


10. (SBU) The World Food Program (WFP) also will distribute
food to the IDPs from Lower Dir and Buner, in conjunction
with SWD and UNHCR. As of April 29, WFP plans to have two
functioning distribution hubs in Mardan and two additional
hubs in Swabi.


11. (SBU) On April 30, various NGO health providers plan to
hold a meeting in Peshawar to discuss health ramifications
from the sudden IDP surge. The World Health Organization
(WHO) reports that medical partners will provide health
services, medical distributions, and limited mobile health
units once the camps are established.

NIZAM-E-ADL REGULATIONS FURTHERED
--------------


12. (SBU) On April 29, the NWFP Provincial Minister for
Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain announced at a press
conference that the arrangements for the formation of Darul
Qaza (or Shari'a-based appellate courts) under the
Nizam-e-Adl had been finalized; however, the details of this
formation would not be revealed until they were fully
discussed with Tehreek-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM)
Chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad. Hussain noted that the recent
All-Party Conference and Malakand Grand Jirga had suggested
to the NWFP government to form the Darul Qaza as soon as
possible to bring peace and fully enact the Nizam-e-Adl.
(Note and Comment: Sufi Mohammad has disappeared since his
attempts to bring the Swat taliban in Buner back to Swat
failed and the Frontier Corps occupied his home village in
Lower Dir earlier this week. The NWFP government will likely
continue going through the motions on the Nizam-e-Adl as long
as it demonstrates the government is maintaining its side of
the Swat peace deal. End note and Comment.)
FEIERSTEIN