JCMB Approves Afghan Police Increase by 15,000

UNCLAS KABUL 001017 DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A DEPT PASS FOR AID/ANE DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS DEPT PASS OPIC DEPT PASS FOR TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A NSC FOR JWOOD TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, AWELLER, AND MNUGENT COMMERCE FOR HAMROCK-MANN, DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH KABUL FOR COS USFOR-A SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: MASS EAID PGOV PREL AF SUBJECT: JCMB Approves Afghan Police Increase by 15,000 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The Afghan government and international community have agreed to increase Afghan National Police (ANP) staffing, by 4,800 for the "Kabul Security Plan" and, in principle (subject to funding),by another 5,000 to 10,000 officers to be deployed in vulnerable provinces before the August elections. Donors also expressed strong support for Interior Minister Atmar's plans to reform and combat corruption in the ANP. End Summary ¶2. (SBU) The eleventh meeting of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board April 19 approved an increase in the size of the Afghan National Police force. JCMB members agreed to an interim increase of 4,800 police personnel, which the U.S. has agreed to train and equip, for the "Kabul Security Plan." The Plan envisions that these new officers will be trained and in place in the capital city before the August 20 elections. Members also agreed to a further interim increase of 5,000 to 10,000 police personnel to be trained and deployed in vulnerable provinces before the elections in August 2009, subject to the availability of sufficient additional funds. The JCMB agreed that it will decide on the overall appropriate size of the Afghan police force in light of the study carried out by the Ministry of Interior, CSTC-A, and EUPOL, as well as the study being carried out by the European Commission, which will be presented in June 2009. ¶3. (SBU) With us and Canada, JCMB co-chair SRSG Kai Eide and Interior Minister Atmar had worked behind the scenes to ensure JCMB approval of the above decision; all expressed their thanks for other members' unanimous support. (Comment: Even Iran and Russia spoke generally in favor of the GIRoA proposal during the discussion period, and Russia offered limited, separate training and equipment to the ANP in future.) Atmar said 1,398 police officers were killed in FY 2008-09. He cited the small size of the police force and the lack of training and equipment as contributing factors. Presenting his personal vision of the eventual size of the ANP, Atmar said 28,000 police officers will be newly trained in 2009, bringing to 64 percent the share of the total force that will have been trained. Atmar described ten initiatives the GIRoA is undertaking to combat corruption in the ANP, and said the ANP would work impartially to secure the upcoming elections. Because of the elections it was important, he and Eide argued, to approve the staffing for vulnerable provinces now and not wait until the next JCMB meeting in a few months. ¶4. (SBU) The Charge strongly supported the increase in police staffing, while making clear that that support did not imply support for funding beyond what the U.S. has already committed. The Charge also endorsed MOI's police reform and anti-corruption plans. He also expressed appreciation for ANP plans to support election security and for Atmar's internal MOI directive prohibiting the ANP from interfering in the elections. The Charge urged JCMB members to encourage President Karzai to issue a strong Presidential decree on election impartiality that would apply to all GIRoA employees. ¶5. (SBU) COMISAF also applauded Atmar's initiatives. He reminded JCMB members that policemen have been dying at a rate three times that of ANA soldiers, and said the international community must do better at training, mentoring, and equipping the ANP. Many of the new U.S. forces arriving in Afghanistan will focus on training ANSF. ¶6. (SBU) Other donor countries also unanimously approved the police staffing increase and expressed support for Atmar's reform and anti-corruption initiatives. Several donors also stressed the importance of proper vetting of new police hires, which Atmar promised would occur. ¶7. (SBU) Other JCMB outcomes will be reported septels. RICCIARDONE