EU POLICE MISSION EXPLORES DEPLOYMENT TO EASTERN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000133 NOFORN SIPDIS KABUL FOR USFOR-A COS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA NSC FOR WOOD OSD FOR WILKES CG CJTF-101 POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2019 TAGS: MOPS PREL PGOV AF EUN SUBJECT: EU POLICE MISSION EXPLORES DEPLOYMENT TO EASTERN AFGHANISTAN Classified By: PRT Director Valerie C. Fowler for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) Summary: A senior delegation from the European Union Police Mission to Afghanistan (EUPOL Afghanistan) met January 12 with members of Task Force Duke (RC-E) senior staff to consider possibilities for deployment of EUPOL officers to eastern Afghanistan. Discussion centered on a proposal to deploy 12-15 officers to an existing facility in Laghman Province to train Afghan National Police NCOs and mentor Provincial police leadership. End summary. ¶2. (C) A senior delegation from the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) visited TF Duke on January 12 to discuss the possibilities for a deployment to the Brigade,s four-province area of operations (AO). This visit was a follow-up to an initial conversation conducted by videoconference in December. The delegation included the Deputy Head of Mission (D/HOM),Head of the Mentoring Program, Head of Administration, and Political Advisor (POLAD). Task Force Duke was represented by the Deputy Commanding Officer (DCO),Provost Marshal (PMO),and POLAD. ¶3. (C/NF) The newly -appointed Head of the EUPOL Mission, Police General Vittrup (Denmark),publicly declared his desire in October 2008 to deploy the EUPOL Mission throughout Afghanistan. The mission has been plagued by start-up difficulties and was criticized for concentrating its resources in Kabul rather than deploying to the Provinces where the need for police mentoring and training is greatest. While EUPOL had an initial authorized strength of some 240 personnel, they only have 175 advisers in Afghanistan at the moment, with 100 of those in Kabul. The EU has authorized an expansion to 400 advisers but has not provided those resources. ¶4. (C) The original EUPOL deployment plan called for a presence in eastern Afghanistan. Agreement to embed EUPOL officers at U.S. PRTs proved elusive, and the deployment plan was modified to concentrate in the North, South, West and Central areas of operations. EUPOL is now present at 15 PRTs and 4 Regional Training Centers (RTCs). The Head of Administration said that a revised deployment plan calling for deployment to the eastern region would have to be submitted to the EU Political and Security Committee for approval. ¶5. (C) Discussion with TF Duke centered on the potential deployment of EUPOL mentors and trainers to a training facility in Mehtarlam in Laghman Province. EUPOL envisions the deployment of 12-15 officers to the facility. The EUPOL mandate calls for officers to mentor police and justice officials at the Provincial level and train selected district-level police and border police officers. TF Duke proposed a concentration on training an NCO Corps as well as mid-level officers in order to create a cadre of capable leaders in the districts. EUPOL officers would be based in the secure facility, where selected Afghan officers would be transported for training. As available, transportation and security would be provided for travel to selected districts in conjunction with ongoing TF Duke programs. The EUPOL leadership was receptive to these proposals. (Note: The readiness of the EUPOL mission leadership to consider training at the district level represents a shift in interpretation of their mandate. We have heard that Brussels is contemplating a loosening of the prohibition against district-level training, but as far as we know, that has not yet been addressed formally.) Other possibilities for cooperation were considered in coordinating rule of law efforts and supporting and augmenting existing TF Duke immersion training programs. The EUPOL HOM travels to Brussels on January 13 to confer with EU Council Secretary General Javier Solana, and these discussions with TF Duke will figure prominently. General Vittrup has already conveyed the substance of the initial meeting, and Solana is reportedly extremely supportive of the initiative. ¶6. (C) The Head of Administration posed a number of practical questions concerning &life support8 and security conditions at the Laghman facility. While political concerns preclude the drafting of a formal technical agreement between EUPOL and the U.S. military, TF Duke,s assurances that accommodations, food, transportation, medical support, and other logistical requirements could be met were sufficient to KABUL 00000133 002 OF 002 satisfy EUPOL,s immediate concerns. Follow-up security surveys will be required in order to satisfy Member State requirements for their seconded officers, but EUPOL leadership was optimistic that the positive political climate ) both in Europe and the U.S. ) favors closer international cooperation in addressing deficiencies in the Afghan police. ¶7. (C) The EUPOL delegation estimated that approval of the deployment plan by Brussels and the contributing Member States would require at least 90 days. During that time, TF Duke and EUPOL will work closely with other U.S. and international police and rule of law programs to ensure unity of effort and establish conditions for a successful deployment of EUPOL to eastern Afghanistan. ¶8. (U) TF Duke Commander has reviewed this cable. WOOD