JOINT WARDAK-LOGAR POLICE SUMMIT PART OF EFFORT TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001421 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID AF SUBJECT: JOINT WARDAK-LOGAR POLICE SUMMIT PART OF EFFORT TO DEVELOP POLICING ¶1. (SBU) Summary: To address police deficiencies in Logar and Wardak provinces, the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division (3/10) is working with national police and the local police chiefs to implement both a bottom-up and top-down police development strategy. Through a series of inspection tours and a provincial summits the 3/10 has worked with the Afghans to bring together national, provincial and district police leadership to collectively address habitual police problems in the two provinces. In the long run, however, improvements in the Afghan National Police (ANP) will require sustained mentoring, a recognized form of accountability, and other measures specifically focused on reinforcing the entire chain of command at the national, provincial and district levels. End Summary. Series of Police Inspections in Logar and Wardak -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) Prior to its deployment in December 2008, the 3/10 determined to prioritize police development. Prior to the 3/10's arrival, limited Coalition Force presence did not permit for extensive interaction with the police. Upon its arrival, the 3/10 began to implement both a bottom-up and top-down strategy by bringing together national, provincial and district police leadership to collectively address habitual police problems in their area of operations. From the bottom, the 3/10 sought to duplicate the Afghan National Army (ANA) training system, to include strong and sustained mentoring and accountability. From the top, the 3/10 brigade commander and the provincial police chief carried out a series of police inspections in each of the districts. (Comment: Prior to this, neither of the provincial police chiefs had visited a number of their districts in more than a year.) ¶3. (SBU) Questions raised during the district inspections included personnel and equipment accountability, patrol schedules, authority to hire and fire, Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) command and control, and insufficient tashkiel (NCO policemen) allocation. The most common problems centered on logistics, specifically fuel distribution, barrier materials and vehicle maintenance. Blame for these problems was placed across the board but usually on whomever was not present, particularly the national leadership. Logar-Wardak Police Summit -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Recognizing that the police would continue to pass the buck and continuously blame others for their problems, a plan was conceived to bring decision makers across the national, provincial and district level is together in one room for a "police summit." Deputy Minister of Interior LTG Mangal agreed to chair the meeting, which was held on May 19 at FOB Shank. Logar and Wardak provincial chiefs of police and most of the district police chiefs attended the meeting. (Comment: Also invited to attend were Deputy Minister of Interior for Administration and Supply, LTG Haydir Basir and the regional commander, MG Alimi Khoistani, but they failed to show. Minister of Interior Atmar commented after the summit that he was disappointed that neither attended.) The meeting marked the first time that national, provincial and district police leadership came together to collectively interact with one another and address policing issues in Logar and Wardak. For police at the district level it provided the novel experience of interacting with their national leadership. ¶5. (SBU) The role played by 3/10 during the summit was limited to the brigade commander highlighting commonly held problems raised during the inspection tours as a series of questions to spur discussion and debate among all of the police present. While solutions were not reached on most of the problems discussed, the summit served as a forum in which the parties could better understand the Afghan process and forge a sustained Afghan solution. The discussions, many times uninterrupted by translators, allowed for candid and constructive conversation. For example, while the Logar provincial police chief gave a rosy perspective of the province, some of the district chiefs were brutally candid and realistic in their comments, saying directly to the deputy minister, "That is not how things really are since we can't get what we need," and "We are stationed in a school and don't want to be there." ¶6. (SBU) Furthermore, while all police participants understood how police officers and tashkiel were hired, not KABUL 00001421 002 OF 002 all understood who has hiring and firing authority, nor did they all initially understand basic questions such as whether ANCOP report to provincial police chiefs or to Kabul. (Comment: ANCOP answer to the provincial chief of police. End Comment.) Commenting that he felt like he was "on the witness stand" for much of the meeting, LTG Mangal was nonetheless constructive and listened to all of the chiefs' comments. He acknowledged that the MOI is severely deficient in a number of areas but said he would directly involve himself in addressing their issues, particularly fuel shortages. While he promised to review resources, he also encouraged the district chiefs to be creative and try to find a resolution themselves. As a means of maintaining a focus on the issues discussed, Mangal recommended a follow on meeting on August 10, before the elections. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The police in Logar and Wardak have a long road ahead of them to reach adequate self sustained capabilities, let alone to achieve operational effectiveness on par with the Afghan army. A series of inspections or police summits are not enough to fix the problems. These efforts will also need to be complemented with prolonged mentoring, a recognized form of accountability, and other measures that specifically focus on reinforcing the entire chain of command at the national, provincial and district levels. EIKENBERRY