FORMER EXILED TRIBAL LEADER PROMISES TO IMPROVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002756 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KJUS AF SUBJECT: FORMER EXILED TRIBAL LEADER PROMISES TO IMPROVE SECURITY IN NANGARHAR Classified By: Interagency Provincial Affairs Deputy Coordinator Hoyt Y ee for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Former mujahidin commander and Nangarhar power broker Haji Zaman Gomsharick, widely considered to be the most influential leader of the Khogyani tribe, met with the Jalalabad PRT State Department representative on August ¶10. Haji Zaman, who recently ended seven years of exile in Pakistan in a surprise return to pre-election Afghanistan, said he would work closely with Coalition Forces and the provincial and national governments to help calm the security situation in the Khogyani tribal area of Nangarhar. Haji Zaman,s return to Afghanistan is controversial, after his having fled to Peshawar in 2002 upon losing out in a local power struggle with Nangarhar,s two other powerful families. Khogyani tribal leaders had been lobbying President Karzai for Haji Zaman,s return since his departure, threatening to withhold support for Karzai,s re-election unless he was allowed home from Pakistan. Haji Zaman,s return, combined with the recent placement of Haji Din Mohammed as Karzai,s campaign manager, signals the possible re-emergence of Nangarhar,s traditional power families, sidelined since 2005 by Kandahar-born Governor Gul Agha Sherzai. It may also present an opportunity to stabilize three of Nangarhar,s least stable districts, located in the fractious Khogyani tribal area along the border with Pakistan. The PRT plans to develop our relationship with Haji Zaman and build on his agreement to work with Coalition Forces, the Afghan government, and Khogyani tribal leaders to garner local involvement toward a solution for security in their tribal area. End Summary. IMPROVE SECURITY -------------- ¶2. (C) On August 10, PRT Jalalabad State Department representative met in Kabul with former mujahidin commander and Nangarhar Pashtun power broker Haji Zaman Gomsharick. Haji Zaman, widely considered to be the most influential leader of the Khogyani tribe, recently ended seven years of exile in Pakistan in a surprise return to pre-election Afghanistan. Accompanied by his close friend and political ally Jalalabad Mayor Lal Agha Kaker, Zaman promised to use his considerable influence among Khogyani tribal leaders and key families to improve the security situation in the troubled districts of Shirzad,Khogyani, and Pachir Wa Agam. He said he would work closely with Coalition Forces, and the provincial and national governments to achieve this goal. POWER STRUGGLE -------------- ¶3. (C) Haji Zaman,s return to Afghanistan is controversial. He fled to Peshawar in 2002 after losing out in a local power struggle with Nangarhar,s two other powerful families, all of which had vied for control of the province since the collapse of the Taliban regime. The families in question include the Pashtun Arsalie family, currently headed by President Karzai,s re-election campaign manager, Haji Din Mohammed, and Hazrat Ali, of Nangarhar,s ethnic Pashai community and current Member of Parliament. Hazrat Ali reportedly has strong ties with Iran, with property and family members there. Haji Zaman may have also fled Afghanistan because he had been accused of involvement in the assassination of the then-patron of the Arsalie family, Haji Qadir, who was Vice President of Afghanistan and Nangarhar Provincial Governor. Haji Zaman was never charged or found guilty of the crime. However, his brother remains in jail despite having been cleared of charges of involvement in the assassination. The Arsalie family continues to blame Haji Zaman for the murder, and has been urging Karzai to eject Haji Zaman,s from the country. Haji Zaman has denied involvement in the murder. THE KHOGYANI TRIBAL LOBBY -------------- ¶4. (C) Khogyani tribal leaders had been lobbying President Karzai for Haji Zaman,s return, threatening to withhold support for Karzai,s re-election unless he was allowed home from Pakistan. Since Haji Zaman,s return on July 30, many key Khogyani tribal leaders have announced their support for Karzai. Haji Zaman told us he spent much of the last week negotiating with Karzai and pushing back against the Arsalies, efforts to oust him from Afghanistan. He told us he had been pressured to depart for Saudi Arabia on a 15-day &umra8 ) or religious pilgrimage, and to return after elections. He refused. The final arrangement, he said, was that he would be allowed to stay in Kabul until after the elections, and then return to Nangarhar Province. COMMENT KABUL 00002756 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶5. (C) Haji Zaman,s return, combined with Haji Din Mohammed,s placement as Karzai,s campaign manager, signals the possible re-emergence of Nangarhar,s traditional power families, who had been sidelined since 2005 by Kandahar-born Governor Gul Agha Sherzai. It also signals that they are maneuvering for influence in a post-election, post-Sherzai Nangarhar. Sherzai has told us he is seeking to depart Nangarhar for a national-level position after the elections, or perhaps return to Kandahar as governor. He has not yet struck a deal with Karzai on his future job. Many Nangarharis blame these three families for the continued political infighting, dysfunctional corruption and a bleak security situation that existed before Governor Sherzai,s tenure. Note: Many Nangarharis admit Sherzai is corrupt, but credit him with spreading at least some of the wealth around and providing relative security, in the tradition of a true Pashtun leader ) i.e., functional corruption. ¶6. (C) (Comment continued) This potential power struggle between competing local power families could, if not handled properly, lead to green-on-green political violence apart from the insurgency. However, it may also present an opportunity to establish relative peace in three of Nangarhar,s least stable districts, located in the fractious Khogyani tribal area along the border with Pakistan. Most contacts with whom we have talked, including Haji Zaman,s political adversaries, agree that Haji Zaman is the most influential leader of the Khogyani tribe. We believe a relationship with Haji Zaman could help us leverage his influence in the Khogyani tribal area and ultimately improve security there. However, we plan on taking a cautious and balanced approach in developing this relationship to avoid being pulled into a local power dispute. We will carefully monitor Haji Zaman,s actions and their effect on this key eastern province. End Comment. EIKENBERRY