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

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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