KABUL EAC MEETING - SEPTEMBER 28, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT ASEC AF SUBJECT: KABUL EAC MEETING - SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified ) protect accordingly. RESIDENTIAL SECURITY ¶2. (U) Assistant Ambassador convened a Core Emergency Action Committee (EAC) on September 28, 2009 to discuss the current security and housing situation in Kabul, Post Off-Compound Travel Policy, and to conduct a security review of PRTs. EAC members present included Assistant Ambassador, MGT, RSO, L/EMB, IPA, RAO, POL-MIL, POL, ECON, FAA, IRM, DEA, CONS, RMO, PA, DOJ, and AID. ¶3. (U) The EAC reviewed the current housing situation for Camp Integrity, a compound near the Kabul airport, owned by private security company XE. RSO discussed the layout of Integrity and continuing minor improvements and noted that the camp meets security requirements for putting COM personnel there between now and January 2010. MGT stated that there will be shuttles for transport. ¶4. (U) The EAC reviewed the status of the new villas being prepared adjacent to the embassy to house COM personnel. RSO announced that security waivers are in place for six villas, and that all mandatory setbacks and security barriers are in place. RSO also announced that static and roaming guards will be placed at the villas immediately. Once occupants have moved in, there will be a shuttle for transport and Management announced that the villas will have base station tactical communications and panic alarms but no Embassy IVG phones in the near term. It is still unclear who will occupy ) priority will go to agencies with self-drive and weapons and mid-term TDY personnel. ¶5. (U) RSO announced that Post has acquired new LENCO MRAPs for transporting Local Guard Force (LGF). These new &Rhino8 style vehicles will allow LGF to more safely transit to and from the Embassy along Route White. Currently the LGF vehicles are transiting from Camp Sullivan to USEMB on an unavoidably predictable schedule in high-profile military-style vehicles with only basic ballistic protection. The new vehicle affords considerably more protection although the reduced capacity of each vehicle requires a somewhat longer convoy with a larger footprint. ¶6. (U) Management briefed the current status of Camp Sullivan, the camp several miles from the embassy where the embassy guard force lives. The camp is currently at capacity but still needs to expand by 150 given upcoming Mission expansion. Management stated that there is the possibility �A;that more residential units could be put in unused space but that a better option would be to lease land from MOD adjacent to the Embassy. Management said that there were issues with this land as it was at this point still unclear whether MoD actually owned the land or whether another organization actually had title even though MoD was occupying it. ¶7. (U) RSO raised the subject of an S/CRS Officer who is coming to Afghanistan to be under COM authority but resident at and attached to UNAMA. AMB Mussomeli announced that Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone has approved this arrangement. None of the representatives of sections that might be expected to supervise such an officer were familiar with this plan. RSO proposed a site survey of UNAMA but agreed to hold off until the officer,s status was clarified. OFF-COMPOUND TRAVEL ¶8. (U) RSO recommended the need to review and more carefully define aspects of the Off Compound Travel Policy. ¶A. The EAC agreed that &Official8 Travel needs to be more clearly defined in guidance to the Embassy and monitored by section heads. RSO said COM personnel were beginning to set patterns by their attendance at local restaurants. ¶B. RSO restated the importance of traveling in smaller groups and avoiding the use of vans. Vans have a high profile as they are both American-made and unique on the roads. Also, because they carry more than just a few passengers, inherently offer an appealing target. ¶C. The EAC decided that henceforth, if unofficial travel is disapproved by RSO, new policy is that their section head must send an appeal to the Assistant Ambassador. ¶D. RSO announced that there is a new list of approved official and unofficial travel destinations. ¶E. RSO asked MGT to consider a policy of refusal of service to travel notices put in at the last minute. MGT agreed that notices put in with less than an hour,s notice could sometimes be denied but the EAC agreed that current policies were acceptable at this time. ¶9. (U) RSO announced that the Embassy and ISAF have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and ISAF has drafted a Fragmentary Order (FRAGO) with ISAF have been signed KABUL 00003066 002 OF 002 regarding the standards of protective gear and force posture required for off-compound travel of US personnel assigned to American-led PRTs. ¶10. (U) EAC reviewed the threats and actual actions against the PRTs in which COM personnel are authorized self-drive. The EAC decided that Baghlan, whose security condition is deteriorating, is worthy of further review in two weeks and that in the interim, RSO and IPA will confirm that the Embassy Rep at PRT Baghlan is coordinating all movement with the PRT commander. EAC further decided that all PRTs should be issued Blue Force Tracker for COM personnel travel and that Kunduz will now be self-drive only within the city limits of Kunduz. After consideration of all the other self-drive PRTs, the EAC deemed no changes seemed indicated at this time. EIKENBERRY