Tensions Growing between Helmand Governor Mangal and

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000973

DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA
USFOR-A FOR POLAD

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: Tensions Growing between Helmand Governor Mangal and
His Deputy

Ref: Kabul 910


1. (SBU) Begin Summary. Tensions are reportedly rising
between Helmand's Governor Gulabuddin Mangal and his Deputy
Governor Satar Marzakwal. Mangal reportedly told Independent
Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) Director Jelani Popal
that Satar was responsible for the corrupt land deals in
Helmand, and that Satar should be removed from his office.
Satar disputes this, and instead is pointing the finger at
Mangal. At the root of their growing dispute is SatarQs
support for President Karzai, and Mangal's concerns that he
will have a minder in his office watching to see whether he
works against Karzai. The tensions between the two men and
the land corruption allegations may be having an impact on
public perceptions, as 70-80 elders met with the Helmand
Provincial COUNCIL on April 16 and voiced opposition to
Governor Mangal, Deputy Governor Satar and their
administration. End Summary.

Land Corruption Blame Game
--------------


2. (SBU) Helmand's Governor Mangal left for India on April
12, after a week of meetings in Kabul with senior Afghan
officials, including the Minister of Defense, Minister of
Interior and the NATIONAL Directorate of SECURITY (NDS)
Director to discuss SECURITY issues and additional Afghan
National Army (ANA) deployments to Helmand. During Mangal's
high level meetings, he reportedly redirected the blame for
the recent allegations of financial and land corruption deals
in Helmand away from himself and on to his Deputy Governor,
Satar Marzakwal. Mangal told IDLG Director Jelani Popal that
while he was out of the country on a recent trip to London,
Satar and the previous local director from the Ministry of
Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL),Haji Gulam Nabi,
distributed land parcels belonging to the Agriculture
Department between themselves and other parties.


3. (SBU) Governor Mangal seems to have made his case
repeatedly to Popal and has asked that the IDLG fire Satar.
Reportedly, Mangal's request is under consideration by the
IDLG. Satar, who is aware of the allegations, contacted the
State Department officer at the Helmand Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT) to flatly reject these charges and
instead pinned the blame on Governor Mangal himself, who he
accused of being involved in the distribution of the
Agriculture land parcels. Satar said he was in contact with
IDLG and seems to be making his own case with them. He wants
the Governor to address the accusations about the land
corruption.

Food Zone Charges
--------------


4. (SBU) In addition to the land deal allegations, the
Ministry of Counter Narcotics continues to receive reports
from various Helmand residents of corruption during the Food
Zone Project in Helmand. Unverified accusations -- possibly
malicious -- continue to linger that Mangal, or members of his
staff, sold the certified wheat seed that was intended for
Gereshk, Sangin and Garmsir districts. (Note: This
distribution effort was likely separate from the US-funded
effort in Lashkar Gah; the UK-funded wheat distribution
program was undertaken with the assistance of local elders,
which could have allowed some wheat to be redirected from the
local farmers. End Note). The PRT State Department officer
continues to receive reports that some elements in Kabul want
Mangal called in to explain this accusation.

Satar Situation
--------------


5. (SBU) The Deputy Governor called the PRT State
Representative late Tuesday evening on April 12 and asked
whether the PRT had received phone calls from the governor,
the governor's brother or Nizamuddin, the governor's cousin.
He was concerned that U.S. PRT officials called off their
visit to a USAID-funded power sub-station, which is currently
under construction, at the request of Governor Mangal. The
State Representative to the PRT told him that we had received
no directions from Mangal and it was the recent threat of a
suicide bomber in the city and that delayed our visit. Satar
seemed very skeptical and said, "He assumes something is going
on in shadows."

Comment
--------------

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6. (SBU) At the heart of the widening split between Mangal
and Satar is the elections and pressure to support President
Karzai. President Karzai indirectly instructed Provincial
Governors to support his candidacy for re-election, but
Governor Mangal is closely tied to the Afghan Nation Party and
his support for Karzai can be characterized as moderate at
best. PRT believes that Karzai's people approached Deputy
Governor Satar for his support and Satar has agreed to lobby
on the President's behalf in Helmand. Mangal is not pleased
with this development and the possibility of a Karzai minder
as his deputy, and may be using some or all of the recent
allegations to push Satar out of Helmand.


7. (SBU) IDLG Director Popal, who arranged Mangal's series
of high-level meetings in Kabul, continues to support Mangal
through this latest episode and seems intent on bringing him
more deeply into the Karzai fold. Popal understands Mangal
retains influence in Eastern Afghanistan and he could still be
useful for the Karzai re-election effort, or as a minimum
could divide the support for the Afghan Nation Party. Still,
the tensions between the two men and the land corruption
allegations may be having an impact on public perceptions. On
April 16, 70-80 elders met with the Helmand Provincial COUNCIL
and voiced opposition to Governor Mangal, Deputy Governor
Satar and their administration. Many of the elders have never
supported Mangal, but the fact they are publicly voicing their
opposition against him suggests they are aware of the
weaknesses created by the allegations and the tensions between
the two men.


8. (SBU) We do not pretend to have a full picture of what
might or might not be going on with regard to this alleged
case of corruption. We do understand, however, that Mangal
has been coming under increased pressure to promote the
President's re-election. It is also clear that Karzai himself
would almost certainly be pleased if he found himself in a
position to remove Mangal for cause. The governor's
appointment, it should be recalled, came about only as a
result of pressure from international stakeholders.

RICCIARDONE