AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL OF FRONTIER CORPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000023

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/9/2019
TAGS: MOPS PTER EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL OF FRONTIER CORPS
AND VISITS THE WARSAK TRAINING CENTER

CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
Summary
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1. (U) Ambassador and Peshawar Principal Officer met with
Inspector General Frontier Corps Tariq Khan during a January 26
visit to the Warsak Training Center to formally hand over the
latest U.S. assistance of security and communications equipment
valued at one and a half million dollars.


2. (C) Khan asserted that the best approach for addressing the
hold strategy is to have enough trained and equipped police
forces visible to the populace with the Frontier Corps behind
them. The town of Warsak is coming back to life stemming from
the security that Khan's forces are providing in the area.
Warsak training center construction is making progress with 99%
of the 20 classrooms completed. Khan was critical of unnamed
Members of National Assembly from the tribal areas. He added
that "much of the problem in South Waziristan would go away when
Baitullah (Mehsud) was taken out." Khan spent a significant
portion of his brief on the use and needs of the police, who are
not part of his force, demonstrating both the degree of urgency
of the police issue and the evolution of Frontier Corps' hold
strategy. End Summary.

Donation of Equipment to Frontier Corps
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3. (C) During a January 26 visit to the Warsak Training Center,
the Ambassador formally handed over the latest U.S. assistance
of vehicles, protective vests, helmets, radios and other
equipment to Frontier Corps, valued at one and a half million
dollars. Khan thanked the Ambassador for the equipment and said
it would be put to immediate use by his forces. Deputy Chief of
the Office of the Defense Representative Pakistan BG Joe
DiBartolomeo, Narcotics Affairs Senior Advisor Bob Traister, and
Peshawar Pol/Econ Chief (notetaker) also participated in the
visit.

Security Challenges And Use Of The Police
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4. (C) Khan asserted that best approach for addressing the hold
strategy is to have enough trained and equipped police forces
visible to the populace with the FC behind them. Khan said one
problem was that many of the mid-level police officials were
selected based on politics and not on their leadership
abilities. Their political affiliations, he explained, often
prevented them from being effective. He suggested a change in
some of these personnel, additional leadership training for
others, and support for the equipment, salary and manpower needs
of the police. Khan said he had not yet devised a plan on how
to establish a strong mid-level command/coordination link
between Frontier Corps and the tribal area paramilitaries, the
levies and khassadars, who report to the Political Agent.

Warsak Construction Making Great Progress
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5. (C) Khan said that the Warsak training center construction is
making progress with 99% of the 20 classrooms completed.
Security-related construction had also made significant progress
with 30% of the planned camp upgrades finished. During a site
overview brief, Khan explained that 10 security bunkers and six
additional posts would be built adding to the seven posts on the
surrounding hills of the camp. He was confident that additional
fencing, patrolling, and posts on the surrounding hills would
eliminate the current threat of mortar attacks by the militants
on Warsak.

Security Improving In The Town Of Warsak
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6. (C) In addition to the physical security upgrades to the two
by five kilometer camp, Khan said that the town of Warsak is
coming back to life as a result of the security that his forces
were providing in the area. He added that a cadet college
available to the local tribal children would be built this year
and would begin instruction with grade eight.

PESHAWAR 00000023 002 OF 002



IGFC Critical Of Members Of The National Assembly
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7. (C) Khan was critical of unnamed Members of the National
Assembly (MNA) from the tribal areas. He said that one MNA he
knew had not been to his area for 18 months and others visit
rarely. He explained that a MNA's purpose was to legislate, but
MNAs are prohibited by the constitution from passing legislation
concerning the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). He
said this leads the MNAs for FATA to concentrate on development
projects as either an opportunity for corruption or to build
support in their district.

Baitullah Mehsud: How Did He Become So Strong?
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8. (C) Responding to Ambassador's query as to how Baitullah
became so strong, Khan said the militants like to pick a
"nobody" like Baitullah, who had been a Physical Education
teacher. Khan explained that when a "nobody" is given money,
cell phones, and some gunmen, then he becomes "important" but is
outside of and not beholden to the traditional tribal elder
structure as a power base. Accordingly, actors like Baitullah
are free to "knock out" stability in the area and become
stronger as they undermine local authority. Khan maintained
that "much of the problem in South Waziristan would go away when
Baitullah was taken out."

Usefulness of Recent Training
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9. (C) Khan asserted that the primary benefit of the training
conducted between U.S. Special Forces trainers and Frontier
Corps to date was the "interaction between the two forces." He
said that he knew that valuable training lay ahead, but he was
pleased with the training's results.

Comment
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10. (C) Khan's point that law enforcement forces (police in NWFP
and levies and khassadars in FATA) must be able to take a
leading role is well taken. One of the most visible signs of
the writ of the government, or lack thereof, is the degree of
effective police presence. The fact that Khan would spend a
significant portion of his brief on the use and needs of the law
enforcement units, which are not part of his force, demonstrates
both the degree of urgency of the issue and the evolution of the
Frontier Corps' hold strategy.
TRACY