Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09PESHAWAR24
2009-02-09 09:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Peshawar
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE GOVERNOR

Tags:  MOPS PTER EAID PGOV PK 
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RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 1392
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RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4886
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000024 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/9/2019
TAGS: MOPS PTER EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE GOVERNOR
GHANI CONCERNING INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, OPERATIONS AND QUICK
REACTION FORCES

CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000024

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/9/2019
TAGS: MOPS PTER EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE GOVERNOR
GHANI CONCERNING INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, OPERATIONS AND QUICK
REACTION FORCES

CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
Summary
--------------


1. (C) Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor Owais Ghani
met with Ambassador and Peshawar Principal Officer on January

27. Ghani said that "while major military operations are over
in Bajaur and Mohmand, the problems are not." Each agency would
have one to three Quick Reaction Forces (QRF),each with their
own dedicated artillery and tanks. Ghani stated internally
displaced persons (IDPs) returning to Bajaur would need two
months of food, fuel wood and assistance to rebuild their homes.
In response to calls for speeding up the pace of justice, Ghani
intends to expand a pilot alternative dispute resolution project
that has allowed the quick settlement of simple civil cases at
police stations by a committee of community leaders. Funding
for the QRFs in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
as well as the police in the NWFP is an ongoing challenge for
provincial leaders. End Summary.

Major Military Operations Over
--------------


2. (C) Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Governor Owais Ghani
met with Ambassador and Peshawar Principal Officer on January

27. In addition, Peshawar Pol/Econ Chief attended the meeting.


3. (C) Ghani told the Ambassador that "while major military
operations in Bajaur and Mohmand are over, the problems are
not." He explained that pockets of resistance were still
present in Bajaur, Mohmand, and Khyber where they had been
conducting operations recently, but the GOP was moving into a
"Quick Reaction Force" (QRF) mode in each of the agencies. Some
operations may be conducted where an area will be cordoned off
and forces sent in to hit specific targets.

Swat Ambush of Militants
--------------


4. (C) Ghani stated that after militants had repeatedly dropped
bodies of their victims at a well known intersection in the Swat
valley, the GOP set up an ambush. The ambush killed 5 militants

and then left their bodies at the same intersection, which ended
the practice in that area.

QRF-Mode: A New Approach
--------------


5. (C) Ghani said each agency would have one to three QRF forces
available, each with their own dedicated artillery and tanks.
The tanks will be deployed in "troops" of three with six to nine
total tanks per agency. He stated that the QRF will be ready to
react in a "couple of hours" to situations as they arose with
direct cooperation between the local military commander and the
Political Agent. He expected the QRF Mode of operations to last
at least six to twelve months.

Khyber PA Directs First Use of QRF
--------------


6. (C) As evidence of the new QRF strategy, Ghani cited a recent
military action in Khyber agency ordered by the Khyber PA from
the Governor's Office. He said that during a meeting in the
Governor's Office, the PA received a call on his cell phone with
actionable information concerning militants in Khyber. Based on
the new arrangement, the PA gave specific instructions to the
local commandant who took immediate action against militants
near Landi Kotal. The QRF action quickly "dealt with" the
militants in the area with minimal interruption of the
Peshawar-Landi Kotal route. (Note: The Peshawar-Landi Kotal
route is a principal supply route for NATO supplies entering
Afghanistan. End Note.) Ghani added that during the recent
Bajaur operations, the relationship between the Frontier Corps
and the Political Agent had been excellent with the PA giving
the military instructions of who to "hit."

What IDPs Need

PESHAWAR 00000024 002 OF 002


--------------


7. (C) Responding to Ambassador's query about what the NWFP
needed to resettle IDPs in Bajaur, Ghani stated the government
would need two months of food support, fuel wood, and help
rebuilding their homes when they return probably in April. He
explained that most of the labor to rebuild their homes could
come from the IDPs themselves, but they would need funds to buy
timber and plastic sheets for roofing materials. He stated that
50,000 rupees per family should be sufficient for the house
reconstruction efforts, and he favors direct cash to families
via tribal leaders as it would help to bring business back to
the area, reinvigorating the local economy. (Note: Rs 50,000 is
approximately USD 650. End note.)

Police Funding?
--------------


8. (C) Responding to Ambassador's statement of potential
additional police assistance Ghani asserted that a planned
meeting January 24 between himself, President Zadari, and NWFP
Chief Minister Hoti to discuss additional funding for the NWFP
Police was cancelled and not rescheduled. Ghani said that the
official reason for the cancellation was the absence of the
Finance Minister, but he asserted that the real reason was that
the GOP did not have the funds to pay for the needed assistance.
Ghani made a plea for assistance to raise additional police
forces, increase their pay, and provide more equipment and
training.

Dispute Resolution At Police Stations
--------------


9. (C) Ghani described a pilot project in Abbottabad employing
an alternative dispute resolutions mechanism aimed at responding
to the calls for quicker justice, an area where local taliban
have taken an advantage by setting up parallel courts that
dispense "speedy" justice. Under the project, simple civil
disputes are decided at police stations by a committee of
"esteemed" community leaders who serve with no salary on a
rotating basis. Ghani said that for issues involving property,
family issues, rental and other business disputes each committee
convening at its local police station is empowered to make
judgments. There are no court costs to either litigant and
cases are decided within 15 calendar days. Of the 2000 cases
decided in October and November of 2008, only three had gone to
higher courts. Ghani said that he intends to expand the
project, but he did not provide a date.

Next Actions
--------------


10. (C) Ghani said that as the QRFs were being put in place and
new Maliks appointed, the GOP would move to reward areas that
had resisted the militants. He said this strategy would revive
the tribal system and be successful, because he has started to
see signs that up to 50 percent of the militants funding has
been cut off. He cited as evidence the cost of an AK-47 rising
to USD 1,000 from a previous low of USD 500 and one round of
ammunition for an AK-47 rising recently to USD .50 from a
previous low of USD .10.

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


11. (C) Ghani's plan to have QRFs in the FATA (if fully
implemented) and expansion of an alternative dispute resolution
mechanism are steps that could boost morale among security
forces and help build public confidence and support for local
governing institutions. In the settled areas, finding the
funding to man, train, and equip the police remains the NWFP
government's core security challenge.
TRACY