

Currently released so far... 12453 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AORC
AMGT
APER
AU
AF
AS
ACBAQ
AFGHANISTAN
AFIN
AR
AE
AJ
ADANA
AEMR
AG
ATRN
ADPM
APECO
AGAO
AMED
AX
AM
AL
ADCO
AA
AECL
AADP
ABUD
AMEX
ACAO
ANET
AODE
ASCH
AY
APEC
AID
AORG
ASEAN
AFSI
AFSN
AINF
AGR
AROC
AO
AMBASSADOR
AFFAIRS
ASIG
ABLD
ASUP
AND
ARM
ARF
AQ
ATFN
AC
ACOA
AORL
ADM
AUC
AGMT
ACABQ
ASEX
AFU
ALOW
AZ
APCS
AVERY
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AER
AN
AIT
AMG
AGRICULTURE
AMCHAMS
ACS
BR
BA
BD
BL
BO
BF
BU
BILAT
BEXP
BRUSSELS
BK
BN
BM
BT
BY
BX
BTIO
BIDEN
BG
BE
BP
BBSR
BC
BTIU
BWC
BB
BH
BMGT
CH
CY
CA
CU
CS
CO
CVIS
CPAS
CMGT
CE
COUNTER
CASC
COUNTRY
CJAN
COUNTERTERRORISM
CG
CI
CD
CIDA
CJUS
CDG
CBSA
CEUDA
CR
CM
CLMT
CAC
CBW
CODEL
COPUOS
CWC
CIC
CW
CBE
CHR
CFED
CT
CONS
CIA
CTM
CDC
CVR
CF
CLINTON
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CACS
CAN
CONDOLEEZZA
CB
CSW
CITT
CARSON
CNARC
CACM
CDB
CARICOM
COM
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CV
CKGR
CBC
CL
CICTE
CIS
ECON
EFIN
ELAB
ETRD
EIND
EC
EINV
EAGR
ENRG
ETTC
EAID
EPET
ELTN
EWWT
EAIR
EFIS
EMIN
EG
EU
ER
EUN
EPA
ENVI
EXTERNAL
ECPS
ENGR
ETRC
ECIN
EN
EI
ELN
ET
EINT
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ES
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EZ
ETRO
EDU
ETRN
EFTA
EAIG
EK
EUREM
EURN
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EAP
ENIV
ECONOMY
ESA
EINN
ECONOMIC
EIAR
EXBS
ECA
ECUN
EINDETRD
EUR
EREL
EUC
ESENV
ECONEFIN
ECIP
ENERG
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EFIM
ENGY
EAIDS
EINVEFIN
EINVETC
EUMEM
ETRA
ETC
ERNG
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
ECINECONCS
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EXIM
ERD
EEPET
IR
IS
IZ
IAEA
IO
IAHRC
ID
IC
IT
IRAQI
IWC
IN
IL
ISLAMISTS
IV
ICAO
INDO
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IPR
ICRC
INTERPOL
IQ
IBET
IMO
INR
ITRA
INTERNAL
ICJ
ICTY
IRS
ILO
INRA
INRO
ISRAELI
IEA
INRB
ITALY
ITU
IBRD
IIP
ILC
INTELSAT
IZPREL
IMF
INMARSAT
IRAJ
IDA
ICTR
IA
IGAD
IF
IDP
ITF
ISRAEL
IEFIN
IRC
IACI
KN
KCRM
KOMC
KNNPMNUC
KIPR
KPAL
KWBG
KSCA
KFRD
KNNP
KUNR
KTIP
KWMN
KSTC
KFLU
KOLY
KISL
KPAO
KMDR
KJUS
KSTH
KDEM
KCOR
KIRF
KAWC
KU
KTFN
KWAC
KNPP
KERG
KSEO
KACT
KHLS
KZ
KGHG
KTIA
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KE
KPKO
KCIP
KDRG
KVPR
KV
KIDE
KICC
KPRP
KBIO
KSUM
KGIT
KCFE
KG
KBTS
KFLO
KMPI
KS
KGIC
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KSEP
KTEX
KFSC
KOCI
KHDP
KPLS
KTDB
KHIV
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KID
KMRS
KOM
KSAF
KRVC
KR
KMOC
KNAR
KIRC
KBCT
KSPR
KFIN
KBTR
KJUST
KNEI
KAWK
KGCC
KMCA
KREL
KMFO
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVRP
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KAID
KVIR
KNSD
KHUM
KSEC
KRAD
KPRV
KCMR
KPWR
KCHG
KIFR
KCFC
KICA
KPIN
KSCI
KESS
KDEV
KTBT
KCRS
KCGC
KOMS
KRIM
KTER
KREC
KPOA
KWWMN
KRGY
KPAK
KWNM
KMIG
KDDG
KRFD
KWMM
KWMNCS
KX
KRCM
KPAONZ
KNUC
KDEMAF
KNUP
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MCAP
MTCRE
MNUC
MIL
MX
MEDIA
MO
MPOS
MU
ML
MA
MP
MY
MERCOSUR
MG
MD
MW
MK
MAS
MEETINGS
MR
MT
MI
MOPPS
MASC
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MTRE
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MQADHAFI
MAPS
MARAD
MASSMNUC
MEPP
MCC
MZ
MILITARY
MDC
MRCRE
MC
MV
MIK
MUCN
NATO
NL
NZ
NPT
NI
NAFTA
NU
NDP
NIPP
NP
NPA
NG
NRR
NO
NSC
NEW
NE
NH
NR
NA
NS
NSF
NZUS
NATIONAL
NSG
NC
NT
NAR
NK
NGO
NV
NSFO
NSSP
NASA
NW
NPG
NORAD
NATOPREL
OTRA
OAS
OPRC
OIIP
OVIP
OREP
OPDC
OEXC
OSCE
OFFICIALS
OMIG
ODIP
OFDP
OECD
OPIC
OBSP
OPCW
OFDA
OTR
OSAC
OSCI
ON
OCII
OES
OVP
OIC
OPAD
OIE
OHUM
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PK
PHUM
PINS
PARM
PA
PTER
PINR
PREF
PHSA
PBTS
PBIO
PO
POL
PE
PARMS
PM
PROG
PL
PAK
POLITICS
PORG
PTBS
PNAT
PUNE
POLICY
PDOV
PCI
PROP
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PP
PS
PAO
PG
PY
PTERE
PGOF
PALESTINIAN
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PSEPC
PREFA
PGOVE
PINF
PHUMPGOV
PNG
PMIL
PGOC
PFOR
PCUL
PLN
PSA
PGIV
POLINT
PAS
POGOV
PHUMPREL
PHUMBA
PEL
PGGV
PNR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PGOVLO
PRAM
PHUS
PDEM
PECON
PF
POV
PROV
PRL
PREO
PAHO
PHUH
PSI
PINL
PU
PRGOV
PAIGH
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POSTS
RS
RU
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RIGHTS
RO
RW
RCMP
RF
RM
RFE
RSP
RP
RICE
ROBERT
ROOD
RELATIONS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RSO
SU
SNAR
SO
SOCI
SW
SENV
SMIG
SCUL
SP
SZ
SENVKGHG
SR
SY
SA
SYRIA
SF
SI
SC
SWE
SARS
STEINBERG
SN
SG
SIPRS
ST
SEVN
SL
SPCE
SNARIZ
SSA
SNARCS
SYR
SK
SPCVIS
SHUM
SIPDIS
SHI
SH
SOFA
SEN
SNARN
SAARC
SAN
SANC
SCRS
TRGY
TBIO
TU
TF
TERRORISM
TI
TSPL
TPHY
TH
TIP
TSPA
TC
TO
TW
TX
TZ
TNGD
TT
TL
TV
TFIN
TS
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TD
TK
TR
THPY
TP
TAGS
UNGA
UN
UK
US
UNC
UNSC
USUN
UG
UP
UY
USEU
UNESCO
USPS
USTR
UZ
UNHRC
UNO
UNMIK
UNAUS
UNHCR
UNCHR
USAID
UNVIE
UAE
USOAS
UNFICYP
UV
UNEP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDC
UNCHC
UNDP
UNCND
USNC
UNPUOS
UNICEF
UNCSD
UE
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08BERLIN1690, GERMANY: VISIT OF KUNAR AND WARDAK GOVERNORS HELPS
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08BERLIN1690.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08BERLIN1690 | 2008-12-19 13:01 | 2011-01-25 00:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Berlin |
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRL #1690/01 3541332
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191332Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2888
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0479
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0599
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001690
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO EUN GM AF TU
SUBJECT: GERMANY: VISIT OF KUNAR AND WARDAK GOVERNORS HELPS
ADVANCE OUR AFGHANISTAN AGENDA
Classified By: POLITICAL M...
183990
2008-12-19
08BERLIN1690
Embassy Berlin
CONFIDENTIAL
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 00169
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO EUN GM AF TU
SUBJECT: GERMANY: VISIT OF KUNAR AND WARDAK GOVERNORS HELPS
ADVANCE OUR AFGHANISTAN AGENDA
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE.
REASONS:
1.4 (B) AND (D).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. During a December 18 visit to Berlin, the
governors of Kunar and Wardak provinces pressed for greater
German assistance with the training and equipping of the
Afghan Border Police (ABP) and the Afghan National Police
(ANP). In a surprise announcement, the Interior Ministry
revealed that Germany planned to establish a new training
academy for the ABP in Kabul that will train up to 500 border
police officers at a time. While acknowledging ongoing
security challenges, both governors strongly disputed claims
that a majority of the country is controlled by the Taliban.
They argued that security trends are actually positive, and
welcomed additional international troops to help prepare the
ground for further advancements on development and
governance. The governors also emphasized the need for the
international community to focus its efforts at the district
level and to eliminate discrepancies in development aid among
provinces. The governors invited journalists during a press
conference to come to Kunar and Wardak to see for themselves
that the comprehensive approach is working. If Embassy Kabul
were willing, and funding for a visit by a group of ten to
twelve German journalists could be arranged, we would
advocate taking them up on the offer. END SUMMARY.
THE PROGRAM
¶2. (SBU) Kunar Governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi and Wardak
Governor Halim Fedai visited Berlin December 18, courtesy of
a PA program jointly sponsored by Embassy Kabul and USNATO,
which took them first to Brussels and then to Paris. The two
governors, together with their Embassy Kabul escorts, flew on
to Munich after their stay in Berlin for a further two days
of meetings and events before departing back to Afghanistan
(Munich program to be reported septel). The governors had a
full program in Berlin, which included a roundtable with more
than a dozen German parliamentarians and separate meetings
with the state secretaries at the Ministry of Interior (MOI)
and Foreign Office (MFA). The governors also participated in
a press conference featuring leading journalists from print
and electronic media, whose questions focused on security,
corruption and the state of development in Kunar and Wardak.
Coverage so far in print media has been skeptical, but
overall positive. At the end of the day, the governors came
to the Embassy for a wrap-up session with the Charge.
CONTROLLING THE BORDER WITH PAKISTAN
¶3. (C) In all the meetings, Kunar Governor Wahidi emphasized
Kunar's geographic position as an eastern province with a
240-kilometer border with Pakistan. He complained that his
province only had 600 of the 3,000 Afghan Border Police (ABP)
needed to properly control this border and he appealed to his
German interlocutors to provide greater assistance with the
training and equipping of the ABP. MOI State Secretary
August Hanning agreed that having a fully functioning and
effective border police force was decisive in achieving
success in Afghanistan, and in a surprise announcement,
revealed that Germany was planning to establish a ABP
training academy in Kabul, in an old Russian building right
next to the existing German-run Afghan National Police (ANP)
academy.
¶4. (C) On the margins of the meeting, MOI officials indicated
that the academy would focus its work on training
higher-level police officers in the ABP and that the plan was
to accommodate up to 500 students at time. They were not
sure how long the course of instruction would last,
indicating that this was still under consideration. They
invited us to return in January to get a fuller picture of
their plans for the academy.
¶5. (C) During the meeting with parliamentarians, Elke Hoff of
the Free Democratic Party (FDP), who is a regular visitor to
Afghanistan, said that while Pakistan was ready to work with
Afghanistan in reinforcing and controlling their common
border, Afghanistan's reluctance to accept the Durand Line
seemed to be hindering cooperation. Wahidi rejected the need
for Afghanistan to formally recognize the Durand Line
(something he claimed that Afghanistan was simply not in a
position to deal with at the current time) in order to enable
effective control of the border with Pakistan. He argued
that since many tribes straddle both sides of the border,
border control could not, in any event, consist of erecting
barriers and checkpoints that limited the legitimate travel
of tribal members back and forth between Pakistan and
Afghanistan. Instead, he called for an increased and
permanent presence of ABP on the border to deter, prevent and
respond to the entry of insurgents from Pakistan.
EQUIPPING THE POLICE
¶6. (C) Wardak Governor Fedai also focused on the police in
his remarks, stressing that the challenges went far beyond
training. He noted that the Afghan National Police (ANP)
lacked the necessary communication equipment to talk to each
other, relying solely on personal cell phones, which
frequently did not work at night. He said the Afghanistan
National Development Strategy (ANDS) called for the
construction of nine police stations in Wardak, but these
remained unfunded. He complained that the police throughout
Afghanistan lack uniforms, vehicles, fuel, accommodations,
explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) equipment and the tools
necessary to do forensic investigations. He agreed with
German parliamentarians who thought that police salaries had
to be increased significantly to discourage corruption. But
while he argued for a salary of $300 to 500 per month, Wahidi
was more cautious, noting that police salaries were already
on par with that of the Afghan National Army (ANA).
DISPUTING CLAIMS REGARDING SECURITY SITUATION
¶7. (C) Both governors disputed recent studies and reports
that have concluded that more than 70 percent of the country
is controlled by the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
They claimed that all of the districts in their respective
provinces were in the hands of the government, although
Wahidi acknowledged that parts of the mountainous border
region of Kunar were not always under full control due to
the lack of sufficient border police. He also made the point
that the frequency of attacks alone do not indicate that the
Taliban is strong -- in fact, suicide bombings are clearly a
tactic of the weak.
¶8. (C) The governors also criticized the media for giving the
perception that the security situation in Wardak and other
RC-East provinces continued to worsen over the past year.
Fedai argued that while it was true that security had
deteriorated in Wardak in 2006 and 2007, things had turned
around in 2008. He noted that while four of Wardak's nine
districts had temporarily fallen under Taliban control in
2007, this had not happened at all in 2008. There were no
permanent bases for insurgents in Wardak. He also
criticized the media for failing to distinguish between
insurgent and criminal activities, claiming that some 70
percent of the security incidents in Wardak were criminally
motivated and not ideological attacks against the government.
WHY MORE TROOPS ARE NEEDED
¶9. (SBU) At the press conference, the governors were asked
why they were asking for the deployment of additional foreign
troops if, in fact, the Taliban were getting weaker and the
security situation was improving. The governors pointed out
that the additional foreign troops were necessary to fill
continuing security gaps until sufficient numbers of the ANA,
ANP, ABP and other Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)
were trained and equipped to do the job themselves. In
response to a question about President-Elect Obama deciding
to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, Wahidi
responded: He didn't decide to send them -- we asked for
them! Wahidi noted that these troops would help prepare
the ground to enable further advances on development and
governance.
¶10. (C) In the wrap-up session with the Charge, Afghan
Ambassador to Germany Zulfacar reported that new Afghan
Interior Minister Atmar had made the same point to his German
counterpart the previous week during an introductory visit to
Berlin. Atmar had emphasized that there are currently not
enough security forces to hold territory after it has been
cleared, thereby allowing the Taliban to come back in and
negate the beneficial effect of the military operations.
DISCREPANCIES IN DEVELOPMENT AID
¶11. (C) The governors highlighted the wide discrepancy in the
distribution of development aid by PRT lead nations, as
exemplified in their own two provinces. Wahidi noted that
the U.S. had spent some $82 million for a wide variety of
projects in Kunar in the past year. Fedai said that the
Turkish PRT in Wardak, by comparison, had only spent a total
of $15 million on projects in the province over the past
three years, out of a total of $100 million for the whole
country. He said that other international actors like the
EU were needed to provide supplementary resources in
provinces where the PRT was led by a relatively poorer
country, like Turkey. MFA State Secretary Reinhard
Silberberg said more should be done to get rich Islamic
countries like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, which are
natural partners for Afghanistan, more involved in supporting
the development effort. He noted that while Germany had
pledged some $420 million over the next three years at the
Paris Conference this past summer, Saudi Arabia had committed
just $20 million.
EMPHASIS ON DISTRICT LEVEL
¶12. (C) Both governors emphasized the need for the
international community to focus its efforts at the district
level in Afghanistan, noting that most Afghans do not live in
Kabul or a provincial capital, but rather in small rural
villages across the country. They praised CSTC-A's Focused
District Development (FDD) police training and mentoring as
an example of a program that correctly takes account of this
reality. Both MFA State Secretary Silberberg and MOI State
Secretary Hanning confirmed that they found the case for the
FDD program to be compelling, which was why Germany planned
to participate in FDD on a bilateral basis in selected
northern districts beginning in January.
¶13. (C) Silberberg also conceded that the EU Police Mission
(EUPOL) -- which up until now has focused its work on the
Afghan Ministry of Interior in Kabul and on giving strategic
advice on how to set up the ANP and other Afghan police
forces -- should be reoriented to focus more attention on
police training. He indicated that Germany was pressing
EUPOL in this direction. Green Party Defense Spokesman
Winfried Nachtwei told us after the parliamentary meeting
with the governors that his judgment about the irrelevance of
EUPOL had been confirmed by the fact that neither Wahidi nor
Fedai knew anything about it and talked only about the
success of FDD.
TAKING THE GOVERNORS UP ON THEIR INVITATION?
¶14. (SBU) The governors invited journalists during the press
conference to come to Kunar and Wardak to see for themselves
that the comprehensive approach is working. This presents
obvious logistical challenges, but if Embassy Kabul were
willing, and funding for a visit by a group of ten to twelve
German journalists could be arranged, we would advocate
taking them up on the offer. While bringing Afghan officials
to Brussels on a USNATO tour is certainly beneficial, we have
found there is no replacement for sending German journalists
to Afghanistan. It is relatively easy for journalists to
visit Mazar and Kunduz through trips sponsored by the German
military, but we have seen the most effective coverage in
German media when reporters visit multiple provinces and PRTs
outside the north.
SIDE BENEFIT: MENTORING OUR AFGHAN COLLEAGUES
¶15. (C) This is the third time within the past year that we
have had Afghan governors stop in Berlin as part of a
USNATO/Embassy Kabul-sponsored tour to Brussels. In addition
to giving us an excellent opportunity to advance our
Afghanistan agenda, both in private meetings with
high-ranking German officials and through public diplomacy,
these visits have also facilitated growing cooperation
between Mission Germany and the Afghan Embassy here in
Berlin. With each succeeding visit, the Afghans take on more
and more responsibility for planning the program and
scheduling the appointments. We have successfully used these
visits to mentor our Afghan counterparts on organizing VIP
visits and making contacts in the German government and
Bundestag.
Koenig