This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL/FO. SA/FO AMB QUINN 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN/KAMED 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015 
TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV PTER KCRM AF
SUBJECT: ELIMINATION/ERADICATION UPDATE 
 
Classified By: DCM NORLAND AS PER E.O. 12958 REASONS 1.4 (b and d) 
 
This cable replaces Kabul 0113. Subject Line has been added. 
Please collect and destroy 
all copies of the referenced cable. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: In a series of meetings over the past weeks, 
INL Kabul and the British Embassy Drugs Team (BEDT) have 
worked closely with officials from the Ministry of Interior 
(MOI) and Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) to finalize 
governor- and centrally-led eradication plans.  A key 
component of these plans is the Afghanistan Eradication Force 
(AEF) which instituted recent organizational changes that 
will result in a more flexible and responsive force.  As the 
Poppy Elimination Program (PEP) teams grow to full size, they 
will play an increasingly important role in planning and 
verification. End Summary. 
 
PEP PERSONNEL 
------------- 
 
¶2. (U) International Advisors (IAs): The contractor has hired 
four IAs who have deployed to Afghanistan. Their current 
assignments are as follows: Kandahar (Sessum), Nangarhar 
(Renteria), Balkh (Barbosa), and Uruzgan(Stiffey).  Stiffey 
will replace Sessum in Kandahar for the January 5 ) 20 
period while Sessum is on leave.  Sessum, Renteria, and 
Barbosa are housed at Regional Training Centers (RTCs) in 
their respective provinces. The plan is for Stiffey to be 
housed at the PRT.  The PRT Commander in Uruzgan has 
indicated that she cannot accept a permanent move until all 
lines of authority and support requirements are identified. 
Dyncorp Deputy Program Manager traveled to Tarin Kowt, 
Uruzgan on January 8-9 to discuss these issues with the 
Commander. 
 
¶3. (U) Recent interviews have resulted in almost a full 
complement of staff for the seven provincial PEP teams. 
Seventy-five percent of the positions have been filled; 
candidates have been identified for all but two of the vacant 
positions.  A master list will be sent to INL Washington via 
email. 
 
Challenges on the Ground 
------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) While the teams have grown, the pace of establishing 
the offices is slow and operational problems constrain the 
activities of the Aghan PEP staff.  Except in the case of 
Balkh, the Afghan staff are improvising with borrowed office 
and furniture, and no internet connection. Reporting to date 
has therefore been sparse as reporting is conveyed through 
slower and less detailed channels.  INL Kabul has been 
engaged with the contractor to resolve delays in these 
deliverables.  As resources are added, Post expects the 
quantity and quality of reporting to grow. 
 
¶5. (U) Dyncorp has indicated that they intend to provide 
internet service through Deployable Communications Kits, 
which have been ordered but not delivered. Dyncorp has 
purchased one kit per province as well as one for its Kabul 
office. 
 
¶6. (U) Dyncorp has cited cost, accountability, high theft 
risk, technical issues related to set-up, and the fact that 
these kits can be easily damaged or destroyed if not operated 
properly, for not considering installing them until the 
permanent offices are established.  These kits are 
multi-functional and Deputy Program Manager has asked local 
PEP staff in Balkh, where the issue emerged first, to 
investigate the possibility of a dial-up connection.  INL 
Kabul will work with DynCorp to reach a mutually agreeable 
solution on this matter. 
 
¶7. (U) The AEF continues preparations for the upcoming 
season.  The MOI is in the final stages of developing an 
operations plan outlining AEF and ANP support for 
governor-led eradication.  The plan to support the governors 
with central police and eradication forces is scheduled to 
begin in mid-January and will continue for two to four weeks. 
The AEF personnel will then return to their base for a refit 
and begin preparation for missions for the forced eradication 
season. 
 
¶8. (U) Despite direct requests from the MCN and MOI, 
provincial governors have been slow to respond to requests 
for detailed information relating to their needs to 
accomplish governor-led eradication.  Stemming from a meeting 
held on December 31 with the BEDT and INL KABUL, Deputy 
Minister of Interior Daud formed a committee of eight senior 
staff members. Daud assigned a regional zone to each and the 
coordinator made direct contact with the individual governors 
in that zone. Thanks to the committee,s persistence, the MOI 
has developed a spreadsheet outlining the provincial 
requirements.  These plans still need to be refined but INL 
Kabul and BEDT have at least enough information now to start 
planning the allocation of resources. 
¶9. (C) Comment: It became apparent early in the discussion 
stages regarding MOI,s eradication operational plans that 
the MOI had not actually developed any plans, at least not 
the level of providing sufficient information that would 
enable INL Kabul or BEDT to plan our own support requirements 
to the PEP provinces. There was not a question of commitment 
or lack of will, but more of a lack of experience in 
formulating these types of plans in order to provide us with 
the needed information. There were, frankly, also several 
instances of literacy challenges on the part of the governors 
and their staff. We took the position and approach of 
&coaching and mentoring8 our POC in MOI responsible for 
assembling the governor,s plans.  We developed and provided 
to the MOI a model plan, making sure that it was &their 
plan8, to use and send out to the governors.  The subsequent 
return of operational plans from the provinces began to 
produce the type of information that was useful for us to 
begin our final planning preparations. We will keep this 
experience in mind for future operational requests to the 
provinces. End Comment. 
 
¶10. (U) INL Kabul received the new Tashkiel at the end of 
December 2005. The Tashkiel is the official Afghan police 
manning document, signed by the President.  Utilizing a 
manning document prepared by the UK CN police planning team, 
the AEF established a new maximum manning level of 720 
officers (from 535).  This reorganization will streamline the 
unit by increasing available troop strength while reducing 
the heretofore top-heavy rank structure in accordance with 
the planned rank reform.  The troops are happy as the 
reduction in rank will be accompanied in most cases by a 
doubling of pay in accordance with the new pay reform.  This 
change, combined with the addition of Field Pay Supplements 
and Cutters, Pay Supplements, will increase their individual 
salaries during the operation season substantially.  We are 
working to institute a direct deposit salary pay system in 
order to avoid past problems with supervisors &taxing8 part 
of the salaries of their subordinates. 
 
¶11. (U) The AEF DynCorp Deputy Program Manager departed 13 
December and was replaced the same day by a new Deputy 
Program Manager who previously worked on the CIVPOL training 
program in Jordan. We have been working in unison to develop 
and review operations plans for the upcoming season. The big 
change for this eradication season is the reorganization of 
the AEF into smaller more mobile teams and the inclusion of 
aerial assets for transportation and targeting during the 
operation. The changes are coming rapidly and we look forward 
to the first shakedown operation to refine the newly 
developed skills and plans. 
NORLAND