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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, EUR/RPM 
NSC FOR AMEND AND HARRIMAN 
OSD FOR BREZEZINSKI 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SOCI AF
SUBJECT: PRT/BAMYAN: Can Bamyan Law Enforcement Reform? 
(Part 2 of 2) 
 
REF: 06 Kabul 0025 (Opium Burn) 
05 Kabul 5268 (Bamyan Development Conference) 
05 Kabul 4905 (ANP, Governor Tension) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: New Zealand is providing a crucial 
lifeline to Bamyan law enforcement, but needs more U.S. 
support for their efforts to take hold.  NZ commitments in 
expertise and infrastructure appear to be making progress, 
but could yield stronger results with targeted U.S. 
assistance, namely, through construction of a permanent 
police training center.  This is the second cable in a two- 
part series on Bamyan's beleaguered law enforcement 
apparatus.  END SUMMARY. 
 
New Zealand Taking Principal Role in Police Training 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶2.  (U) New Zealand does most of the heavy lifting, in terms 
of human resources, to support Bamyan's nascent law 
enforcement structures.  The NZ Police are the main drivers 
behind the current, temporary police training center, 
located on the adjoining PRT compound.  Since the Regional 
Police Training Center (RTC) opened its doors in 2004, NZ 
Police (together with INL-funded Dyncorp personnel) have 
provided instruction to 493 ANP officers drawn from Bamyan, 
Dai Kundi, Kapisa, Parwan, and Panjshir Provinces.  NZ and 
Dyncorp have trained 193 officers in a 5-week course (for 
illiterate police), 129 police in an 8-week course (for 
literate police), and 171 officers in officers' training. 
 
¶3.  (U) One key characteristic of the New Zealand approach 
is the long attention span they devote to trainees -- 
training is a continuum, which does not stop at the compound 
gates.  New Zealand has brought in additional NZ Police 
inspectors who provide mobile training by imbedding 
themselves into NZ military patrols, which venture out into 
the Province for weeks at a time.  The imbedded police 
officers work closely with district chiefs of police to 
conduct needs assessments and refresher training for 
policemen who have attended RTC courses, as well as 
providing in-service training to the RTC's local managers. 
New Zealand encourages such managers to attend Central 
Training Centre (CTC) courses in Kabul, such as the recent 
armory and live-firing training taken by one local 
instructor.  As one NZ inspector explained, "We want to work 
ourselves out of a job.  The sooner local staff can pick up 
the program unaided, the better." 
 
On the Front Line in Providing Infrastructure 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (U) New Zealand support for law enforcement extends to 
bricks and mortar as well.  U.S. Army Civil Affairs intended 
to build new police stations throughout Bamyan, until new 
rules prohibited CERP funds from being used to assist the 
ANP.  NZ AID picked up the proposal, and will spend $1.3 
million in 2006 to construct police stations in five 
districts in Bamyan.  (NOTE: NZ has refrained from making 
any commitments in Bamyan City, due to the USG commitment to 
build a police station/training center in 2005. END NOTE) 
The NZ PRT has also funded and built nine police checkpoints 
for the ANP throughout Bamyan Province (one of which began 
the chain of events leading to seizure of 1.9 tons of opium, 
ref B), and has provided weapons (225 AK-47s), ammunition 
(20,250 rounds), communications (200 Motorola radios) 
vehicle repair, uniforms, and boots. 
 
¶5.  (U) The Kiwis do not give Bamyan law enforcement a blank 
check, however, and make every effort to limit the 
development of dependencies within the local government.  A 
case in point is New Zealand's pending donation of seven 
Hilux Toyota pickups, one for each ANP district, at a cost 
of a little over USD 500,000.  The vehicles all come with a 
one-year maintenance contract, which includes funds to train 
one ANP officer from each district in basic vehicle 
maintenance.  This should hopefully make it possible for the 
ANP to support its new motorpool and thus extend its own 
planning horizon. 
 
RTC Renovations Give Hint of NZ Training Potential 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶6.  (U) USG funding (approximately USD 110,000) of 
desperately-needed additions to the temporary police 
training center will soon pay dividends.  Police training 
center attendees currently sleep on a dirt floor at a local 
mosque 5 km from the RTC, with no heat and barely any food. 
(NOTE: Construction was slated for completion by the first 
week of January, but difficulties shipping proper generators 
and getting authorization to fund O&M for the center have 
delayed final occupancy. END NOTE)  Once construction of 
living quarters, a kitchen, shower and toilet block, and an 
additional classroom are complete, NZ Police intend to 
double the RTC course load, offering additional training for 
both new and recurring students and a more comprehensive, 13- 
week basic training course.  NZ Police also will be able to 
offer live firearms training with the larger compound and 
second classroom. 
 
Promising First Steps . . . 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) New Zealand's efforts with the police appear to be 
gaining traction.  Deputy Chief of Police Malik (with 
considerable help) is auditing existing ANP resources in 
Bamyan for the first time.  ANP leadership, through this 
inventory exercise, recently discovered that fuel delivery 
trucks have been siphoning off between 4 and 500 liters of 
fuel per truckload.  More encouraging (and surprising), the 
ANP hired nine women police officers for the first time in 
December, inducting its very first female officer on 
December 29 (the other eight are in Kabul for training). 
Malik told PRTOff at the new officer's induction that "a 
woman governor (HE Habiba Sarabi) has done great good for 
us.  Women police will do even more." 
 
. . . Could be Even More With Additional Infrastructure 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) NZ Police would like to make these small successes 
the norm, rather than the exception, but current 
infrastructure cannot support this.  Cases requiring more 
developed investigations and crime scene assessment remain 
beyond the reach of Bamyan's law enforcement, and waiting 
for over-tasked experts from Kabul to conduct basic crime 
scene analysis, fingerprinting, and witness development 
takes time.  New Zealand police believe this is easily 
remedied through more comprehensive training, both to police 
and prosecutors.  Comprehensive training, however, requires 
permanent facilities.  "The new renovations are a great 
improvement, but it will take even more if we are to do the 
jobs we are capable of," Inspector Geoff Hancock told us. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Another common suggestion of NZ Police is that, 
while RTCs across the country provide basic police 
instruction and the CTC and GPPO give advanced training, 
there is currently no middle ground.  NZ Police argue, 
therefore, that intermediate police training should be 
developed.  "Not just Bamyan, but the entire region, maybe 
even the entire country, needs some bridge between basic 
police training and (training at the) CTC.  We would like a 
permanent Bamyan RTC to be that bridge."  Likewise, the NZ 
Police hope to conduct training for the entire law 
enforcement system, both ANP and Prosecution officers in 
those areas where their investigation roles parallel. 
 
Comment:  An Opportunity 
-------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Embassy decision makers are justifiably skeptical 
about risking funds again in Bamyan after so much GOA 
indecision on previous projects (albeit over the justifiable 
topic of historic preservation).  New Zealand, even while 
experiencing similar frustrations in funding other projects, 
has no such reservations.  New Zealand is committed, both in 
monetary and human resource terms, to helping Bamyan's law 
enforcement apparatus become self-sufficient.  NZ Police, NZ 
AID, and NZ military all believe that a permanent RTC, one 
smaller (and presumably less expensive), with a different 
focus and scope than current RTCs, is crucial to that self- 
sufficiency. 
¶11.  (SBU) The ANP's recent hiring of women police, due 
largely to NZ efforts, shows that New Zealand can get 
results.  With significant capacity gaps and corruption 
concerns, however, the window to influence law enforcement 
remains small.  Efforts are moving in the right direction, 
but stand little chance of long-term success without U.S. 
support.  We owe it to ourselves, the Afghans, and our OEF 
allies to support NZ efforts as fully as possible, and 
explore ways to fund a smaller, different regional training 
center. 
 
NORLAND