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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000596 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO (AMB MQUINN), SA/A, S/CR, SA/PAB, 
S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
OSD FOR BREZINSKI 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC AF
SUBJECT: PRT/HELMAND  HELMAND GOVERNOR DISCUSSES 
PRT TRANSITION WITH UK OFFICIALS 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY: Helmand Governor Engineer Daoud 
told UK Preliminary Operations Commander Colonel 
l 
Messenger on February 5 that a smooth transition is 
important in order to protect Helmands security. 
The Governor would like to see the UK focus on:(1) 
building capacity among law enforcement elements; 
and (2) monitoring the border with Pakistan.  The 
Governor said that he was not happy with the 
location of the PRT, claiming that the PRT was too 
close to residential areas.  COL Messenger said that 
the UK is looking forward to a real partnership with 
Helmand.  There will be increased civilian expertise 
available, but development would be the province of 
the Department for International Development (DFID). 
UK forces plan to become involved in as many 
districts as possible.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.(SBU) UK Preliminary Operations Commander 
Colonel Gordon Messenger visited the PRT on February 
5-6 to observe the ongoing transition.  He met with 
Helmand Governor Daoud to discuss the UK deployment 
and to hear the Governors views on the upcoming 
change from a US to a UK PRT. 
 
. 
 
3.(SBU) GOVERNORS CONCERNS: Governor Daoud 
brought up a number of issues.  He said his 
paramount concern was that the transition proceeds 
smoothly to ensure the best security possible, 
noting that Helmands security is fragile.  With 
the Taliban increasing its pressure on Helmand, the 
Coalition should have a strong presence.  The 
Coalition presence had not been strong in Helmand, 
and it seemed the Taliban had taken this as a sign 
of weakness, Daoud added.  Weak Afghan National 
Police (ANP) and National Directorate of Security 
(NDS) forces have contributed to the provinces 
security woes.  The Governor also expressed concern 
(as he has done on other occasions) about Helmands 
162 kilometer border with Pakistan.  The Governor 
said that the provincial forces were unable to 
control this area, which is a key route for drug 
smuggling and Taliban movement in and out of 
Helmand.  He asked that the UK monitor the border to 
improve security. 
 
4.(SBU) Colonel Messenger agreed that security is 
curity is 
an issue in the province.  With the arrival of about 
2,000 UK troops, plus the Afghan National Army (ANA) 
brigade, security should improve quite rapidly.  As 
for the weak law enforcement component, one of the 
UKs goals is to substantially improve their 
capacity.  As for the border, while the UK will be 
unable to maintain a permanent presence, UK and ANA 
forces will make occasional patrols.  That, along 
with improving ANP and Border Police capacity as 
well as more border posts, should improve security. 
Colonel Messenger cautioned that it was not possible 
to hermetically seal a border of that length in a 
desert area. 
 
5.(SBU) IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT: Concerning 
PRT TRANSITION WITH UK OFFIIALS 
development, the Governor said that the people of 
Helmand would be watching to see what the outputs 
are.  He added that development was a key component 
of transforming Helmands economy from one 
essentially dependent on opium to one based on 
legitimate agriculture.  Colonel Messenger said that 
at 
there would be a full-time DFID representative in 
charge of development.  The UK military would not be 
involved in significant reconstruction activities as 
the US military has been. 
 
6.(SBU) PRT LOCATION: The Governor said that he 
was unhappy with the PRTs location, which was too 
near residential areas and, according to the Lashkar 
Gah Master Plan, was in an area that was intended 
for government administrative buildings.  (Note: 
This master plan is about 35 years old.  End Note.) 
As the city has grown, the Governor said, the PRT 
location was becoming more central.  He suggested 
that the PRT move to an area proximate to the 
airfield (about five kilometers from the present 
location). 
 
7.(SBU) Colonel Messenger told the Governor that, 
while he understood the concern, it would be 
impractical to move the PRT, especially since 
improvements and upgrades had begun.  He noted that 
eventually the provincial government would inherit 
some of the facilities.  Also, the previous 
us 
provincial administration had decided on the PRTs 
location. 
 
8.(SBU) COMMENT: The meeting appeared to reassure 
Governor Daoud that, while the US and UK have 
somewhat different approaches to the PRT, there will 
be continuity, along with a focus on improving 
security, a major concern in Helmand.  The 2,000 UK 
troops and an ANA brigade should go a long way to 
improving security and (hopefully) enabling 
increased NGO engagement in Helmand to implement 
other development projects.  END COMMENT. 
 
9.(U) Dushanbe minimize considered. 
 
NEUMANN 
 
N