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FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8497
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
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RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2263
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2474
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5579
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1105

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000806 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO (AMB MQUINN), SA/A, SA/PAB, S/CT, 
EUR/RPM, INL 
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: PGOV SNAR PREL AF
SUBJECT: PRT/LASHKAR GAH - POPPY ERADICATION PLANS 
TAKING SHAPE 
 
KABUL 00000806  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The GOA's Afghan Eradication 
Force (AEF) will participate in Helmand's opium 
poppy eradication campaign, due to commence within 
the next 10 days.  Helmand Governor Daud and 
Prosecutor Sattar Khan cited "constitutional 
requirements" to provide specific alternative 
development assistance to farmers whose fields are 
eradicated.  Governor Daud reiterated the need for 
significant assistance in security as well as the 
"immediate" need for cash for work and/or food for 
work in the poorest areas of Helmand.  The 
provincial government estimates that 48,000 farmers 
will require assistance.  The Governor provided 
visiting US and UK embassy officials with provincial 
plans for assistance and eradication, which 
coincidentally appeared during the meeting.  Next 
steps are high level meetings in Kabul to finalize 
eradication plans.  At a working lunch, Provincial 
Council members said that unfulfilled government 
promises of assistance are behind the increased 
cultivation and are contributing to driving citizens 
closer to the Taliban.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) As part of the ongoing process to 
synchronize poppy eradication plans, senior US and 
UK embassy counternarcotics officials met with 
Governor Daud and other provincial officials on 
February 18.  Unlike at previous, similar sessions, 
the local television station filmed the meeting and 
the working lunch that followed. 
 
---------------------- 
AEF SHOULD PARTICIPATE 
---------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Doug Wankel, director of the US Embassy 
counternarcotics Task Force, told Governor Daud and 
other officials that the AEF should be deployed to 
enhance this year's eradication effort.  They are 
400 strong, well trained, and anxious to lend a 
hand.  He also remarked that not employing the force 
would raise questions in Washington.  Wankel told 
the Governor that Combined Forces Command/A was 
standing by to ensure necessary support.  Wankel 
suggested that the AEF, while independent, would 
accept a provincial liaison officer whose role would 
be to keep the governor informed on a daily basis of 
ongoing field activities.  The governor appeared to 
agree with this approach.  Wankel further reported 
that coordination efforts among the Ministry of 
Defense, Ministry of Interior -MOI - (AEF is under 
the MOI), and Ministry of Counternarcotics were 
ongoing.  (Note:  During the meeting, Wankel 
confirmed a meeting for Sunday, February 19.  He 
invited the governor to fly back to Kabul with him 
following the meeting and luncheon.  The governor 
accepted this invitation.  End Note.) 
 
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE? 
--------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) For the first time over the past few weeks 
of poppy eradication discussions, the governor, 
through Prosecutor Sattar, brought up a potential 
 
KABUL 00000806  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
legal issue concerning eradication.  The prosecutor 
exhibited a book, which he said represented the law 
concerning poppy eradication.  He claimed that, 
according to the law, the government was required to 
provide specific alternative development assistance 
to farmers whose poppy was eradicated.  Wankel said 
that the GOA has a new counternarcotics law 
superseding the one that the prosecutor quoted 
(Sattar admitted that the law from which he quoted 
was three years old).  Further, Wankel said that he 
was unaware of any such quid pro quo in the new law. 
He also reminded the officials that, under 
Afghanistan's constitution, opium poppy cultivation 
is illegal. 
 
BEATING THE DRUM FOR ASSISTANCE 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) As he has at previous meetings (reftels), 
the governor reiterated the need for assistance to 
poor farmers who have little land.  He said that he 
had directed the MRRD office to prepare a plane for 
"immediate, mid-term, and long-term needs."  (Note: 
During the meeting, MRRD director Mullah Omar 
actually delivered the plans and handed them over to 
the governor - with cameras rolling.  End Note). 
The governor said that, "presuming this assistance, 
I am hopeful that we will have a smooth eradication 
campaign."  He cited MRRD as concluding that there 
were some 48,000 farmers in need of immediate 
assistance, assuming a robust eradication campaign. 
(Note: At the local cash for work rate of USD four 
per day, this is clearly financially and 
logistically unrealistic.  End Note.)  Wankel told 
the governor that, while the US and UK were 
concerned and supportive of immediate assistance, 
neither they nor the GOA saw a "direct correlation" 
between eradication and compensating an individual 
farmer.  He also cited the need for Helmand 
officials and citizens to do their part, citing the 
growing rate of heroin abuse and its detrimental 
effect on society. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Continuing the theme of the need for 
immediate assistance, Provincial Council (PC) 
chairman Mohammed Anwar said during the working 
lunch that, while he agreed on the need for 
eradication, "we need to help the farmers."  Another 
PC member said that if poor farmers lost their 
entire poppy crop, not only would they be 
impoverished, but they would be more likely to be 
sympathetic to the Taliban and work against the 
government.  He added that people are planting more 
poppy because in previous years, promises of 
government assistance if they planted less went 
unfulfilled.  Deputy Chairman Urzghani said that, 
without some assistance in place, if significant 
eradication is carried out this season, "many poor 
farmers will suffer." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The next step appears to be senior level 
 
KABUL 00000806  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
discussions in Kabul to fine tune eradication plans. 
Governor Daud is a crucial part of that process. 
While US and UK officials are trying to incorporate 
his views, it is clear that the eradication train 
has left the station.  Governor Daud continues to 
demonstrate a sharp political instinct.  The 
dramatic entrances of officials bearing plans, along 
with his incorporating the PC in the process, all 
filmed for the local (and potentially national) 
broadcast media, appeared to be an attempt to please 
both local constituents as well as the diplomatic 
community. 
 
NEUMANN