VZCZCXRO0077
RR RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #2410/01 1480436
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280436Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0477
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1913
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2571
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5993
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1393
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC 0074

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002410 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/A, EB/TRA 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, AMEND 
CJTF-76 FOR POLAD, CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A 
TREASURY FOR PARAMESWARAN 
TRANSPORTATION FOR MODESITT 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID EFIN ELTN AF
SUBJECT: The Iranian Border, Islam Qala and the 
Informal Border Crossings 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Commercial traffic at Islam Qala, the major 
border crossing between Iran and Afghanistan, has 
declined significantly in the last few months, 
particularly as transshipped goods destined for 
Pakistan are diverted to other ports of entry.  Yet, 
truck traffic at the "informal" border crossings in 
the desert has remained fairly stable and perhaps even 
ticked slightly upwards. The theft of imported fuel 
from Islam Qala storage tanks under the eyes of police 
and recent attacks on border officials and police 
mentors illustrate the complexity of fixing the 
border. Current Border Management Initiative plans 
call for a holistic approach which will significantly 
reduce or eliminate the tariff "leakage" being 
experienced.  End Summary. 
 
Decline in Truck Traffic at Islam Qala 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) According to the 6th Brigade Commander, 
Afghan Border Police (ABP), Colonel Ayub, since March 
there has been a marked decrease of about 25% in truck 
traffic entering Afghanistan at Islam Qala (IQ). The 
reduced vehicle flow results principally from a 
decline in transshipment business as merchants who 
normally transship goods to Pakistan have changed 
their routes.  Revenue reported at Islam Qala over a 
thirty day period covering parts of April and May 
demonstrate a significantly higher "per truck" 
collection and a higher total revenue collection. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ayub gave three reasons for the sudden shift 
away from Islam Qala as the preferred port of entry of 
goods destined for Pakistan.  First, Taliban/AQ 
threats that they would burn vehicles that utilize IQ 
are being taken seriously.  For goods having an Afghan 
destination, the pressure from these anti-government 
elements on truckers is to use border entry points in 
Kandahar and Helmand Provinces.  Second, freight 
forwarders and shippers fear that U.S.-Iranian 
tensions will lead to severe sanctions that would 
affect the border crossings from Iran.  This is more 
sensitive for truckers carrying goods destined for 
Pakistan than for trucks with Afghan destinations. 
Third, Pakistan has reportedly lowered its tariffs 
just as Afghanistan, under the Border Management 
Initiative (BMI), is attempting to enforce its own 
tariff rates and procedures.  For example, two weeks 
ago, Afghan customs began collection of a "user fee" 
at IQ - a fee that had always been on the books. 
 
The "Informal" Border Crossings 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Truck traffic at the "informal" border 
crossings between Iran and Afghanistan (Qalatinazzar, 
Checkpoint 73, etc.) remains unaffected by the 
downturn at IQ.  This is understandable, Ayub 
believed, since almost all goods coming through at 
these crossings are Iranian for the Afghan market. 
Moreover, only about half of the "appropriate" customs 
tariffs - compared to IQ and Herat -- is being charged 
at these crossings in the belief, Ayub explained, that 
collecting half of the customs tariffs is better than 
nothing. Otherwise, truckers will utilize the Zaranj 
border crossing in Nimroz where almost no revenue is 
being collected for the GOA. 
 
KABUL 00002410  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Colonel Ayub has long advocated that closing 
most, if not all of the crossing points - perhaps 
leaving one open in Farah Province - is in the best 
interest of Afghanistan by channeling commercial 
traffic to the more effective official border crossing 
operations. The Herat representative of the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs agrees with Ayub. Limiting the 
number of border crossing sites is a component of the 
Border Management Initiative.  As the GOA applies more 
assertive tariff collection practices at one border 
post, significant truck traffic, like flowing water, 
will follow the path of least resistance and divert 
elsewhere. 
 
Security 
-------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In recent weeks, personal security has 
become a more serious issue for those working on the 
border.  On May 18 a Taliban suicide bomber attacked a 
convoy of U.S. civilian Border Police mentors, killing 
one.  Four nights later, attackers, probably tied to 
smuggling, ambushed and killed the ABP chief for 
Qalatinazzar in the desert on the Herat-Farah border. 
According to Ayub, the young officer had no known ties 
to drug lords or other dangerous factions. 
 
Fuel Diversion 
-------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In addition, there is significant "leakage" 
of imported fuel from the Islam Qala fuel storage 
facility. About half of the fuel offloaded at IQ from 
Iranian tanker trucks destined for the Ministry of 
Commerce is failing to make its way into the official 
(and taxed) fuel distribution system, perhaps as much 
as 10,000 lt/day. Efforts to date to halt the theft of 
fuel from the IQ storage tanks have not been 
successful. The Border Management Initiative is in the 
process of procuring and installing secure Hesco- 
concertina barriers to help improve traffic control 
and eliminate theft from the fuel storage site. 
Meanwhile, on May 24, an ABP policeman was killed 
during a fight between two local tribes over "access" 
to fuel at the storage site.  Reportedly, the tribes 
were claiming the remaining fuel after the Governor 
(or another provincial authority) allegedly had taken 
his share. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment:  Until the Border Management 
Initiative fully kicks in, there will continue to be 
serious deficiencies at Islam Qala within both the 
Afghan Border Police and Afghan Customs.  However, 
this is not an Islam Qala border crossing issue alone. 
Fix the customs and border security problems only at 
IQ and Herat city, and "leakages" and other problems 
will surface elsewhere. The BMI team has already 
initiated contact with the GoA regarding steps to 
close the informal border crossings. 
 
NEUMANN