VZCZCXRO9369
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #3001/01 1861311
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051311Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1187
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//JF/UNMA//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J3//
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2661
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2805
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6114
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1486

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 003001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
RELEASABLE TO NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT 
SA/A, S/CR, SA/PB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR BREZINSKI 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AF
SUBJECT: KHOWST DLEGATION PRESS FOR NEW 
PROVINCIAL LEADERSHIP 
 
KABUL 00003001  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: A delegation of elders and a 
parliamentarian from Khowst Province told A/DCM 
and PRTOff June 19 that Governor Merajoddin 
Pathan's administration is overrepresented by 
former Communist government officials, leading 
to weakening of GOA legitimacy in Khowst.  The 
group warned anti-coalition militias (ACM) are 
exploiting what they described as an 
unrepresentative, vengeful, and corrupt Pathan 
Administration to undermine support for the GOA 
and, by association, the USG.  Post will 
continue to evaluate all views on Khost 
governor and while there may be a kernel of 
truth in these views, they appear over blown. 
END SUMMARY. 
Pathan Administration Rife with Communist 
Holdovers 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) A/DCM and PRTOff met with 
Parliamentarian Mawlawi Hanif Shah al-Hussaini 
(Khowst, Lower House/Wolesi Jirga) and the 
following Khowst elders June 19: Haji Assil 
Kahn, Mir Sardar Zadran, Haji Muzarak, and 
Mirajan Sahiqi.  Although the delegation 
stopped short of accusing Khowst Governor 
Merajoddin Pathan personally of Communist 
sympathies, they claimed Pathan has surrounded 
himself with dubious advisors, tainted by their 
association with the former Communist regime. 
Haji Assil Kahn claimed only four Khowst 
leadership positions (i.e. sub-governors, 
directors, security chiefs) are held by ex- 
mujahidin, with the rest going to Communist 
government holdovers.  Mir Sardar Zadran 
asserted no other province has such a 
disproportionate number of ex-Communist 
government officials.  (NOTE: Delegates failed 
to define what they meant by ex-Communist 
"officials;" it is likely they are employing a 
broad definition that includes anyone on the 
government payroll.  END NOTE.) 
Ex-Mujahidin Targeted for Revenge; Fingered to 
CF 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶3.  (SBU) The group asserted Communist 
government leaders are now in prominent 
positions in Khowst's security leadership (ANA, 
ANP, and NDS) and are taking revenge on 
"innocent" ex-mujahidin trying to reintegrate 
into society through the GOA's Program for 
Strengthening Peace (PTS).  Because of a 
climate of fear induced by job discrimination, 
beatings, and false accusations of ACM 
sympathies to coalition forces, ex-mujahidin 
are forced to either stay in their homes or 
flee to Pakistan.  (NOTE: Delegates repeatedly 
referred to reintegrated fighters as ex- 
mujahidin, never ex-Taliban.  END NOTE.)  Kahn 
also accused members of the Pathan 
administration of passing information to their 
old KGB allies, among others, now in the 
Russian intelligence service. 
¶4.  (SBU) Zadran said Coalition Forces (CF) are 
undermining their credibility by detaining 
suspects falsely referred to them by GOA 
 
KABUL 00003001  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
forces.  The group provided a Red Cross report 
concerning an incarcerated man in Bagram Air 
Force Base presumably being held unjustly for 
ACM suspicions.  A/DCM said he knew that some 
of the accusations CF receives are based on 
vendettas, which makes evaluating this 
challenging.  He added that Coalition Forces do 
everything possible to avoid false detainments, 
but are obliged to follow up on all leads. 
Pathan/"Enemies of Islam" Must Go 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) The delegation repeatedly expressed 
gratitude for USG aid and the USG's long 
friendship with Afghanistan.  However, they 
lamented a perceived change in USG position by 
supporting governor's like Pathan, who are 
surrounded by "enemies of Islam."  Al-Hussaini 
added the GOA and USG are damaging their 
reputations and "defaming the mujahidin dead" 
by bringing ex-Communists back to leadership 
positions.  He advocated purging the entire 
Khowst administration, although the rest of the 
group favored retaining some officials.  The 
delegation agreed, however, that the USG should 
support a leadership change in Khowst.  The 
A/DCM explained the GOA, not the USG, is 
responsible for appointing GOA officials and 
emphasized the necessity of old enemies working 
together to move Afghanistan forward. 
¶6.  (SBU) The group also complained that 
Governor's should pay more attention of local 
elder opinion and be better acquainted with 
local tradition, hinting, but not directly 
stating that Pathan's 20-year history in the 
U.S. damaged his credibility.  They also 
criticized Pathan's links to local tribes and 
leaders, stating that a new governor should be 
appointed without strong area links.  The group 
said they expressed these concerns to various 
Karzai administration officials and to 
Ambassador Khalilzad.  Al-Hussaini plans to 
promote measures to strengthen Provisional 
Councils and require Governors to serve outside 
of their home regions. 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: Governor Pathan can't win 
with this group.  He's both too familiar with 
the area to be impartial and simultaneously too 
much of an outsider because of his years living 
in the U.S.  Though Post has heard most of 
these complaints before, the group provided 
only anecdotal evidence of corruption, 
disrespect for local culture, or abuse to 
reformed insurgents.  A/DCM and PRTOff have no 
prior contact with these sources and suspect 
the reliability of their accusations.  We will 
continue to talk with critics of the Governor 
and investigate their complaints, but given 
Governor Pathan's history of support for 
Coalition Forces and GOA objectives, we are 
inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. 
However, on one occasion A/DCM heard the same 
complaints voiced by Professor Sayyuf perhaps 
because he heard them from the same source. 
¶8.  (U) Dushanbe minimize considered. 
 
 
KABUL 00003001  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
NEUMANN