VZCZCXRO0679
OO RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #3037/01 1871329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061329Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1227
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J3// PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
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RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2668
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2812
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 6127
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 1497

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 003037 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS, SA/PB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR BREZINSKI 
CENTCOM FOR CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PGOV PTER NATO AF
SUBJECT: ISAF STABILITY OPERATION IN FARAH TO SUPPORT 
MOUNTAIN THRUST 
 
KABUL 00003037  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  ISAF has begun a stability 
operation in Farah province to mitigate potential 
effects of Operation Mountain Thrust.  Known as 
Operation Turtle, the activity consists of three 
elements:  security, engagement, and development. 
On the security side, ISAF has begun increasing its 
ground assets in Farah as well as tasking its 
intelligence, air, and medical assets to assist. 
Engagement is designed to improve the outreach 
capability of the provincial government. 
Development will widen the focus of aid projects to 
areas where there is a perception of insecurity. 
ISAF will focus its projects on roads, power, and 
irrigation, in coordination with USAID and other 
members of the aid community.  ISAF has also 
expressed a willingness to support the Afghan 
National Police in Farah with additional equipment, 
as necessary.   Overall, Operation Turtle is a 
positive indication of ISAF IX,s more activist 
approach to stability operations in Afghanistan, 
although long-term stability will depend on the 
provincial government and ANP,s ability to take on 
these duties.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) ISAF Senior staff briefed the diplomatic 
community on June 22 on recent increased security 
activity in Farah province, known as Operation 
Turtle.  In attendance were representatives, most at 
the ambassadorial level, of Spain, Canada, 
Lithuania, Japan, German, Netherlands, Denmark, EU, 
UNAMA, and U.S. (polmiloff).  UK, France, and Italy 
were also expected but did not attend. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The unclassified ISAF brief began with the 
perception of a "security dip" in Farah, due to the 
increase in security incidents since last year - 32 
in the first half of 2006, compared to 17 for all of 
¶2005.  Most of the incidents were sporadic small 
arms fire and IEDs - there have not been any 
organized attacks in large numbers, nor are these 
predicted, the briefer said.  (PRT Comment: based on 
local security assessments, PRT anticipates that 
larger-scale attacks may occur in the near future. 
End comment.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) However, ISAF expects that as Operation 
Mountain Thrust cleans out areas in northern Helmand 
and western Uruzgan, there will be some influx of 
insurgents from the north and east into the ISAF 
area of operation, in particular Farah.  Indeed, 
according to the briefer they are already starting 
to see this influx.   Moreover, there has also been 
an increase in insurgents in Farah coming north from 
Nimroz, particularly into Bela Balouk, Gulistan, and 
Khak-es-fed districts. 
 
¶5. (SBU) To carry out this security operation, ISAF 
forces will partner with the ANA 207 Corps based in 
Herat.  This is the largest and most coordinated 
activity of its kind to be undertaken by ISAF since it 
began operations. 
 
Operation Turtle Main Elements 
------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) The operation has three elements: 
 
KABUL 00003037  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Security, engagement, and development. 
 
- Security:  The main effort is to facilitate 
reconstruction and development by actively assisting 
the further reach of GOA authority in Farah 
province.  It consists of reinforcing Farah province 
and the Shindand district of Herat with theater 
assets to include extra troops, intelligence assets, 
air power, and medical assets.  ISAF is particularly 
concerned to protect the ring road, and to that end 
has reinforced the area with extra soldiers from 
ISAF,s emergency reserve capability.  Air support is 
provided by Dutch F-16s, and ISAF has a commitment 
from OEF forces to lend airborne assets as needed. 
Medical assets (Greek/Albanian) have been moved from 
Kandahar to Herat for easier access.  Planning for 
the operation started over a month ago and the 
operation began with deployment of increased 
personnel o/a June 17.  The briefer reported that 
there has been no contact with the enemy yet, but 
that the increased number of security personnel has 
been seen and noticed. 
 
- Engagement:  Primary themes are to promote the 
authority of the GOA; ISAF and ANSF are maintaining 
security in order to enable development.  Engagement 
will take the form of face-to-face meetings (key 
leaders and patrols); media/press (Afghan and ISAF), 
loudspeaker messages in rural areas, billboards and 
leaflets, radio and tv messages, and dissemination 
of crank radios.  ISAF units involved include two 
Portuguese platoons, 3 Spanish platoons, amaller units 
from the U.S. PRT at Farah, and the Lithuanian PRT at 
Chacharan in Ghor, supported by an ANA battalion (about 
600), so about 200 ISAF troops took part in the 
operation. 
 
- Development:  Based on the principles that 
development should be Afghan-owned, ISAF-enabled, 
wholly collaborative, and sustainable.  ISAF IX 
brings capabilities in technical and physical 
assistance, situation awareness, communications and 
liaison reach, and targeted security effort to 
enable development programs.  During the brief, 
several maps and charts were presented showing the 
laydown of development projects in Farah compared 
against areas where there have been security 
incidents or there is a local perception of 
insecurity.  It was determined that the ISAF PRT 
should to the extent possible extend its support to 
development projects in outlying areas where there 
is this perception of insecurity.  ISAF is looking 
particularly at road, power, and irrigation 
projects.  The briefers emphasized that they are 
coordinating its development planning with USAID and 
other aid organizations as well as CFC-A where 
appropriate. 
 
¶7. (SBU) ISAF is also considering how it can support 
the ANP in Farah.  ISAF Brigadier General Davis, who 
has the lead for reconstruction and development, is 
working with the PRT to identify equipment needs for 
the police, in coordination with CSTC-A. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
KABUL 00003037  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) PRT Comment:  To make the development 
aspect of this operation sustainable, Provincial 
Coordination Center and ANP resources will have to 
be enhanced.  In particular, improved transportation 
and communications equipment is needed for the PCC to improve 
operational capability and reach.  The ANP,s 
increased sustainable capabilities will provide the 
long-term stability needed when Operation Turtle 
concludes. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Embassy Comment:  The ANP national fielding 
plan and recent rebalancing has focused on 
expediting equipment delivery to the provinces east 
of Farah.  While CSTC-A recently delivered weapons 
and ammunition to the Farah provincial police, 
anything more that ISAF can do to strengthen the ANP 
would be very welcome, and we will pursue this here. 
Overall, Operation Turtle is a positive indication 
of ISAF,s commitment, under British leadership, to 
take a more active approach to stability operations 
in the areas for which it has responsibility.  The 
recognition that Operation Mountain Thrust will have 
consequences for ISAF areas even before the Phase 
III handover, and ISAF,s willingness to increase its 
assets in Farah to respond to this potential threat, 
is another positive sign of the NATO approach. 
ISAF,s briefing for the international community, 
which was both professional and informative, was 
a very positive step in bringing together 
disparate elements of the NATO/ISAF diplomatic 
community in Kabul in support of ISAF IX,s more 
activist approach. 
NORLAND