VZCZCXRO2323
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHBUL #3515/01 2190951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070951Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1795
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
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 2726
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2870
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6203
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1556

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KABUL 003515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO (DAS GASTRIGHT), SCA/A, S/CRS, 
SCA/PAB, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR BREZINSKI 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
REL NATO/AU/NZ/ISAF 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF AF PK
SUBJECT: PRT/QALAT - BORDER INCIDENT LEAVES SEVERAL 
DEAD, COMPLICATES SHAMULZAI-NASIR LAND DISPUTE 
 
KABUL 00003515  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
(SBU) SUMMARY: Members of the Nasir tribe living in 
refugee camps in Pakistan since the Russian invasion 
want to return to traditional lands now occupied by 
the Shamulzai tribe.  Zabul Governor Arman has been 
trying to broker a deal since June of 2005.  His 
task will be even more difficult in the wake of a 12 
July border incident that resulted in several 
fatalities when returning Nasir people crossed from 
Pakistan directly into Shamulzai District of Zabul 
Province.   The refugees were en route to Paktika 
Province to remain there while pursuing their claim 
in Shamulzai.  They had planned on crossing the 
border directly from Pakistan to Paktika Province. 
However, the Nasirs claim that the Pakistani 
authorities directed them to cross the border into 
Shamulzai District and then proceed to Paktika. 
Zabol Governor Arman has argued that Pakistani 
authorities may have deliberately tried to trigger 
this incident to foment discord on the Afghan side 
of the border.  The several hundred returning Nasirs 
are now encamped in Paktika, and Coalition Forces 
and others are trying to provide assistance.  End 
Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The Nasir tribe fled to Pakistan as 
refugees from the Shamulzai District of Zabul 
Province during the time of the Russian invasion. 
The Shamulzai tribe subsequently took over their 
land.  The Nasir want to return and reclaim their 
land.  Initial confrontations last year left several 
dead, further complicating matters.  In June 2005, 
Zabul Governor Arman, assisted by the then-Regional 
Command (RC) South commander and Qalat PRT USAID 
representative, tried to mediate an agreement.  At 
that time, Governor Arman felt that the Nasir had a 
stronger legal case.  However, he wanted to resolve 
the dispute between the two tribes by mediation 
rather than litigation, which he felt would not 
prevent further bloodshed. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  In June 2006, the Nasir advised the 
Governor that up to several thousand of them 
intended to unilaterally return from Pakistan to an 
uninhabited area of Shamulzai District, and pursue 
their land claim from there.  The Governor told them 
not to move at that time (The Nasir representatives 
then unsuccessfully tried to persuade the PRT to 
assist them.)  Governor Arman and the Governor of 
neighboring Paktika province subsequently reached an 
agreement that some of the Nasirs could return to 
Paktika and remain there while pursuing their claim, 
although no arrangements had yet been made for the 
returnees (e.g., food, tents).  Governor Arman was 
also making plans to conduct a shura with both 
tribes with the assistance of the President's 
brother, Qayyum Karzai, to try to broker an 
agreement. 
 
Shooting At The Border Leaves Several Dead 
------------Q---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  On the afternoon 12 July, there was a 
shooting incident along the border between Pakistan 
and the Shamulzai District of Zabul Province, 
approximately 10 miles east of Zanjshir, between 
 
KABUL 00003515  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
returning Nasir tribe refugees and the Afghan Border 
Police (ABP), in which several people were killed. 
After sorting through many rumors, it appears that 
two ABP officers and one Shamulzai civilian were 
killed, as well as a Nasir leader, Ahmad Khan, and 
two other Nasirs. 
 
¶5.  (U)  On 16 July, after weather delays, Governor 
Arman, Provincial Chief of Police Brigadier General 
Nur Mohammed Paktin, Afghan National Army kandak 
(battalion) commander  COL Rasik, and two Nasir 
tribe members of the Provincial Council, flew out to 
the scene accompanied by TF Warrior commander, PRT 
commander, and PRTOff. 
 
The Border Police Version 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  COL Jilani, the ABP chief, reported that 
200 vehicles had approached the place from Pakistan. 
Several Nasirs had come out to talk to him, saying 
they wanted to cross the border there.  Jilani told 
them they would need to discuss it further.  The 
Nasirs said they would not talk, and waved a turban 
as a signal.  A Nasir bodyguard started shooting and 
the ABP returned fire.  There were over 300 Nasirs 
in the group. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Jilani showed the spot where he said his 
officers were shot - there was what appeared to be 
dried blood on the ground.  There were also 82 mm 
rocket casings on the ground matching the trajectory 
to that spot.    He said one ABP patrolman was 
killed and the Nasirs took his weapon.  He said 
another patrolman (a Hazara) was captured, taken 
away, and later beheaded.  He said he was not sure 
if any Pakistan police or authorities were involved 
in the shooting. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Another ABP officer present at the 
incident told the CF interpreter that two or three 
motorcycles with AK-47s then sped up to the chief. 
This officer said there were two ABP patrolmen (one 
of whom was a Hazara) and one civilian killed but 
that no Nasirs were killed.  Meanwhile, some 
Shamulzai elders told Gov Arman that the Nasir told 
them they wanted to go to Darweh village.  They 
claim that the Nasirs signaled, and then the Nasirs 
started shooting with a DSHK machine gun. 
 
Nasir Version 
------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU)  Later on 16 July, PRTOff talked to one of 
the Nasir tribe Provincial Council (PC) members, who 
vehemently denied COL Jilani's version.  The Nasir 
claimed that Shamulzai civilians had fired on the 
Nasirs, killing a tribal leader, Ahmad Khan, and two 
others, and wounding eight.  Then, he claimed, the 
ABP killed several Shamulzai civilians who had been 
shooting at the Nasirs, but no ABP were killed. 
Regarding motive, he said he thought COL Jilani was 
covering that up, since he is responsible for 
controlling the border and that incident would make 
him look bad.  He said he understood that the GoA 
and GoP had both agreed that the returning Nasirs 
could only use the border crossing point in 
Shamulzai, not anywhere directly along the Paktika- 
 
KABUL 00003515  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
Pakistan border.  He understood Gov Arman had 
authorized them to pass through this part of 
Shamulzai on their way to Paktika. 
 
¶10.  (U) On 23 July 2006, Governor Arman visited the 
Nasir refugee camp in Paktika province, both to hear 
their version of what happened, and also to assess 
what assistance they need.  Brigadier General 
Fraser, the MNB-S commander, his Political Advisor, 
and GEN Raoufi, the 205th ANA corps commander, came 
up from Kandahar to accompany him.  Zabul Chief of 
Police BG Paktin, ANA kandak commander COL Rasik, TF 
Warrior commander, PRT commander and PRTOff also 
accompanied Governor Arman. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) During the shura there, several Nasirs 
related that they approached the border between 
Pakistan and Paktika, and that the Pakistani 
authorities denied them permission to cross there, 
telling them to cross the border in Shamulzai 
District instead.  They claimed that there were 
several men on motorcycles ahead of them at the 
border.  Those men talked to Ahmad Khan, and then 
the Nasirs started being fired upon by people in 
uniform from the Afghan side of the border.  At this 
point in the shura, the Governor complained loudly 
about the Pakistanis and other neighboring 
countries. 
 
The Key Question:  Why Were The Nasirs Not Allowed 
to Cross The Border at Paktika? 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Gov Arman reacted strongly when he heard 
the Nasirs say they were told by the Government of 
Pakistan (GOP) that GoP and GoA had both agreed they 
must cross the border in Shamulzai instead of 
Paktika.  Arman wanted the returnees to cross 
directly from Pakistan into Paktika, specifically in 
order to avoid any possible provocation, and he did 
not/not agree that the Nasirs could cross the border 
at Shamulzai and then continue on to Paktika. 
However, according to the Nasirs, the Pakistani 
authorities refused to let them cross directly into 
Paktika, ordering them to cross into Shamulzai 
instead, where an incident was likely to occur. 
There has been an absence of Pakistani press 
coverage of the border incident, even though shots 
were fired across the border at the Nasirs while 
they were still in Pakistan, and both countries 
usually condemn each other in press articles after 
border incidents.  Gov Arman is convinced the 
Pakistani authorities tried to cause an incident by 
directing the Nasirs to cross in Shamulzai. 
 
Situation in Paktika 
-------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU)  After the shooting incident on 12 July, 
after dark, approximately 800 to 1,000 Nasirs did 
cross the border there and went on to Paktika.  On 
16 July, while investigating the incident, Gov Arman 
received a call that armed Shamulzai civilians were 
harassing the Nasirs in Paktika.  He advised the 
authorities there to disarm them, since they were 
not ABP officers. 
 
¶14.  (U)  The Nasirs have established a temporary 
 
KABUL 00003515  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
camp in Paktika that houses hundreds of people. 
However, they appeared to have a large number of 
tents.  There were also some trees there and 
apparently there is a source of water. The Nasirs 
did request medical assistance, and TF Warrior did 
deliver some food by helicopter following the shura 
there on 23 July.  The PRT will try to coordinate 
further relief with UNHCR and the Ministry of 
Refugees.  Gov Arman had previously contacted the 
Ministry of Refugees, and we will work try to work 
with them through the Embassy. 
 
Aftermath 
--------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) Both Governor Arman and the Paktika 
governor have talked to President Karzai about this 
issue by telephone.  Gov Arman was plainly 
frustrated and angry at both sides, as well as at 
the Pakistanis.  He advised PRTOff that he may not 
find out who started it, but, after lengthy talks 
with both Shamulzai and Nasir tribal elders here in 
Qalat, as well as on his trips, he thinks he will 
prevent any recurrence, which is his main goal at 
this point.  He will still try to broker an 
agreement regarding the land dispute, but this 
incident will make it even harder to reach an 
agreement between the two sides. 
 
NEUMANN