VZCZCXRO9761
RR RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #5361/01 3090414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050414Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3927
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3193
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3325
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005361 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, EUR/RPM 
NSC FOR HARRIMAN 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
REL TO NATO/ISAF/AUS/NZ 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF ECON
SUBJECT: PRT JALALABAD - UPDATE ON TANGI RETURNEE SITE 
 
KABUL 00005361  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
REFTEL:  KABUL 4368 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  PRT Officer met with Nangarhar Deputy Governor 
and Jalalabad Mayor to press again for a Letter of Intent for land 
ownership for the returnees in Tangi.  This important step, that has 
to happen before any permanent structures can be built or any more 
international aid provided, has proved to be a bigger obstacle than 
expected.  The Deputy Governor promised to prepare a document within 
15 days, and the PRT will follow up again.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) Jalalabad PRT Officer and Civil Affairs Officers met with 
Nangarhar Deputy Governor Alam Ishaqzai and Jalalabad Mayor Abdul 
Ghafor Pacha on October 30 to again press for a Letter of Intent to 
grant land to the returnees in Tangi.  As outlined in reftel, the 
Tangi resettlement is an outstanding example of what an organized 
group of people can do on their own, and their efforts and 
initiative serve as an example for what other returnee groups could 
accomplish.  Since they were forced to leave Pakistan in 2005, they 
have established a new community in a barren stretch of land, built 
tent cities, organized schools and mosques, and created the 
foundation for a well organized community, all with minimal support 
from outside organizations. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The PRT has supported their effort with Humanitarian 
Assistance supplies, but neither the PRT nor other international 
organizations can provide permanent assistance until the provincial 
government provides some kind of formal recognition that they will 
grant them land rights, as they have done for the returnees in the 
Sheik Misri New Township.  The PRT has physically taken the 
Governor, Deputy Governor, and former mayor to the site at different 
times to impress upon them the excellent example this community 
provides and how they have transformed the unwanted barren land into 
a thriving, well organized community.  We have received repeated 
promises that a formal letter of intent will soon be forthcoming 
(the latest being a discussion between the Commander and the 
Governor's office on September 25 when they promised the letter 
within a week.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Deputy Governor and Mayor listed a number of reasons 
why they have not issued the letter yet but promised to bring it up 
at either the November 2 or November 9 Administrative Meeting, and 
have the letter ready by November 10.  PRT officials again explained 
that the Afghans do not need to resolve all the urban planning 
questions, but neither the U.S. nor other international donors could 
proceed with fixed structures or substantial assistance until there 
was at least a firm statement of intent by Afghan authorities to 
allocate the land.  For now, they had only to provide written 
notification of the intention to allocate the land to the Tangi 
community, and that would be enough for donors to proceed. 
(Comment:  One important reason that they may be dragging their feet 
is that these returnees are originally from Kunar Province rather 
than Nangarhar.  The Deputy governor said that they would need to 
specify in the letter that only those returnees already there would 
be covered by the letter, or else the province would be flooded with 
returnees from all over Afghanistan.  The PRT agreed that this was a 
reasonable stipulation.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Ironically, while in the meeting, the Deputy Governor 
received a phone call reporting that a group of Saardi (a sort of 
local militia of the Kuchi nomadic people) led by Mullah Malik 
Sultan had just arrived in Tangi and claimed that the land belonged 
to them, and the returnees needed to leave.  The Deputy Governor 
asked if the PRT could send Coalition Forces to drive the Saardi 
away.  The PRT explained that the ANP or ANA should go in first and 
try to resolve the issue.  We stressed again that this is exactly 
the reason that we need them to prepare the Letter of Intent as 
quickly as possible.  (Note:  In the complicated area of Afghan land 
disputes, the PRT received reports on October 31 that the new 
Subgovernor of Khogyani District, Zalmani Dadek, may be involved 
with these disputes over the land, as he has influence and 
supporters in Behsud District, where Tangi is located.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) On October 31, Embassy RefCoord raised the issue in a 
meeting with Deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Abdul 
Qader Ahadi.  The Deputy Minister was unaware of the issue but 
offered to look into it.  RefCoord offered to provide further 
information on the settlement and stressed that the type of 
self-reliance exhibited by the returnees represents an example for 
 
KABUL 00005361  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
all returnees and should be encouraged. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  PRT officials will check with provincial 
officials at the end of the latest 15-day deadline, and RefCoord 
will follow-up with Deputy Minister Qadir Ahadi.  Embassy will raise 
to a high level if need be.  While discouraged by the failure to 
live up to repeated promises, PRT is optimistic that with enough 
encouragement and interest shown by the PRT and others, the 
provincial officials will eventually provide the necessary 
documentation. 
 
NEUMANN