VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBUL #0440/01 0400517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090517Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6011
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3635
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS KABUL 000440 
 
SIPDIS 
CORRECTED COPY CAPTION ADDED 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
SCA/FO FOR DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A FOR MEGHAN BRADLEY, S/CRS, 
PM/WRA FOR DENNIS HADRICK, CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A, CG CJTF-76, 
POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS AF
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN - GOING 
COMMERCIAL 
 
¶1. (U) Contains Action Request; please see para 10. 
 
¶2. (U) SUMMARY:  Afghanistan remains seriously affected by 
landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) that cause nearly 
100 casualties each month. Landmines and UXO are found in 
2,368 communities as well as agricultural fields and around 
major cities. Afghanistan's Mine Action Program (MAPA) is one 
of the largest and oldest in the world. USG Humanitarian Mine 
Action (HMA) focuses on protecting victims of conflict, 
restoring access to land and infrastructure and developing 
host nation capacity.  U.S. direct funding provided to five 
Afghan NGOs  gives them the flexibility to purchase supplies 
and equipment cutting down time and increasing productivity. 
PM/WRA manages a contract which uses Dyncorp International to 
provide technical advisors to all five of the local NGOs. The 
State Department also funds The Halo Trust, a UK based NGO 
that has worked in Afghanistan since July 1988 for demining 
operations and for weapons and ammunition disposal.  MAPA 
currently faces major budget shortfalls in its 2007-2008 
budget, due to a drop off in international donations. UNMACA 
expects to have to lay off over 1,000 Afghan deminers 
currently employed in demining-related activities.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
COMMERCIALIZATION OF AFGHAN DEMINING NGOS: LANDMINES TO 
DOLLARS 
 
¶2. (U) USG funding for demining is likely to decrease in 
future years. The Afghan NGOs understand this and are 
preparing for this through the creation of commercial 
demining entities. The five U.S. funded Afghan NGOs have 
already begun the process by forming Afghan Demining Group 
(ADG), a commercial demining umbrella organization comprised 
of the five Afghan demining NGOs. While all of them conduct 
humanitarian demining, each one has a niche. For example, the 
Mine Detection Dog Center (MDC) trains most of the demining 
dogs in Afghanistan. MDC also has a commercial contract with 
the Afghan National Police to provide security dogs for K9 
units. ADG will allow the NGOs to combine their talents and 
work together to compete for humanitarian demining contracts 
from international donors as well as other commercial 
entities engaged in reconstruction activities requiring 
demining support.  Their expertise and access throughout the 
country will be a valuable contribution that will also 
develop Afghan domestic capacity. 
 
¶3. (U) Kefayatullah Eblagh, the director of one of the NGOs 
(the Afghan Technical Consultants - ATC), formed the first 
private Afghan demining organization, Hemayat Brothers 
Demining International (HID). In a January 22 meeting with 
polmiloff, Kefayatullah reported that HID had acquired both a 
business license and UN accreditation to begin commercial 
work. He noted that although current Afghan law prevents ATC 
from engaging in commercial works, he was legally able to 
create HID as a separate entity without any difficulty from 
the GoA. 
 
¶4. (U) According to Kefayatullah, HID allows him to hire ATC 
deminers that were laid off due to budget shortfalls. He 
noted HID has completed six demining projects throughout the 
country. Kefayatullah declined to say how much revenue HID 
generated from these projects, but mentioned HID recently won 
a $450,000 contract from a U.S. company working on a U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers demining project in Herat. 
Kefayatullah also mentioned HID will submit bids for demining 
work in Kandahar and other southern provinces. 
 
¶5. (U) Addressing ADG, Kefayatullah said the five directors 
will meet to discuss how best to organize the company as well 
as decide upon a managing director. (Note: This level of 
cooperation among the Afghan NGOs is unprecedented. Even 
though the directors often refer to each others' NGOs as 
being part of "the family" and are extremely collegial, the 
NGOs currently are not engaged in joint operations. End Note) 
HALO TRUST 
 
¶6. (SBU)  The HALO Trust is a British, U.S, and Afghan NGO 
with approximately 6,900 locally trained staff working 
throughout Afghanistan. HALO's programs are primarily focused 
in the northern provinces, clearing the UXO and landmines 
from former Taliban-Northern Alliance frontlines. At the 
request of the GoA and the United Nations Mine Action Center 
for Afghanistan (UNMACA), HALO is also actively clearing 
ammunition caches throughout the country with weapons 
ammunition disposal (WAD) teams. These teams store much of 
the ammunition they uncover and are able indirectly to supply 
serviceable ammunition to the MoD through the UN. (Note: HALO 
Trust has concerns about supplying the MoD with ammunition 
because of their status as an NGO. However, the United 
Nations Development Program has agreed to deliver serviceable 
ammunition to the MoD. Post will further address this 
situation septel. End Note.) 
 
UNMACA TO SUFFER BUDGET SHORTFALLS IN 2007 
 
¶7. (U) Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) in Afghanistan is 
unique because the United Nations regulates HMA in country. 
UNMACA is currently responsible for the oversight and 
coordination of mine action activities on behalf of the GoA. 
UNMACA coordinates nationwide activities through seven 
regional mine action centers in Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, 
Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Gardez and Jalalabad. These regional 
offices work directly with UN offices, government 
representatives and development organizations in each 
province.  UNMACA also is responsible for certifying all 
demining organizations operating in country. All demining 
organizations must have UNMACA accreditation in order to 
conduct HMA in Afghanistan. 
 
¶8. (U)  UNMACA External Affairs Chief Liza De Benedetti told 
Polmiloff January 27 that the budget for the Mine Action Plan 
Afghanistan (MAPA), for 2007-2008 is short USD 61.4 million 
needed to sustain operations at the 2006 level, 
The top donors contributing to MAPA via UNMACA or directly 
include the European Commission, the United States, Canada, 
Germany, and Norway. Additionally, the GoA provides funding 
for MAPA activities through the Afghanistan Reconstruction 
Trust Fund (ARTF), which is managed by the World Bank. 
According to De Benedetti, UNMACA asked the MFA (the lead GoA 
ministry on demining) to request USD 25 million from the ARTF 
for the 2007-2008 MAPA budget. (Note: Polmiloff met with two 
Ministry of Finance officers February 6 who said the GoA does 
not plan to request these funds from the World Bank. End 
Note.)  De Benedetti, said UNMACA hopes to diversify its 
donors by seeking grants from private charitable foundations. 
However, given the budget deficit, UNMACA expects to fire 
over 1,000 Afghan deminers in March 2007. According to 
UNMACA, one demining team (approximately 50 personnel per 
team including salaries, food, shelter, and equipment) costs 
USD 240,000 per year.  (Note: Some experts involved in 
demining activities fear that these layoffs could be 
detrimental for the security environment, if some disgruntled 
deminers turn to the Taliban or other insurgents for money. 
Another possible result of the layoffs, might be an increase 
in mine-related injuries, particularly in rural areas where 
untrained Afghans might attempt to clear affected areas. End 
Note) 
 
¶9. (U) According to De Benedetti, UNAMA officially supports 
the commercialization of the Afghan NGOs. She remarked the 
UNMACA's senior leadership agreed with the U.S. position that 
commercialization is a positive way for the Afghan demining 
NGOs to develop their own indigenous capacity to compete for 
commercial demining contracts. De Benedetti also reported 
that UNMACA has accredited ADG to compete for commercial 
demining contracts from the UN. 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
 
¶10. (U) Post seeks Department's assistance in urging 
international donors to redouble their efforts to help reduce 
MAPA's 2007-2008 budget shortfall.  Maintaining adequate 
funding for HMA is very important for achieving our 
reconstruction and security goals, and for ensuring an 
effective transition to GOA-led HMA. 
 
 
NEUMANN