VZCZCXRO0308
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0661/01 0591405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281405Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6443
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
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
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3689
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3488

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000661 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, S/CT, 
EUR/RPM, INL/CIVPOL 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG, 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR SNAR NATO AF
SUBJECT: STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP SECURITY WORKING GROUP 
FOCUSES ON ANSF DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY ASSISTANCE PLANNING, 
MOI REFORM 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The February 15 Strategic 
Partnership Working Group meeting ranged broadly over 
issues related to building Afghan National Security 
Force capacity and increasing security sector links. 
The discussion covered the growth, equipping, and 
capacity building of both the army and police, with a 
particular emphasis on training and long-term 
programs, including the need for an Afghan vision for 
the security forces based on a threat assessment.  The 
Afghan side warmly welcomed the U.S. delegation and 
expressed its support of the Security Partnership as 
an expression of the commitment of the United States 
to Afghanistan.  Both sides agreed that the Working 
Group talks were very productive and set the stage for 
a successful Plenary meeting.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Security Working Group of the U.S.- 
Afghanistan Strategic Partnership met on February 15 
in Kabul.  The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of 
Defense (MOD) Wardak and Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense Shinn.  Attendance on the Afghan 
 
SIPDIS 
side included Deputy Minister of Interior Khalid and 
senior officials of the Ministries of Defense and 
Interior as well as a representative from the National 
Directorate of Security.  The U.S. delegation included 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Senior 
Advisorfor Central Asia Mitchell Shivers, Afghanistan 
Policy Director John Kreul and Country Director 
Madeline LePage from the Office of the Under Secretary 
of Defense  for Policy, Commander Gene Black from the 
Joint Staff J5/Central and South Asia Division, and 
Brett Floro from Defense Security Cooperation Agency 
(DSCACombined Security Transition Command - 
Afghanistan (CSTC-A) Deputy Commanding General for Pol- 
Mil Affairs and Deputy Commanding General for Programs 
represented CSTC-A.  Polmiloff represented the 
U.S. Embassy and Department of State. 
 
Introductory Remarks 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  MOD Wardak opened the meeting by stating 
that the U.S. and Afghanistan had common goals, and 
that the Strategic Partnership was the beginning of a 
new era of cooperation.  The agreement was a great 
political victory for the Afghan people, he said, and 
this meeting was the first step in working out the 
practical steps to implement it.  He emphasized the 
need for a long-term vision so that Afghanistan can 
work toward the goal of independent self-defense, 
citing the costs on the US of continued presence in 
Afghanistan, and the Afghan desire to one day be an 
allied provider of assistance to the US.  PDASD Shinn 
reviewed the Security Working Group agenda, 
emphasizing the connections between the topics and the 
declaration: there are 6 topics to cover, the first 4 
fit together as capacity building and the last 2 to 
build ongoing links between our governments. 
 
Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) 
Development 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Commander Black briefed on the status of 
ANSF development, including the plan to increase the 
size of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan 
National Police (ANP) and supply better equipment.  It 
was agreed that U.S. support for the ANA and ANP not 
only builds Afghan capacity, it also sends a message 
to our enemies that we are committed to a long-term 
partnership.  Several challenges were identified, 
including the need to establish a red-amber-green 
 
KABUL 00000661  002 OF 003 
 
 
troop rotation cycle, which will require a larger 
number of ANA troops to backfill those on leave and 
training (it was noted that the British keep a full 
company for each platoon deployed in Helmand, so that 
troops can be rotated out of the battle); increased 
ability of ANA to rapidly come to the assistance of 
ANP, which will require increasing ANA airlift 
capability; and the tremendous needs of the ANP - and 
with them, the need for the ANP leadership to commit 
to making necessary changes so that it can benefit 
from the new resources being requested from the USG by 
CSTC-A.  Deputy Minister Khalid emphasized that it is 
important for all Afghan National Police to be trained 
and equipped to address narcotics, not just the 
Counternarcotics Police Afghanistan (CNPA).  MOD 
Wardak alluded to his desire to increase the size of 
the ANA. 
 
Security Assistance 
------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) In his briefing on security assistance, Brett 
Floro explained that to prepare for the time when 
procurement procedures return to the authorities 
of the Foreign Military Sales program, the ANA will 
need to develop the personnel to take over many of the 
duties now performed by CSTC-A.  Minister Wardak said 
that in order to develop a weapons procurement program 
that meets Afghanistan,s needs, the GOA will need to 
articulate its long-term vision for the ANA.  This 
vision needs to be based on a threat-based assessment 
of Afghanistan,s security needs.  Wardak committed to 
provide a framework presentation at the Strategic 
Partnership plenary meeting.  Subsequent Security 
Working Group meetings will flesh out the details. 
 
Professional Military Education (PME) 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) After a brief by Commander Black on PME 
programs available to ANA personnel both in the U.S. 
(International Military Education and Training or 
IMET) and at the Kabul Military Training Center 
(KMTC), discussion turned to how best to meet the 
needs of the younger generation of military officers 
and NCOs.  The Afghan side emphasized the need to 
focus on English language training for ANA personnel, 
since without sufficient language skills the training 
recipients are not able to derive full benefit from 
the instruction they receive.  Another key point was 
the lack of capacity in the non-combat ranks of the 
ANA, requiring heavy reliance on contractors for such 
support functions as maintenance.  Minister Wardak 
remarked that it would be useful to formalize a 
comprehensive training regimen in Afghanistan to 
prepare future military leaders, starting with junior 
officers and technical support staff and only 
gradually shifting emphasis to senior training. 
Deputy Minister Khalid noted that there is no 
equivalent to KMTC or IMET advanced leadership 
programs for the ANP and said that much more needs to 
be done to develop advanced police training. 
 
MOI Anti-Corruption Efforts 
--------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Deputy Minister Khalid gave a presentation on 
Ministry of Interior (MOI) reform efforts and the link 
to anti-corruption programs.  While admitting that 
professionalizing the MOI remains a big task, he 
pointed out that significant progress has been made in 
the last 12 months, including removing a number of 
 
KABUL 00000661  003 OF 003 
 
 
corrupt or incompetent police chiefs and instituting 
new systems for recruiting and vetting as well as pay 
and rank reform.  It was agreed that these 
improvements need to be systematized with an ANP 
personnel program that provides for promotions and 
career-enhancing assignments, but that also provides a 
way to remove non-performing officers without the need 
for extensive involvement of the Minister and Deputy 
Minister.  In addition, the Afghan side emphasized the 
need for more progress in the justice sector, so that 
those who are criminally malfeasant can be prosecuted. 
Deputy Minister Khalid said that accountability needed 
to start at the top, by punishing corrupt senior 
leadership.  He emphasized that corruption is the most 
serious problem faced by Afghanistan and is also a 
security issue, since it emboldens the enemy and 
disheartens the police on the ground. 
 
Parliamentary Exchange and Defense Cooperation Forum 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Two programs proposed at the March 2006 
Strategic Partnership talks were reviewed by the 
Working Group.  Regarding the Interparliamentary 
Exchange on Defense Issues, Minister Wardak said he 
welcomed the program as an opportunity to increase the 
understanding of Members of Parliament regarding their 
responsibilities in the security area so that they can 
play a constructive role in cooperation with the 
executive branch.  On the Defense Cooperation Forum 
concept, Wardak said that was an excellent proposal 
and that the Afghan side viewed the Forum as an 
additional assurance that the partnership will remain 
vital and Afghanistan would not be forgotten. 
Regarding the draft Terms of Reference presented by 
the U.S. side, Wardak said that the GOA is agreed on 
the principle and the details of planning the meetings 
can be worked out separately. 
 
Conclusion 
---------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) In concluding the session, Minister Wardak 
and PDASD Shinn both agreed that the meeting had been 
very useful and had set the stage for the Plenary 
session. Senior Advisor Shivers reviewed the key 
points of the meeting, with an emphasis on continued 
cooperation and equal partnership between the U.S. and 
Afghanistan.  Both sides left this session with a 
sense that solidification of the partnership 
continues. 
 
¶10. (U) PDASD Shinn cleared this cable. 
 
 
NEUMANN