VZCZCXRO6393
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0882/01 0741351
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151351Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6864
INFO RUCNEXC/ECRBS COLLECTIVE
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3771
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6696
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 2036
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0377
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0378

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KABUL 000882 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JLCOLLINS; CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO; 
DOE/NNSA FOR RSTUBBLEFIELD; DOC FOR ELOCKWOOD-SHABAT; DOT FOR 
APARAMESWARAN; SECDEF FOR MHOFFMANN, FLIGHT, AND RVIERKANT 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP AF
 
SUBJECT: EXBS AFGHANISTAN ADVISOR AND BORDER MANAGEMENT MONTHLY 
REPORTING CABLE - JANUARY 2007 
 
KABUL 00000882  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶I. SUMMARY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  During this reporting period, the BMTF position 
for Border Police and Immigrations Systems Coordinator was filled. 
The Afghan Customs Department (ACD) drafted a proposal for 
transferring the Customs Police unit to MoF.  The GoA accepted the 
Iranian proposal to fund and construct a 14th major Border Crossing 
Point (BCP), "Mile 78" on Afghanistan's western border with Iran 
(including a similar facility on the Iranian side of the border). 
MoI, CSTC-A PRD, and the GPPO 'rolled out' a new Afghan Border 
Police strategy that encompasses significant major revisions from 
the previous strategy.  DHS/CBP advisors currently on temporary duty 
in Afghanistan to support the BMTF have been providing significant 
assistance in reviewing and revising future plans and designs of 
BCPs.  BMTF members also participated in discussions on coordinating 
border related efforts as they completed a four (4) day site survey 
of the Islam Qalah BCP.  Later in the month, Audrey Adams was in 
Kabul to receive an overview of Border Management Task Force (BMTF) 
requirements and current efforts under way with regards to the 
Border Management Initiative (BMI).  END SUMMARY. 
 
II. ITEMS OF BROAD INTEREST. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On Saturday January 20, 2007, Ms Audrey Adams, Deputy 
Assistant Commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP), Office of International Affairs and Trade Relations, arrived 
in Kabul for a four-day official visit to Afghanistan. The purpose 
of Ms Adams' visit to Kabul was to meet with DoD and DoS leadership 
in Kabul regarding the placement of former CBP Officers in support 
of the Afghanistan Border Management Initiative (BMI); to clarify 
the terms of reference for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
in the Interagency Agreement between DoD and DHS; and to agree on a 
timeline and funding requirements for the long term deployment of 
mentor personnel. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ms. Adams met with the Afghanistan Reconstruction Group 
(ARG) and Border Management Initiative Chief of Staff and reviewed 
the wide scope of BMI and ARG initiatives currently underway. She 
received a briefing at the Afghanistan Engineering District (AED) 
headquarters over viewing the Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure 
projects underway in Afghanistan with an emphasis on border related 
projects. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On Sunday, January 21, 2007, Ms. Adams received a briefing 
at the Joint Intelligence Operations Center-Afghanistan (JIOC-A) at 
Camp Eggers in Kabul on border related issues.  Following the 
briefing, Ms Adams participated in a (CSTC-A) review of all border 
police training efforts currently underway.  She also received an 
overview of the BMI strategic plan from BMTF Deputy Director and 
Military Planner. Later, she was guest of honor at a reception 
hosted by Bearing Point Inc (BPI) to review the USAID contractor's 
current mentoring initiatives as well as their 'Five Year Plan' for 
the Afghan Customs Department (ACD). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On Monday, January 22, 2007, BMTF, INL, and DynCorp 
personnel met to discuss the contractor's police mentor efforts. 
Following the meeting, Ms Adams and the BMTF staff toured the 
National Police Academy in Kabul.  The German Police Project Office 
(GPPO) Training Lead briefed Ms Adams on the managerial curriculum 
taught to senior level officers from all Afghan police units at the 
academy.  Later, Ms. Adams met with ACD Director General (DG) at the 
Ministry of Finance building where the DG shared his vision of the 
future of ACD and discussed challenges faced by the organization. 
Following, Ms. Adams received a classified briefing from 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) CJ5 Planners. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On Tuesday January 23, 2007, Ms. Adams toured the ACD 
Training Institute and received a presentation on ACD capacity 
 
KABUL 00000882  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
development plans. The tour, presentation and informative Q&A 
session was hosted by a customs advisor from the Government of 
Pakistan and sponsored by the United Nations Office of Project 
Services (UNOPS), Afghan Project Implementation Facility (APIF). 
After participating in a planning session with the DHS/CBP advisors, 
Ms. Adams met with the U.S. Rule of Law Coordinator to review the 
legal challenges faced by the GoA with an emphasis on customs law. 
Ms Adams and the ARG/BMI Chief of Staff then participated in an out 
brief with Ambassador Neumann. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On Wednesday, January 24, 2007, Ms. Adams met with DynCorp 
representatives to discuss the life support and logistical needs of 
the BMTF mentors who would be housed at the DynCorp Border Training 
Facility (BTF) near the Islam Qalah BCP.  A cost breakdown that will 
be incurred by the BMI for these services will be forwarded to the 
BMTF by DynCorp and submitted to DoD and DHS for budgetary planning. 
Additional planning sessions were conducted with DHS/CBP advisors 
followed by an out brief with the ARG/BMI Chief of Staff. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) During this reporting period, the BMTF position of Border 
Police and Immigrations Systems Coordinator was filled by a former 
U.S. Border Patrol Agent experienced in border security systems 
procedures and designs and immigration documentation and processes. 
This position will share responsibilities with a GPPO representative 
detailed to the task force who is concentrating on training, 
equipment and strategic planning for the ABP.  Both border experts 
will work closely with the ABP Afghan Border Police in an effort to 
help implement reforms instituted by the PRD, GPPO, and BMTF. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) ACD drafted a proposal addressing the issue of the 
Ministry of Interior's (MoI) Customs Police status operating within 
the Ministry of Finance (in accordance with the Afghan Customs Code, 
resolution of whether this organization remains or whether it is 
housed within the MoF must be resolved by March 2008).  The proposal 
recommends that the 600 strong force be phased out of the MoI and 
all administrative, financial and logistical support be transferred 
to MoF. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Currently, the Customs Police organizationally reside 
within the MoI, functionally they report to the MoF.  They are 
charged with providing security within the BCP perimeters.  The dual 
chains of command and the overlap of responsibilities with the 
functions of the ABP has been a constant source of friction between 
the two ministries and between the Customs Police and the ABP. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The Afghan Customs Code provides that the Custom Police 
will continue to be a part of the MoI for a period of 'Three Years' 
expiring in March 2008.  ACD has taken the initiative of proposing 
to the MoI and subsequently to the Council of Ministers, that the 
Customs Police be phased out of the MoI in several stages over the 
next 3- to 6- month period as follows: 
 
- First Phase -Administrative & Financial controls moved to ACD 
while logistical support continues from MoI. 
 
- Second Phase - Customs Police personnel will undergo a performance 
review to determine their suitability for security positions at the 
BCPs.  Those not found suitable will be retained in the Ministry of 
Interior. 
 
- Third Phase - ACD takes on logistical support, MoI transfers 
equipment being utilized by the Custom Police to the ACD. 
 
- Fourth Phase - An appropriate organizational structure will be 
developed by the ACD placing regional functionaries under the 
control and command of the Regional Director of Customs for all 
Administrative, Financial & Logistical purposes. 
 
 
KABUL 00000882  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶12.  (SBU) New legislation will have to be drafted to create a new 
force within the MoF.  As it stands now, all Afghan police forces 
and police powers lie within the MoI.  No separation of police 
powers are provided for in the Afghan constitution.  Therefore, this 
new security force will not be considered police as it is presently 
described within the constitution, but rather a Customs security 
force empowered to carry out the authority granted to the ACD as 
delineated in the Afghan Customs Code. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The GOA has agreed to an Iranian proposal to fund and 
construct a new BCP (#14) on both sides of the Iranian and 
Afghanistan border at a location known as "Mile 78" situated mid-way 
between Afghanistan's Islam Qalah and Zaranj BCPs.  The BMTF has 
requested the ACD to provide the BCP design being utilized by the 
Iranians for the facility on the Afghan side to suggest any design 
changes that would be beneficial to port operations.  The Iranians 
have also agreed to pay for the reconstruction of the Afghan Zaranj 
BCP on the border across from Zabul, Iran.  Two other future BCP 
locations have been suggested by ACD in Helmand and Zabul provinces 
that would be placed mid-way between the Zaranj (Iranian border) and 
Spin Boldak (Pakistan border) BCPs (#15) and the Spin Boldak and 
Gulam Khan BCPs (#16), both on the Pakistan border. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) A new ABP strategy drafted and approved by MoI, CSTC-A 
PRD and the GPPO was 'rolled out' revising programs and procedures 
from lessons learned as follows: 
 
- The ABP will be restructured into 5 Border Zones (BZ) with 5 
Brigades instead of the 8 Brigades that exist today (Battalions and 
Companies will remain the same).  These Brigades will correspond 
with the same areas of responsibility as the Afghan National Police 
(ANP) and the Afghan National Army (ANA). The ABP Brigade 
headquarters will be co-located with the ANP Regional Commands. 
This co-location consolidates resources, reduces the number of new 
infrastructure projects, and enhances logistical support and better 
operational coordination between the forces. 
 
- The static posture of the ABP along the green border (between 
BCPs) is supposed to transition to a mobile posture to interdict 
rather than passively observe.  ABP Companies will be appropriately 
equipped to conduct mobile tactics based on the environment of their 
specific areas of responsibility, such as patrol cars; motorbikes 
(CSTC-A ordered 7,000 motorbikes; the BMTF will suggest 4-wheel 
all-terrain vehicles be included); horses; and amphibious units. 
Specific low-tech surveillance and detection equipment is being 
researched for procurement. 
 
- Operations centers will be strategically placed to be       used 
as self-sustaining platforms from which to launch their mobile 
operations. ABP officers will also be equipped with portable tents, 
sleeping bags, etc. to sustain longer patrols in the desert. 
 
- Reserve Battalions and Companies will be created to roam from one 
border zone and into another as a force multiplier to support 
undermanned companies as threat situations dictate. 
 
- Recruitment procedures will change from non-specific police unit 
hiring to direct recruitment into the ABP.  Recruits hired will be 
stationed near their homes unlike the current practice of 
transferring outside their region of residence to avoid conflicts of 
interest and help stem corruption.  This practice has proven 
unnecessary compared to the benefits of keeping an officer close to 
his home.  Currently there are 7,900 ABP officers.  The Tashkil 
mandates 12,000 ABP officers be recruited.  However, there are 
discussions underway to increase that number to 18,000. 
 
- An ABP academy will be constructed in Kabul to facilitate the 
implementation of ABP basic training courses and job specific 
 
KABUL 00000882  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
courses, e.g. patrol; BCP operations; immigration; and airport 
operations.  ABP officers will attend this academy subsequent to 
receiving the basic police courses currently taught at INL Regional 
Training Centers (RTC) by DynCorp instructors. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)  DHS/CBP advisors have been meeting with the U.S. Army 
Corp of Engineers and architects to review, revise and assist in the 
design and planning of the Islam Qalah and Shir Khan Bandar border 
crossings. In addition, numerous port design templates were obtained 
from CBP and provided to the Army Corp of Engineers for use in 
future projects. These templates are already being utilized in ACE 
and UNOPS infrastructure designs for use in proposed BCP projects in 
Tajikistan and Afghanistan. BMTF port design recommendations have 
been implemented in current BCP projects now underway. 
 
¶16.  (SBU)  BMTF DHS/CBP advisors met with UNOPS and an Embassy of 
Japan Poloff to discuss infrastructure and training needs for a 
proposed border project at Ai Khanem in Takhar Province on the 
Tajikistan border.  The Japanese government has approximately $8 
million USD to fund this project and would like the BMTF to assist 
in getting ACE to submit a Statement of Work and take the lead in 
securing a contractor and managing the project.  The funds would 
also be utilized to train the ABP and Customs officials assigned to 
that BCP in coordination with existing ABP and ACD training 
programs. 
 
¶17.  (SBU)  BMTF DHS/CBP Advisors also assisted Afghanistan 
Engineering District - Army Corps of Engineers personnel with a 
proposal to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Deputy Country Director 
for a service road adjacent to the Towraghundi Border Crossing Point 
in Herat Province. Proposed road project would eliminate congestion 
and greatly assist facilitation of lawful trade at this 
strategically important rail crossing.  This would coincide with the 
planned upgrades at Towraghundi by the engineers scheduled to begin 
in March 2007. 
 
¶18. (SBU) BMTF team participated in CJTF-76 border conference at the 
Bagram Air Force Base. Numerous border-operations related 
stakeholders participated in the conference, they included 
representatives from the Army Corp of Engineers, 10th Mountain 
Division, 82nd Airborne Division, INL-DynCorp, Combined Forces 
Command-Afghanistan (CFC-A), and CSTC-A. Topics included a need to 
coordinate border related efforts in the RC-East AOR. The group 
established a way forward for increased cooperation and coordination 
among the stakeholders to include the establishment of a 
Coordination Group designed to develop a framework for current and 
future projects. The participants agreed to meet again on February 
17, 2007 to include ISAF stakeholders as well. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) As a result of the conference in Bagram, BMTF met with HQ 
ISAF planning staff officers (classified meeting) to coordinate BMI 
efforts and ISAF operations in the border areas. Discussion included 
review of the need for ISAF military support in high risk areas 
where BCPs are located.  ISAF pledged support in these high risk 
areas during site surveys by AED and BMTF members.  ISAF noted that 
BCP construction site security would need to be sourced elsewhere. 
ISAF is supporting BMTF team site survey trip to RC-South February 
6-8, 2007. 
 
¶20.  (SBU) The BMTF DHS/CBP Advisor and Military Planner traveled to 
the Islam Qalah region of Herat Province for a four (4) day site 
survey of the Islam Qalah BCP.  The visit was an ideal opportunity 
for the DHS/CBP advisor to review, observe and perform the actual 
duties of the proposed CBP contracted mentors while co-located at 
the Islam Qalah BTF with DynCorp mentors. The BTF is administered by 
DoS/INL-DynCorp and utilized as a small training center and to house 
the Islam Qalah BCP police mentors. 
 
 
KABUL 00000882  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶21.  (SBU) The team documented several issues regarding the 
operation of the Islam Qalah BCP to include concerns such as illegal 
entries by undocumented aliens; smuggling of weapons and drugs; and 
theft and resale of diesel fuel. New upgrades to the BCP promote 
better traffic flow and establish security zones within the BCP. 
BMTF is working with the GoA to shut down the fuel operation and 
foster the lawful facilitation of trade and travel. Additional 
security measures are also being reviewed to address mentor 
security. 
 
The BMTF team reached the following conclusions: 
 
- An illegal fuel dump at the BCP needs to be shut down. 
 
- Border Police must improve inspection procedures and policy. BMTF 
highly recommends the installation and deployment of the PISCES 
system at Islam Qalah and the documenting and screening of all 
inbound travelers from Iran. 
 
¶22.  (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶23.  (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. 
 
Under Procurement. 
 
¶24.  (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE. 
 
EXBS is awaiting the delivery of x-ray screening machines for 
baggage and cargo, fiber optic scopes, density meters, radioisotope 
identifiers, explosive detectors, handheld metal detectors, cranes, 
forklifts, vehicle inspection kits, and tool kits destined for the 
Islam Qalah and Towraghundi BCPs.  No specific delivery dates are 
available as of yet, but the EXBS Advisor has secured temporary 
storage for the equipment and will coordinate logistical 
arrangements as the equipment arrives. An 'End-User Statement' has 
been provided to the GoA and will need to be received by ISN/ECC 
before delivery of the Sabre tri-mode detection systems can be 
scheduled. 
 
¶25.  (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶26.  (U) OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES/EVENTS. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶27.  (U) RED FLAG ISSUES. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶28.  (U) Please direct any questions or comments to Barry F. Lory, 
EXBS Advisor to Afghanistan; +93-070-073-652, or local extension 
4230; lorybf@state.gov or to Jimmie L. Collins, South Asia Regional 
Program Manager, Office of Export Control Cooperation, 202-647-1778, 
collinsjl2@state.gov. 
 
NEUMANN