VZCZCXRO5098
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1727/01 1440827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240827Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8278
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 4104
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3640

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001727 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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-82, POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MASS NATO AF
SUBJECT: AFGHAN NATIONAL CIVIL ORDER POLICE: FIRST 
BATTALIONS GRADUATED AND READY FOR DUTY 
 
REF: KABUL 435 
 
¶1. Summary: The Ministry of Interior (MOI) graduated the 
first two battalions of the Afghan National Civil Order 
Police (ANCOP) May 17 in a ceremony at the Mazar-E-Sharif 
Regional Training Center (RTC) . These two battalions will be 
deployed in Kabul as a riot intervention force.  According to 
an INL mentor involved in the training, the graduating class 
is an ethnically diverse group with greater literacy and 
professionalism than other ANP forces.  The Embassy will 
continue to work closely with MOI, Combined Security 
Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A), and the 
international community to ensure that the unit is well led 
and paid and the recruits are carefully chosen and vetted. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. The MOI graduated two battalions of approximately 306 
ANCOP recruits May 17 at the Mazar-E-Sharif Regional Training 
Center (RTC) . Several senior MOI officials attended the 
ceremony, including Minister of Interior Zarar Moqbel, as 
well as local and provincial officials, senior officers from 
CSTC-A, the German Police Project Office (GPPO) and U.S. 
Embassy representatives. (Note: As noted in reftel, ANCOP is 
intended to respond rapidly to urban unrest, civil disorder, 
and national emergencies. The ANCOP unit trained in Mazar is 
intended for urban riot control duty. ANCOP training of a 
rural battalion is also currently ongoing in Herat. That 
group is focused on providing a mobile police presence in 
high-threat provincial and district areas. Together, the 
urban and rural units will eventually provide the GOA with a 
police force capable of enforcing the rule of law nationwide. 
CSTC-A estimates that will take two years before the full 
authorized 5,000 ANCOP force is recruited, trained, and 
deployed to urban and rural areas. End note) 
 
¶3. Minister Zarar Moqbel represented the MOI at the ceremony 
and delivered an impassioned speech highlighting the 
importance of service to the nation and the duty of Afghan 
police to protect the Afghan people. Following his speech, 
Moqbel presented certificates to several recruits and met 
with them after the ceremony. He also held a press conference 
with Afghan media outlets. Moqbel's presentation at the 
graduation ceremony was a departure from his typical 
introverted style. He delivered his speech with enthusiasm 
and appeared to be very comfortable interacting with the 
recruits. 
 
¶4. CSTC-A Deputy Commanding General Canadian Brigadier 
General Gregory Young also delivered remarks to the recruits. 
 In particular he recognized the important efforts of German 
Police Project Office (GPPO) in assisting with curriculum and 
training instructors for ANCOP. (Note: GPPO provided six 
weeks of critical specialized training for ANCOP recruits 
focused on urban crowd control. End note.) 
 
¶5. In a conversation with Polmiloff, an INL mentor said this 
ANCOP class had a greater degree of professionalism and a 95% 
literacy rate (far higher than previous ANP recruit classes). 
He also said the battalions were ethnically balanced and they 
had learned to work together as a unit. (Note: ANCOP recruits 
received 16 weeks of training, which is double the amount of 
training provided to other ANP elements. The MOI is using a 
more rapid promotion system for ANCOP personnel to recruit 
quality personnel and decrease corruption. During the first 
eight weeks of training, the recruits received the standard 
ANP pay of $70 per month and following completion of the 
course recruits were promoted to the rank of Second Sergeant 
and were paid $140 per month. End note) The ANCOP recruits 
appear to be generally older compared to ANP and Afghan 
National Auxiliary Police (ANAP) recruits, and they appeared 
to be more physically fit than other patrolmen. 
COMMENT 
 
¶6. These relatively highly trained and well-equipped forces 
 
KABUL 00001727  002 OF 002 
 
 
will be deployed in critical security positions throughout 
Afghanistan, including the capital region.  The program's 
success will depend on four crucial factors: leadership, 
maintaining ethnic balance, pay, and facility construction 
and maintenance.  While the initial cadre of leadership 
appears good, the international community will need to work 
closely with MOI to ensure professional commanders continue 
to be chosen to lead the battalions. Preserving an ethnic 
balance is also essential for the development of a truly 
national Afghan police force. Finally, ANCOP will also 
require continued financial commitment from the international 
community. Should ANCOP run into the pay problems that are 
afflicting other elements of the Afghan police, and the 
patrolmen become demoralized from lack of pay, this elite 
unit could become a subversive threat to Afghan security. 
Embassy, CSTC-A and the international community are closely 
engaged with the MOI on the pay issue and we will continue to 
monitor its progress. Finally, the issue of facility 
construction and maintenance is important for sustaining 
ANCOP. ANCOP battalions will receive more sophisticated 
weapons and equipment compared with other ANP forces and 
maintenance will require continued financial commitment. 
WOOD