VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBUL #2063/01 1771242
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 261242Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8829
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

S E C R E T KABUL 002063 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/A, PM/WRA, INL, AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2017 
TAGS: ASEC KHDP MASS AF
SUBJECT: TALIBAN SEIZE 17 DEMINERS AND 3 VEHICLES IN GHAZNI 
 
REF: A. KABUL 1983 
     ¶B. KABUL 1745 
 
Classified By: Acting Pol-Mil Counselor Chris Buck; Reasons 1.4 (b) and 
 (d). 
 
¶1.  (S/REL ISAF) Summary:  Alleged Taliban fighters under 
Mullah Safiullah took 17 Afghan NGO deminers hostage on June 
23 and seized 3 of their vehicles.  This is the second attack 
on Afghan demining NGOs in as many weeks involving armed 
groups capturing vehicles.  The Taliban kidnappers reportedly 
threatened to kill the hostages if Coalition and Afghan 
security forces continue military operations against them in 
the area.  The kidnappers also reportedly stated that the 
deminers would be released pending completion of undefined 
"investigations."  One of the demining NGOs had been 
receiving threatening messages from a caller demanding that 
the NGO provide funds to the Taliban.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Taliban seized 17 Afghan deminers along with 3 
of their vehicles at 0540 on June 23, while the deminers were 
traveling from Ghazni City to their work site near Arzo 
village, Andar district, Ghazni province.  A deminer and 
driver who evaded the kidnappers notified the Afghan police 
and reported seeing the armed kidnappers flee towards Deh-Yak 
district, Ghazni province.  The police reportedly engaged the 
kidnappers but ended the hot pursuit when they ran out of 
ammunition.  The deminers belonged to a mine clearance team 
jointly operated by the Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA) 
and Mine Detection Dog Center (MDC), two Afghan demining NGOs 
partially funded by the U.S. Department of State.  Both NGOs 
and the UN Mine Action Center Afghanistan (UNMACA) have 
notified local authorities with details regarding the 
hostages and vehicles in the hopes that they would not be 
accidentally targeted by any security forces in the area.  An 
UNMACA source stated that the kidnappers appeared to be using 
the hostages to protect themselves from Afghan National 
Security Forces (ANSF) and Coalition forces as the latter had 
reportedly cut off all main roads providing exfiltration 
routes.  This is the second attack on Afghan demining groups 
in as many weeks, both involving armed groups capturing 
vehicles (ref A). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) A Taliban member known as Mullah Safiullah 
reportedly called Reuters on June 24 claiming responsibility 
and stating that the group was still deciding what to do with 
the kidnapped deminers, according to a Reuters wire report. 
MDC also received a call to its regional office from men 
claiming to be Taliban fighters led by Mullah Safiullah who 
demanded that the government and Coalition end all operations 
against them in the Hada Qalah Serani area of Deh-Yak 
district, the alleged location of the hostages and their 
Taliban captors.  The Taliban claimed that the hostages have 
been dispersed to separate sites.  They added that further 
government and/or Coalition action would result in the 
hostages' deaths but that the deminers would be released 
after "further investigation."  MCPA's director noted that 
the callers were using the kidnapped deminers' mobile phones. 
 
¶4.  (S/REL ISAF) While the kidnappers have not directly 
contacted the Kabul HQ of either NGO, MDC director Dr. 
Mohammed Shohab Hakimi told polmiloff that, since early June, 
an anonymous caller had frequently threatened to harm his 
organization if he did not provide "financial assistance" to 
the Taliban in the amount of USD 30,000-40,000.  (Note:  The 
caller claimed that the Taliban were suffering from financial 
hardship.  End Note.)  Though the caller identified himself 
as a man from Garam-Seh, Kandahar, Dr. Shohab reported that 
he sounded like a man from Logar or Maydan-Wardak province. 
He provided the telephone number from which he received the 
calls:   93 (0) 701-715-985.  As of June 25, the kidnappers 
reportedly have not demanded money, instead suggesting a 
prisoner exchange, though their primary concern appears to be 
a halt to military operations in the area. 
 
¶5.  (S/REL ISAF) Dr. Shohab stated that MDC has sent a 
six-person delegation to visit the elders of Hada Qalah 
Serani to enlist their support in persuading the Taliban to 
release the hostages.  He said the delegation also will 
contact former Taliban commanders to request their 
intercession on MDC's behalf.  (Note:  Afghan demining NGOs, 
including MDC, always maintained a neutral status throughout 
the conflicts that have ravaged Afghanistan and were able to 
continue operations under the Taliban regime.  End Note.) 
Both MDC and MCPA have asked local authorities that they be 
allowed time to negotiate through local elders and their 
contacts before further military operations are executed in 
the area. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The three seized vehicles were all white, 13-pax 
Land Cruisers, though one had been converted into an 
ambulance.  License plate numbers for the vehicles follow: 
M-6441 (MCPA Land Cruiser), UN-1013 (MCPA Ambulance), and 
M-5196 (MDC Land Cruiser).  VIN/Chassis numbers for the 
vehicles are, respectively, JTERB71J-500014084, 
JTERB71J-700014085, and GTERB71-30012916.  Two Codan radios 
and five VHF radios along with demining and first aid 
equipment were also taken. 
WOOD