VZCZCXRO2701
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #2384/01 2070534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260534Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9288
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002384 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A, S/CRS, S/CT, 
INL/CIVPOL, NSC FOR HARRIMAN, OSD FOR SHIVERS, CENTCOM FOR 
CSTC-A, CG CJTF-82, POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MASS PGOV AF PREL
SUBJECT: MOI MAKES PROGRESS ON FINAL PHASES OF ANP RANK 
 
REFORM 
 
REF: KABUL 313 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The GOA is making progress towards 
completion of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) Rank Reform 
Process to reduce the currently over-manned Afghan National 
Police (ANP) officer corps to an efficient level by selecting 
the best qualified officers through an extensive testing, 
selection and vetting process. President Karzai recently 
signed the 2007 "Tashkil" (Force Manning Authorization) that 
authorized the 82,000 personnel for the MOI.  The Tashkil 
approval is critical to assign the correct numbers of 
officers at the appropriate grade.  Combined Security 
Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) is working closely 
with the MOI Rank Reform Selection Board to complete the 
selection and assignment of 8,956 field and company grade ANP 
officers.   Additionally, CSTC-A is working with post and the 
United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) to 
complete vetting of the field grade officers.  Completion of 
Rank Reform is necessary for the GOA to professionalize the 
ANP and move forward on police pay reform.  End Summary. 
 
KARZAI SIGNS 2007 TASHKIL 
 
¶2. (SBU) President Karzai signed the 2007 "Tashkil" (Force 
Manning Authorization) on July 5. The Tashkil authorizes the 
MOI 82,000 personnel for ANP, Afghan National Auxiliary 
Police (ANAP), Afghan Border Police (ABP), Afghan National 
Civil Order Police (ANCOP), Counter-Narcotics Police (CNPA) 
as well as administrative and staff headquarters positions at 
MOI and throughout the country.  CSTC-A police mentors worked 
with their MOI counterparts to develop an organizational 
structure for 8,959 officers to command the 73,000 police 
force. (Note: Previously, the MOI Rank Reform Selection Board 
had based their decisions based of the 2006 Tashkil that had 
approximately 3,000 more ANP officers than the 2007 Tashkil. 
End Note.) 
 
MOI SELECTION BOARD COMPLETING PHASE III TIER 2 AND PHASE IV 
SELECTIONS 
 
¶3. (SBU) The MOI Rank Reform Selection Board is working with 
CSTC-A to complete the final two Phases of the Rank Reform 
process.  Minister Zarar and Major General Durbin met with 
the MOI Selection Board June 20 and directed them to focus 
their efforts on completing the selection, vetting and 
assignment of approximately 8,956 ANP officers.  The Board is 
working on completing the Phase III, Tier 2 and Phase IV 
Officer selections concurrently. (Note: Per reftel, Phase III 
Tier 2 includes field grade MOI Headquarters and other 
district level positions.  Phase IV positions include all 
company grade ANP officer positions. End Note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU)  CSTC-A predicts the Selection Board will be able to 
complete selection for approximately 8,956 positions by 
August 4.  (Note: There are approximately 250 positions 
remaining to be filled. End Note.)  Additionally, CSTC-A 
reports that senior MOI leadership is engaged with keeping 
the Selection Board focused on their task. (Note: CSTC-A 
mentors report that both Minister Zarar and Deputy Minister 
Khalid have paid close attention to the Board's progress and 
both personally have gone to the board to redirect them to 
double their efforts.  This is a positive development because 
the MOI leadership understands the importance of completing 
reform process and are engaged with the Selection Board to 
finish the work. End Note).  However, the MOI understands 
that Rank Reform will not be completed until the field grade 
officers pass the human rights vetting. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Post and UNAMA are performing human rights vetting 
of field grade officers.  The officers who complete vetting 
will be eligible for direct appointment by Brigadier General 
Nuristiani, MOI Chief of Personnel. (Note: Per Department 
guidance, post is vetting all field grade Phase III officers 
selected for positions but will not vet Phase IV company 
grade officers. UNAMA previously had adopted a similar 
policy. End Note)  The MOI is already moving forward on 
appointments of company grade officers while the 
international community conducts vetting on field grade 
officers.  Once the Selection Board completes its task, 
 
KABUL 00002384  002 OF 002 
 
 
Minister Zarar will stand the board down and create a new 
Rank Reform Board with different members to make additional 
selections for any officers that are removed in during the 
vetting process. 
 
COMPLETION OF RANK REFORM NECESSARY FOR FURTHER PAY REFORM 
 
¶6. (SBU) Completion of Rank Reform is necessary to complete 
pay reform which will establish new salary levels for the 
ANP.  At the June 6 Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA) Steering 
Committee Meeting, the international community concluded that 
completion of rank reform is necessary before introducing pay 
parity between the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan 
National Police (ANP). (Note: The donors to decided to 
support pay parity; this will raise the salary for an ANP 
patrolman from $70 per month to $100.  However, the 
international community does not support increasing ANAP 
salaries to the ANA level because the ANAP program is a 
temporary arrangement to strengthen the police presence in 
high security risk provinces. End Note.) 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶7. (SBU) Completion of Rank Reform will be an critical 
accomplishment for the MOI and the international community's 
efforts to reform the ANP.  It is necessary for senior MOI 
leadership to remain engaged with the Selection Board in 
order for them to complete their tasks.  The Selection Board 
will also require close monitoring by post and CSTC-A to 
ensure that they proceed with assignments once the selection 
process is concluded. 
WOOD