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DE RUEHIL #3476/01 2201237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 081237Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0989
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 7396
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1524
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 6971
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 3080
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 1501
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2792
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 003476 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PK PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: FATA STRATEGY UPDATE: AUGUST 8, 2007 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Embassy is beginning biweekly snapshot 
reporting on implementation of the FATA Development Program. 
 Embassy appreciates Washington's support for the FATA 
initiative, which will require coordination among a number of 
agencies and funding spigots.  These cables will provide 
detail on implementation of development, security, and 
infrastructure programs, and highlight issues for 
Washington's action and attention.  Rapid implementation, 
both here and in Washington, will be key to the overall 
success of our efforts, particularly in training local 
security forces and in generating employment.  Two urgent 
issues for the attention of Washington agencies are 
notification of USAID's $85 million in FY 07 - we are trying 
to begin capacity building and employment generation programs 
as soon as possible after the first of the year - and funding 
for the Frontier Corps and other security forces.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) This is the first in a series of biweekly snapshot 
cables on implementation of the FATA Development Program.  We 
believe that this program has wide support in Washington and 
on the Hill; at the same time, we recognize and appreciate 
that a number of members are skeptical about our ability to 
monitor these programs.  We are working to meet these 
challenges, but issues of Pakistani oversight and 
coordination will continue to demand our and Washington's 
attention.  Subsequent cables will address implementing 
challenges and describe in more depth topics such as the 
nature of the security forces present in the tribal areas. 
 
Development: Finalizing Bids 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) USAID received $88 million in FY 07 supplemental 
funds and has redirected $16 million from existing programs. 
We understand that the congressional notification for the $88 
million is still pending. 
 
¶4.  (U) USAID has finalized a bid document to solicit 
proposals from implementing partners for a FATA Capacity 
Building Program.  Given the lack of capacity among 
Government of Pakistan implementing partners such as the FATA 
Secretariat and FATA Development Authority, the Program will 
 
SIPDIS 
be a primary focus of our efforts in 2007 and 2008.  The 
Program will devote approximately $60 million to capacity 
building over four years; $15 million will be utilized in FY 
¶07.  The Mission expects to begin the procurement process on 
or about August 15 and have a contractor selected by December 
¶2007. 
 
¶5.  (U) USAID anticipates finalizing a second bid document 
for a FATA Livelihood Development Program by mid-September. 
The Livelihood Program will be funded at $25 million in FY 07 
and will focus on employment generation and skills 
development (key areas given the numbers of unemployed youth 
in FATA), agriculture, natural resource management, trade, 
and business development.  A contractor should be selected by 
January 2008. 
 
¶6.  (U) In education programming, USAID is currently 
finalizing contractor selection for the existing ED-Links 
Program, which has a significant FATA component and will 
focus on teacher education, improved learning environments, 
and governance reforms.  USAID is also drafting a third 
contracting document for its Partnership for Better Schools 
Program.  The bid documents for this program should be 
finalized in October, and we expect the program to begin in 
March 2008. 
 
¶7.  (U) A three-person team from USAID's Office of Transition 
Initiatives, which originally visited in June, was in 
Pakistan the past two weeks to develop specific program 
proposals for possible employment, consultative, and 
communications initiatives.  The team will produce a paper in 
the coming weeks outlining these proposals. 
 
Security: Building Pakistan's security forces' capacity 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶8.  (U) There was a U.S.-Pakistan Military Cooperation 
Committee (MCC) July 31-August 1 to finalize the U.S.-Pak 
Security Development Plan, a five-year plan to enhance the 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003476  002 OF 003 
 
 
capability of FATA's security forces and Pakistan Army 
counter-terrorist operations.  The Mission was represented by 
the DCM, USAID, DEA, NAS, and ODRP, and the U.S. delegation 
was chaired by the J5, U.S. Central Command. 
 
¶9.  (U) The Security Development Plan will establish a 
Frontier Corps Training Center at Warsak, NWFP to train up to 
650 persons per training cycle; provide much-needed vehicles 
and equipment for 8 new Frontier Corps wings (approximately 
6,000 persons); offer U.S.-Pak training in intelligence, 
leadership, and advanced combat.  The contract for the 
construction of a new headquarters and training center for 
the Frontier Corps at Warsak should be awarded no later than 
mid-September. 
 
¶10. (U) Levy Training and Equipment:  Thanks in part to U.S. 
training efforts in 2006-2007, 3,500 new Levies (tribal 
police) recently began duty in three FATA agencies.  The 
Embassy's Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) will spend $5 
million in fiscal year 2007 supplemental money to equip these 
new police with radios and vehicles, and $2 million to 
initiate a 2007 surge in training. 
 
¶11.  (U) Regarding training of FATA security forces, Mission 
is concerned about the lack of clarity concerning out-year 
funding for the Frontier Corps.  Frontier Corps train and 
equip requirements are estimated to be about $300 million 
over the next five years.  The equipping and training of this 
force is key to the success of the overall FATA strategy; 
these soldiers are native to the FATA and more welcome to the 
people than the Pakistan military.  Frontier Corps support of 
development projects and long-term law and order will be 
critical to rendering FATA inhospitable to terrorists and 
extremists.  They have also been instrumental in narcotics 
seizures, particularly in Balochistan across from Helmand 
province.  The initial $34.7 million for infrastructure, 
mobility, communications and training the Frontier Corps will 
come from Defense Department Counter Narcotics funds.  One 
option would be for the Department to request that $30 
million of the FMF in the pending FY 08 budget be converted 
to INCLE funds.   We know that the bill has already passed 
the House but believe that relevant committees would be 
amenable to this change of labeling in a conference committee. 
 
¶12.  (U) Alternatively, we would welcome 1206 authorities to 
provide $64 million for the Frontier Corps in 2008.  (We 
understand this depends on approval of legislative language 
that permits use of 1206 funds for the Frontier Corps.)  To 
avoid stop-gap measures, the Mission proposes equipment 
requirements be supported through Foreign Military Financing 
beginning in 2010, and that training remain an interagency 
effort.  The current uncertainty makes it difficult for NAS, 
which has traditionally been responsible for training and 
equipping the Frontier Corps, to plan its future budgets. 
 
Infrastructure: Reprogramming; land dispute; partnerships 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶13.  (U) Embassy's NAS section recently determined the FATA 
Secretariat was not ready to take on full road construction 
 
SIPDIS 
funding and asked that $20 million in FY 2007 supplemental 
money (which was originally budgeted for road construction) 
be utilized for other projects: 
 
¶14.  (U) NAS will spend $5 million on capacity building for 
the FATA Secretariat's Construction Unit to ensure it is 
prepared to begin road construction in 2008.  USAID will 
provide $10 million in non-project assistance for contracts 
to the Construction Unit to support NAS' capacity building 
effort. 
 
¶15.  (U) Levy Training and Equipment:  NAS will spend $5 
million in FY07 supplemental money to build a new Levy 
Training Center in Jamrud, Khyber Agency.  In addition, NAS 
has an ongoing project to construct a temporary Levy Training 
Center with pre-fabricated materials.  Work on the temporary 
facility has stopped, pending the resolution of a tribal land 
dispute over who would receive compensation from the 
government for a newly purchased site adjacent to the Levy 
Training Center site.  Consulate Peshawar and the DCM have 
met with FATA Secretariat Officials, who gave assurances the 
land dispute would be resolved shortly. 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003476  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶16.  (U) NAS has also engaged with the British Embassy and 
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to 
discuss border security projects.  UNODC is preparing three 
separate border management projects (for Pakistan, 
Afghanistan, and Iran) that include support for capacity 
building, inter-agency cooperation, and cross-border 
cooperation.  Pakistani partners will include the Frontier 
Corps, the Anti-Narcotics Force, Coast Guard, and Customs. 
In addition to partnering with us on security assistance to 
the Frontier Corps, the British are helping the FATA 
Secretariat with technical assistance on border security 
 
SIPDIS 
programs. 
 
PATTERSON