VZCZCXRO3201
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #0932 0631258
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031258Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5544
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 8274
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2940
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 9171
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5016
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3712

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000932 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID MASS PK
SUBJECT: FATA IMPLEMENTATION PLAN UPDATE 2/29/08 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 
 
1.(U) This cable reports the past week's developments in the 
U.S. Mission's various programs in Pakistan's Federally 
Administered Tribal Area's along its northwest border with 
Afghanistan. 
 
USAID program updates 
--------------------- 
 
2.(U) On February 29, USAID signed a USD 150 million 
"livelihoods" contract with a series of organizations. The 
agreement is to develop a social and economic stabilization 
program in the FATA agencies of Kurram, Orakzai, North and 
South Waziristan, and the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) 
districts of Kohat, D.I.Khan, Tank, and Bannu.  The program 
will continue through 2013. 
 
3.(U) USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives/FATA 
Transition Initiative (OTI/FTI) launched the pilot of its 
perceptions survey in Khyber and Orakzai agencies on February 
¶27. The survey, which will take approximately two weeks, was 
approved by the FATA Secretariat. On March 1 FTI launched a 
ten day all-Khyber cricket competition (the most popular 
sport in Pakistan) at the request of Khyber's communities. 
The Khyber Political Agent and possibly the NWFP Governor 
will attend.  The event will be an opportunity to showcase 
GOP responsiveness to citizens' requests and boost public 
relations for the FATA Secretariat. 
 
4.(SBU) USAID Islamabad officials noted that as plans move 
forward toward establishing ROZ's (Reconstruction Opportunity 
Zones) in the FATA, the chronic shortage of a reliable supply 
of electricity in the region (as well as elsewhere in the 
country) will hobble even small-scale industrial development 
programs in the area. As USAID officials noted, the small 
marble industry in the FATA, targeted to be developed in the 
ROZs, has shut down for lack of electric power.  While the 
issue is one that plagues Pakistan nation-wide, it is 
particularly acute in the FATA and is fundamental to our 
efforts to pursue our plans for ROZs in that area. 
 
ODRP program updates 
-------------------- 
 
5.(SBU) The first Pakistani civilian-military "contact 
group," initiated under a program from the Civil-Military 
Relations Office of the Naval Post Graduate School in 
Monterey, California, is tentatively scheduled to take place 
in Peshawar March 19 - 20.  The Pakistani government has 
provided names for the civilian side of the discussion group, 
but none for the military side as yet. 
 
FATA Overview 
------------- 
 
¶6. (U) We will be submitting by septel an overview of the 
Mission's FATA programs and strategy in the coming week. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PATTERSON