VZCZCXRO4352
RR RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #3194/01 3470442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120442Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6401
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC 0115
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003194 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/A, SCA/FO, S/CRS, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
OSD FOR WILKES 
NSC FOR WOOD 
AGRICULTURE FOR EATON 
CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-101 POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD EFIN AF MOPS KDEM PINS KCRS
SUBJECT:   Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group Established at 
Embassy Kabul 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Embassy Kabul has established an Integrated 
Civilian-Military Action Group (ICMAG) to begin a rigorous, 
systematic effort to better align the respective actions of USG 
agencies across the civilian and military lines of operation.  This 
decision builds on efforts over the last year to improve 
coordination between the Embassy, USAID and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan 
(CJTF-82 and subsequently CJTF-101), as well as the 
S/CRS-facilitated integrated civilian-military planning effort 
throughout Regional Command-East (completed in October 2008).  The 
ICMAG ultimately reports to the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S. 
Forces-Afghanistan, reporting through and taking direction from the 
Executive Working Group (EWG), a body comprised of senior 
decision-makers representing Embassy Kabul and U.S. 
Forces-Afghanistan.  The EWG's mission is to unify USG efforts in 
Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution.  As the 
planning and action staff of the EWG, the ICMAG will support USG 
decision-makers to facilitate unity of effort and help translate 
national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for 
implementation in the field.  The ICMAG will focus initially on 
sustaining integrated planning in RC-East and building collaboration 
by all key USG organizations on three sub-national initiatives: 
Nangarhar Inc. (expanding economic opportunity and employment in 
Afghanistan's eastern region), comprehensive Focused District 
Development (synchronizing development and governance activities 
with training of Afghan police forces in high priority districts), 
and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA) 
district mapping effort (working with the government of Afghanistan 
to identify district strategies for governance, development and 
security in critical areas).  End summary. 
 
STAFFING AND OVERSIGHT 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The ICMAG is staffed by representatives of the Department 
of State, USAID, and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan with full support and 
reach-back to their agencies. The ICMAG works under the aegis of the 
DCM and the Military Advisor to the Ambassador and supports the 
decision-making of the Executive Working Group (EWG).  The EWG is 
comprised of the DCM, USFOR-A Director Pol-Mil Affairs, USAID 
Mission Director, RC-East Deputy Commanding General-Support, CSTC-A 
Deputy Commanding General-Programs, and RC-South Deputy Commanding 
General-Stability.  Its mission is to unify USG efforts in 
Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution under overall 
guidance of the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S. 
Forces-Afghanistan (CDRUSFOR-A).  The EWG is empowered by the 
participating organizations to engage in USG coordinated planning 
and execution, provide guidance that synchronizes civilian and 
military efforts, convene interagency groups as appropriate, monitor 
and assess implementation and impact of integrated efforts, inform 
strategic documents, and recommend course changes to achieve USG 
goals in support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of 
Afghanistan (GIRoA) and stability in Afghanistan. The EWG may also 
raise issues for decision to Ambassador Wood and CDRUSFOR-A General 
McKiernan. 
 
 
MANDATE 
-------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The ICMAG's mandate is to support the EWG's integration of 
civilian and military actions to improve unity of effort along four 
lines of operations - security, governance, development, and 
information.  The ICMAG works with all key stakeholders to link 
strategy with geography, identifying critical areas where the USG 
can create transformative effects.  It also coordinates with 
technical sector working groups - such as the Governance Policy 
Group, the Economic Policy Group, and the Special Committee on Rule 
of Law, among others - so that their strategies are linked and 
mutually reinforcing to achieve local effects. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The ICMAG collects information from across the USG 
interagency on what is being achieved on the ground and conveys this 
information to the EWG in periodic, geographically focused 
assessment briefs.  The assessments include recommendations for 
 
KABUL 00003194  002 OF 002 
 
 
changes to plans and programs to respond to shifting dynamics and to 
seize windows of opportunity.  The ICMAG shares information across 
participating organizations to inform the development of strategic 
planning and budget documents, such as the Mission Strategic Plan, 
USAID strategies and programs, military campaign plans and 
operations orders, and supplemental requests.  The ICMAG also 
identifies friction points or diverging efforts and makes 
recommendations to the organizations and the EWG on ways to realign 
programs. 
 
RESPONSIBILITIES 
---------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The EWG has established the ICMAG as the designated 
interagency body to execute the EWG's assessment, planning and 
coordination responsibilities:  to lead the process to develop 
integrated USG national, regional, provincial and district support 
plans and facilitate regional updates based on these plans for EWG 
review; to review and evaluate USG national, regional and provincial 
plans across all lines of operation, identify gaps and shortcomings, 
recommend mechanisms to address gaps and raise issues to the EWG for 
decision; to call for and collect information from all U.S. Embassy 
agencies and USFOR-A to maintain a "common operating picture" for 
security, development, governance and information efforts; to inform 
strategic planning and budget development; to organize and 
facilitate working groups and sub-working groups as required; to 
inform and disseminate EWG guidance (including revised Integrated 
Guidance); and to develop and support use of shared regional 
assessment, monitoring and metrics templates for the EWG. 
 
FIRST STEPS AND COMPLEMENTARY EFFORTS 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The ICMAG was officially stood up on November 16, 2008. 
The ICMAG has started with a small core group representing each of 
the U.S. players involved in RC-East.  As this effort moves forward, 
and demonstrates value-added through the translation of 
national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for 
implementation in the field, it is anticipated that the ICMAG may 
grow, both in size and in geographic responsibility.  The ICMAG's 
work will also complement the efforts of recent USG assessments for 
Afghanistan.  Embassy Kabul expects the ICMAG to model and further 
develop best practices for civilian-military integration and joint 
action. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The ICMAG is focusing initially on sustaining integrated 
U.S. planning in RC-East and supporting interagency problem-solving. 
The ICMAG has facilitated a collaborative process to inform the new 
campaign plan for RC-East and has developed a framework for 
implementing rule of law at each regional level.  In November, the 
ICMAG led the launch of a new approach for Nangarhar Inc. with all 
key partners. The team is currently piloting collaboration in a 
critical ring road district to ensure that development, government 
and economic growth activities are fully synchronized with police 
training and security efforts.  The ICMAG has also worked with UNAMA 
on its district mapping effort, ensuring that this process benefits 
from USG provincial planning and the intensive work of USG actors on 
the ground.  The ICMAG will continue to work closely with ISAF, 
UNAMA, and GIRoA on this effort. 
 
WOOD