VZCZCXRO5356
RR RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #3286 3621135
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271135Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6535
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KABUL 003286 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL, SCA/A 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KJUS AF
 
SUBJECT: DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILIP VISITS KABUL 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip 
visited Kabul December 20-21 to meet with Attorney 
GeneralQs Office, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of 
Interior officials.  In the meetings, Attorney General 
Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior 
advisors and discussed security for government facilities 
in the provinces; Justice Minister Danish asked for USG 
assistance with drafting a new penal code and new 
internal and external security laws; and Deputy Interior 
Minister Mangal committed to strengthening judicial 
security.  The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) was 
accompanied on these visits by the Acting Rule of Law 
Coordinator and Kabul-based DOJ senior legal advisors. 
The DAG also held a Town Hall meeting with Kabul DOJ 
employees.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The DAG met with Attorney General Aloko at the 
AGQs office and congratulated the AG on the inception of 
the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and continuing good work 
with the Counter-narcotics Justice Task Force (CJTF). 
Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior 
advisors in mentoring CJTF prosecutors and in providing 
technical advice and vetting assistance to the ACU. 
Aloko noted in particular that the Attorney GeneralQs 
Office needs more professional prosecutors, buildings, 
computers, technological assistance, and furniture 
outside of Kabul.  Aloko also stated that security is a 
big problem for the provinces and that he does not feel 
that the government can adequately protect its own 
facilities in all areas of Afghanistan with currently- 
available resources.  Aloko further commented on the poor 
quality of cases being received from police and stated 
that he is working with MOI to improve the quality of 
cases to be presented to the courts. 
 
¶3. (U) The DAG met with Justice Minister Danish at the 
Ministry of Justice and expressed his gratitude and 
appreciation for DOJQs opportunity to help MOJ with its 
work on the final Criminal Procedure Code as well as on 
the Counter-Narcotics Law.  The DAG mentioned two issues 
of ongoing DOJ concern regarding the Counter-Narcotics 
Law: specifically, the removal of language from the draft 
law granting subject matter jurisdiction over narcotics- 
related corruption, and the removal of most procedural 
safeguards for wiretapping.  Danish did not comment on 
the merit of the concerns but said that he understood the 
DAGQs views and agreed to send a copy of the final draft 
of the law to the U.S. Embassy prior to submission to 
Parliament.  Danish in turn asked the DAG to pass on to 
the Ambassador and the new Administration his request for 
Embassy assistance in drafting a new penal code and new 
internal and external security laws.  In addition, Danish 
stated that he would welcome the opportunity to send some 
MOJ employees to legislative drafting courses in the 
United States. 
 
¶4. (U) The DAG met with Deputy Minister Mangal at the 
Ministry of the Interior.  He congratulated Mangal on 
progress of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and pledged 
continued FBI participation and support for the AKU. 
They discussed judicial security in light of the 
September 2008 assassination of the Chief Appellate Judge 
of the counter-narcotics court in Kabul.  A DOJ senior 
advisor present at the meeting brought to MangalQs 
attention that only 21 of 50 recruits to the MOIQs 
judicial security program had showed up for training; 
Mangal pledged to look into the matter, and noted that he 
had upped the total of recruits for the unit to 75. 
Mangal also mentioned that employees of the MOIQs 
Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Extortion Department 
were going to receive salary increases, but did not 
elaborate further. 
 
WOOD