VZCZCXRO8673
OO RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0222/01 0300433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 300433Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7083
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000222 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
NSC FOR WOOD 
OSD FOR WILKES 
CG CJTF-101 POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM AF
SUBJECT: WARDAK GOVERNOR FEDAI REVIEWS STABILIZATION 
PROGRAMS FOR INCOMING BRIGADE COMMANDER 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Wardak Governor Mohammed Halim Fedai met with 
incoming Task Force (TF) Spartan Commander Colonel Haight on 
January 22.  The Governor stressed the importance of 
successfully launching in Wardak the pilot program for a 
supplemental community security force, the Afghan Public 
Protection Force (APPF), and continuing to empower district 
councils under the Afghan Social Outreach Program (ASOP).  He 
also presented the incoming battalion commander with a list 
of development projects prepared by local councils and 
approved by the Provincial Development Committee (PDC).  The 
Governor asserted that security and governance are trending 
in the right direction for Wardak. 
 
¶2.  (U) Combined Task Force (CTF)Currahee Commander Colonel 
Johnson introduced TF Spartan Commander Colonel Haight to 
Wardak Governor Fedai in Wardak on January 22.  Logar and 
Wardak Provinces are being transferred from the existing CTF 
Currahee,s area of operations to the newly created TF 
Spartan.  Also present were the provincial National 
Directorate for Security Chief, Said Amir Shah, and 
provincial Chief of Police Muzaffaroddin Yamin. 
 
Governor Welcomes TF Spartan 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The Governor arrived late to the meeting, explaining 
that he had been meeting with a delegation of mullahs from 
Wardak,s nine districts; he had been urging them to support 
the government.  Lodin welcomed the new forces and the 
additional troop concentration they represent.  He stressed 
that the U.S. military played a crucial role in the provinces 
security, governance and development goals. 
 
APPF Program Critical 
--------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Colonel Johnson asked the governor to review 
current programs for Colonel Haight.  Fedai began with the 
Afghan Public Protection Forces (APPF), which is intended to 
bring 200 personnel per district into service after they are 
vetted by the National Directorate for Security and the 
Ministry of Interior.  Fedai acknowledged that the earlier 
Afghan National Auxiliary Police (ANAP) program had been a 
disaster; but "people had learned from the mistakes made." 
These new personnel, he noted, are being chosen by the new 
30-member District Councils created by the Afghan Social 
Outreach Program (ASOP) and would be firmly under MOI 
control.  He spoke of a plan to kick off the program with a 
joint press conference with the Ministers of Interior, and 
Defense, the Independent Directorate for Local Governance and 
the ISAF Commander. Failure at this point, asserted the 
governor, would be a strategic failure.  Fedai was confident 
that the pilot program in Wardak would be successful and soon 
spread to other provinces. 
 
Local ANSF's Needs and Responsibilities 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The governor noted that he had made a series of 
suggestions to ANA 201st Corps Commander General Mangal on 
the priority of steps toward security: 
 
-- Fully equip the security-focused Provincial Coordination 
Center, and then use it to coordinate and act on all 
intelligence in the province. 
 
-- Support the District Centers; government cannot function 
without electricity, water, windows, etc. 
 
-- Fully equip and train the Afghan National Army and Afghan 
National Police.  People will not support the government if 
the government cannot support its employees. 
 
-- Start insurgent "clean-up operations," targeting the right 
people at the right locations.  Until people see enemies 
being arrested, they will be afraid to choose the 
government,s side.  Most importantly, when people provide 
information on insurgents, action has to be immediate, before 
the informer can be targeted. 
 
Humanitarian Assistance Critical 
-------------------------------- 
 
KABUL 00000222  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Fedai maintained that the increase in security must 
be accompanied by a corresponding increase in humanitarian 
assistance (HA), development assistance, and improved 
governance.  Based on feedback received from constituents in 
the province, Fedai argued that the overwhelming reason that 
people were reluctant to support the government was the 
government,s refusal to carry through on previous promises. 
He added that HA should start immediately, in addition to 
prepartory work on additional long-term projects, so time is 
not lost at the start of the construction season. 
 
Progress Has Been Achieved 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Fedai asserted that security and governance trends 
were already moving in the right direction in the province. 
Five months ago, he said, many district administrators were 
afraid to go to their district centers, and mullahs would not 
come to see him.  UNAMA had held a press conference noting 
that the province was unsafe.  Now, public meetings are being 
held at district centers, mullahs are coming to see him, and 
UNAMA wants to open an office in the province, he contended. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Colonel Johnson and Colonel Haight assured the 
governor that there would be an increase in assistance, and 
that with the additional battalion in the province more 
effort could be concentrated in remote areas and more 
mentoring provided to security forces.  Fedai acknowledged 
U.S. contributions and sacrifices, and assured PRTOFF that he 
had just finished telling the mullahs they should appreciate 
that "the Americans have left the good life in the United 
States to come and help Afghanistan." 
 
¶9. (U) CTF Currahee Commander and the 3/10 Commander have 
reviewed this message. 
WOOD