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INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 1390
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 1024
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0786
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RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
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RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4884

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  2/9/2019 
TAGS: MOPS PTER EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL OF FRONTIER CORPS 
AND VISITS THE WARSAK TRAINING CENTER 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar, 
Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (a), (b), (d) 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) Ambassador and Peshawar Principal Officer met with 
Inspector General Frontier Corps Tariq Khan during a January 26 
visit to the Warsak Training Center to formally hand over the 
latest U.S. assistance of security and communications equipment 
valued at one and a half million dollars. 
 
¶2. (C) Khan asserted that the best approach for addressing the 
hold strategy is to have enough trained and equipped police 
forces visible to the populace with the Frontier Corps behind 
them.  The town of Warsak is coming back to life stemming from 
the security that Khan's forces are providing in the area. 
Warsak training center construction is making progress with 99% 
of the 20 classrooms completed.  Khan was critical of unnamed 
Members of National Assembly from the tribal areas.  He added 
that "much of the problem in South Waziristan would go away when 
Baitullah (Mehsud) was taken out."  Khan spent a significant 
portion of his brief on the use and needs of the police, who are 
not part of his force, demonstrating both the degree of urgency 
of the police issue and the evolution of Frontier Corps' hold 
strategy.  End Summary. 
 
Donation of Equipment to Frontier Corps 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) During a January 26 visit to the Warsak Training Center, 
the Ambassador formally handed over the latest U.S. assistance 
of vehicles, protective vests, helmets, radios and other 
equipment to Frontier Corps, valued at one and a half million 
dollars.  Khan thanked the Ambassador for the equipment and said 
it would be put to immediate use by his forces.  Deputy Chief of 
the Office of the Defense Representative Pakistan BG Joe 
DiBartolomeo, Narcotics Affairs Senior Advisor Bob Traister, and 
Peshawar Pol/Econ Chief (notetaker) also participated in the 
visit. 
 
Security Challenges And Use Of The Police 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Khan asserted that best approach for addressing the hold 
strategy is to have enough trained and equipped police forces 
visible to the populace with the FC behind them.  Khan said one 
problem was that many of the mid-level police officials were 
selected based on politics and not on their leadership 
abilities.  Their political affiliations, he explained, often 
prevented them from being effective.  He suggested a change in 
some of these personnel, additional leadership training for 
others, and support for the equipment, salary and manpower needs 
of the police.  Khan said he had not yet devised a plan on how 
to establish a strong mid-level command/coordination link 
between Frontier Corps and the tribal area paramilitaries, the 
levies and khassadars, who report to the Political Agent. 
 
Warsak Construction Making Great Progress 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Khan said that the Warsak training center construction is 
making progress with 99% of the 20 classrooms completed. 
Security-related construction had also made significant progress 
with 30% of the planned camp upgrades finished.  During a site 
overview brief, Khan explained that 10 security bunkers and six 
additional posts would be built adding to the seven posts on the 
surrounding hills of the camp.  He was confident that additional 
fencing, patrolling, and posts on the surrounding hills would 
eliminate the current threat of mortar attacks by the militants 
on Warsak. 
 
Security Improving In The Town Of Warsak 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) In addition to the physical security upgrades to the two 
by five kilometer camp, Khan said that the town of Warsak is 
coming back to life as a result of the security that his forces 
were providing in the area.  He added that a cadet college 
available to the local tribal children would be built this year 
and would begin instruction with grade eight. 
 
PESHAWAR 00000023  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
IGFC Critical Of Members Of The National Assembly 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶7. (C) Khan was critical of unnamed Members of the National 
Assembly (MNA) from the tribal areas.  He said that one MNA he 
knew had not been to his area for 18 months and others visit 
rarely.  He explained that a MNA's purpose was to legislate, but 
MNAs are prohibited by the constitution from passing legislation 
concerning the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA).  He 
said this leads the MNAs for FATA to concentrate on development 
projects as either an opportunity for corruption or to build 
support in their district. 
 
Baitullah Mehsud: How Did He Become So Strong? 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶8. (C) Responding to Ambassador's query as to how Baitullah 
became so strong, Khan said the militants like to pick a 
"nobody" like Baitullah, who had been a Physical Education 
teacher.  Khan explained that when a "nobody" is given money, 
cell phones, and some gunmen, then he becomes "important" but is 
outside of and not beholden to the traditional tribal elder 
structure as a power base.  Accordingly, actors like Baitullah 
are free to "knock out" stability in the area and become 
stronger as they undermine local authority.  Khan maintained 
that "much of the problem in South Waziristan would go away when 
Baitullah was taken out." 
 
Usefulness of Recent Training 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Khan asserted that the primary benefit of the training 
conducted between U.S. Special Forces trainers and Frontier 
Corps to date was the "interaction between the two forces."  He 
said that he knew that valuable training lay ahead, but he was 
pleased with the training's results. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Khan's point that law enforcement forces (police in NWFP 
and levies and khassadars in FATA) must be able to take a 
leading role is well taken.  One of the most visible signs of 
the writ of the government, or lack thereof, is the degree of 
effective police presence.  The fact that Khan would spend a 
significant portion of his brief on the use and needs of the law 
enforcement units, which are not part of his force, demonstrates 
both the degree of urgency of the issue and the evolution of the 
Frontier Corps' hold strategy. 
TRACY