VZCZCXRO9806
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #0887/01 1171301
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 271301Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2429
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0174
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0160
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 4782
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 1512
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 7109
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 6052
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000887 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREL PTER
SUBJECT: DIR: MILITARY OPERATIONS CONTINUE WHILE ACCESS FOR 
AID HALTED 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 870 
 
Classified By: CDA Gerald Feierstein for reasons 1.4 (b), (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary. On April 26, the Government of Pakistan 
launched military operations in Lower Dir District, Northwest 
Frontier Province (NWFP) in response to the growing taliban 
presence in the region and at the request of the NWFP 
government.  The Frontier Corps (FC) claim to have killed 
approximately 45 militants, including two local militant 
commanders.  In response, taliban spokesman, Muslim Khan, and 
Tehreek-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi 
Mohammad have publicly called for the operations to cease, 
saying that they violate the Swat peace agreement.  However, 
the FC have now occupied Lal Qila (Maidan), Sufi Mohammad's 
home area.  According to UN sources, approximately 500 to 700 
families have fled to southern areas of Lower Dir and are 
staying with host families due to the military operations. 
No movements of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from 
Lower Dir to other districts have been reported. The 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports that 
the Dir civilian government denied the ICRC access into Dir 
due to security concerns.  There have been no reports of 
disruptions to AID projects taking place in the district. 
End Summary. 
 
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN LOWER DIR 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On April 26, the Frontier Corps/Army started military 
operations in Lower Dir at the request of the NWFP government 
to curb the taliban presence in the area.  According to FC 
Inspector General Tariq Khan, approximately 45 militants were 
killed, including two militant commanders allegedly 
responsible for a rash of recent attacks on local police. 
The majority of the operations have taken place in the 
northern portions of Lower Dir, specifically in Lal Qila 
(Maidan), the native village of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi 
Mohammad and reported taliban stronghold.  Sufi spoke 
publicly about the FC operations, saying that they went 
against the recent Swat peace agreement, while taliban 
spokesman, Muslim Khan, announced that if the Pakistan 
military operations continued, taliban attacks would begin 
again throughout the Malakand division.  (Note: Currently, 
the operations in Dir are being conducted on the ground by 
the Dir Scouts, a wing of the FC, and one Special Operations 
Group, supported by aviation and artillery from the Pakistan 
Army's 11th Corps. End Note.) 
 
¶3. (S/NF)  As operations in Dir continued on April 27, Khan 
reported that the FC placed troops along the ridgeline of the 
area of operations (AO) and was able to stop militants trying 
to escape the operations. Khan reported that his men secured 
the road between Timergara and Chakdarra. (Note: Chakdarra is 
a key junction point where the Dir and Swat valleys split). 
He also reported at least 5 FC soldiers were killed due to 
poor unit management.  U.S. Special Operations Command Force 
are assisting the FC at the Intelligence Fusion Cell at FC 
Headquarters (Bala Hisar - Peshawar) with imagery, target 
packages, and operational planning. 
 
IDPS AND HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Due to these military operations, schools are closed 
and many of the main roads leading into the district have 
been blockaded to prevent entry or exit.  UN officials and 
the Relief Commissioner in Lower Dir have reported that 
approximately 500 to 700 families have left the affected 
areas in northern Lower Dir to stay with host families - as 
opposed to the UN-led IDP camps - in the southern part of the 
district near the Bajaur border.  Along the way, these 
families are being met by volunteers who are providing water, 
food, and transportation.  At this time, Post has not 
received reports of families fleeing the district entirely. 
Although USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) 
assists with Bajaur IDPs and school repairs in Lower Dir, 
local staff report that beyond a cut to land and cellular 
lines by the district government, they have not been affected 
by the operations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In a meeting with Acting DCM on April 27, ICRC 
 
ISLAMABAD 00000887  002 OF 002 
 
 
Country Director reported that the Lower Dir District 
Commissioner's Office (DCO) refused to allow the ICRC 
sub-delegation into Dir for the purposes of examining 
humanitarian needs.  ICRC reported that the DCO blamed the 
ongoing military operations and general security concerns for 
the denial of entry.  (Note: ICRC and other humanitarian 
agencies continue to report the military fully embraces ICRC 
assistance while the civilian government continues to be 
cautious about assisting ICRC access. Consulate Peshawar is 
raising the issue with the DCO. End Note.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) The UN High Commission for Refugees, the World Food 
Program, and Post have a meeting scheduled for April 28 to 
discuss the next steps in addressing the Dir humanitarian 
situation.  At this time, they are not reporting problems 
with their ongoing activities at existing UN-led IDP camps 
for Bajaur IDPs in Lower Dir.  Both organizations report that 
they are ready to distribute non-food item kits (NFIs) and 
food if allowed into the district. 
FEIERSTEIN