VZCZCXRO7255
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0815/01 0920756
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020756Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8086
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000815 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
USFOR-A FOR POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV AF
SUBJECT: Ghorls Tribal Dynamics 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  The alternating conflicts and alliances 
of Ghorls three major tribes (Pahlawan, Morghabi, and 
Chest-e-Sharif) inhibit the Government of the Islamic Republic 
of Afghanistan (GIRoA) from extending their reach into areas 
outside the provincial capital, Chaghcharan.  The 
Pahlawan-dominated local government has little to no control 
in the Morghabi-controlled areas to the north or the 
Chest-e-Sharif-controlled areas to the west.  Persistent 
rivalries between tribes provide space for the 
anti-government, criminal and Taliban elements to maneuver. 
Intra-tribal conflicts over development benefits, food 
distribution, and long-standing perceived wrongs further 
complicate tribal dynamics in the province.  It is highly 
unlikely that all three major tribes could be successfully 
engaged since the cultural attitude is one of zero sum gain. 
Until the GIRoA is strong enough to counter tribal dynamics, 
government control of Ghor will be circumscribed in areas where the 
locals see the GIRoA as unsupportive of their tribe.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The three major tribal groups in Ghor province are the Pahlawan 
to the south, the Chest-e-Sharif in the west, and the Morghabi in the 
north.  To the east is the Hazara area, but Hazara traditionally have 
had very little political power in the province and are not divided 
into sub-tribes.  During the last thirty years of conflict the fortunes 
of each tribe have ebbed and flowed, but currently the Pahlawan are 
ascendant as they are the tribe most connected to GIRoA.  In the south 
the local-warlord-turned-Member-of-Parliament Dr. Ibrahim holds sway. 
He is supportive of the current government in Ghor, but recent changes 
in the Chief of Police and Chair of the Provincial Council have removed 
his closest allies, and thus reduced his influence in local government. 
 As a result of continuing conflicts and rivalries with the Chest-e in 
the west and the Morghabi tribes in the north, the GIRoA has little to 
no control.  Local trouble-maker Mullah Mustafa is a leader of the 
Chest-e tribe and any attempt to restore order by the 
Pahlawan-dominated police is seen as tribal revenge instead of law 
enforcement.  Mustafa complains that his people do not receive any 
humanitarian food distributions (allegedly due to Pahlawan 
interference), which justifies pillaging humanitarian food convoys 
passing through his area.  The police do not have the manpower or the 
will to effectively deal with Mustafa, and local officials have 
admitted Mustafa acts with impunity.  Mustafa also has the support of 
western Afghanistan power-broker, former Mujaheddin and current 
Minister of Energy Ismail Khan, who personally interceded on his behalf 
when Herati police went after Mustafa for attacking GIRoA property. 
 
¶3. (U) The Morghabi were the former governing power in Ghor (a previous 
governor and police chief were Morghabi).  Since they fell from power, 
they complain they receive few benefits from GIRoA.  Consequently they 
do not allow the current government to interfere in activities in their 
area, especially smuggling of narcotics and weapons.  It has been 
reported that the Morghabi have a blood feud with current Deputy 
Governor Karamuddin Razazada (allied with the Chest-e), and have warned 
local officials that he would be killed if he ever came to Char Sadeh. 
While General Morghabi expresses his support for the government, there 
have been recent thefts from food convoys, and smuggling continues to 
be a good business for him.  The PRT is cautious about travel to the 
area, and in general makes every effort to remain neutral in tribal 
disputes. 
 
¶4. (U) Each player in this game seeks allies where it is able.  In the 
case of the Chest-e, they reportedly have connections to the Taliban, 
but this is likely a temporary alliance with little commitment to 
Taliban ideology and instead serves their interest of counter-balancing 
the Pahlawan-dominated local government.  The exception is the Tulak 
district in the south where the Taliban has found an ideological 
resonance.  Tulak borders districts in Farah and Helmand provinces 
where there is no ISAF and/or GIRoA presence.  Organizations providing 
development and humanitarian assistance studiously avoid the appearance 
of helping one tribe or group more than another.  In some cases they 
concentrate development efforts in areas where they have the resources 
to help everyone, to avoid creating conditions for conflict.  In Dolat 
Yar the Army Corps of Engineers came close to canceling a construction 
project in 2008 because two local tribes were in dispute over the 
location of the district center. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Tribal conflict in Ghor Province is long-standing and 
on-going.  The three major tribes - Pahlawan, Chest-e and Morghabi Q 
have shifting fortunes and alliances, and it is highly unlikely that 
all three could be brought together to work to better the province. 
The hard living conditions and scarce resources create a zero sum 
tribal view Q for one tribe to gain, another must lose.  It will be 
long process to convince them otherwise since it has been this way for 
hundreds of years, and Afghanistan is nothing if not traditional.  As 
long as this conflict condition persists, the reach of GIRoA will be 
possible in areas where the tribe in power is in control, but 
circumscribed in areas when the tribes out of power hold sway.  To 
overcome this, the GIRoA would have to have more political influence 
than the tribes and the military strength to counter that of any tribe 
that is in dispute.  In short, the GIRoA would have to become the 
strongest tribe.  In the meantime, engagement with any of the tribes 
will be a tricky proposition since any money, power, or weapons 
injected into one tribe will most likely be used against the other two. 
 
WOOD