VZCZCXRO9223
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0908/01 1021343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH  (CCY PARA'S AD052106B MSI6637 508)
R 121343Z APR 09 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8345
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000908 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
USFOR-A FOR POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (PARA 8 MARKING) 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT:  Paktika's Sarobi District: Challenges Aplenty Despite 
Relative Prosperity 
 
KABUL 00000908  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary: Because of its strategic location and potential for 
development, Sarobi district in Paktika Province is considered by the 
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Maneuver Battalion to be an 
important district for reconstruction efforts, despite a number of 
challenges.  Sarobi District Administrator Zahir Dad said Afghan 
National Police (ANP) are understaffed and under-equipped to deal with 
a likely increase in enemy activity as the weather continues to warm. 
Schools are functioning in Sarobi, although ten of 25 lack buildings 
and textbooks are inadequate.  Roads and irrigation projects are the 
main needs of the people.  Despite the relative prosperity of Sarobi, 
governance capacity is lacking and judicial structures are absent. 
District authorities are making security plans for the August 20 
presidential elections, with control of roads vital to countering enemy 
influence. End summary. 
Security: After Winter Lull, 
Higher Enemy Activity Likely 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On March 21, the PRT command team met with Sarobi District 
Administrator Al Haj Zahir Dad.  Zahir Dad, a former ANP colonel, noted 
that security had improved during the winter months but predicted 
insurgent activity would likely increase as the weather continues to 
warm.  He noted the arrival in the district of "Uzbeks, Chechens, and 
Arabs," whose goal is to impede reconstruction efforts.  Zahir Dad said 
the most powerful grouping in the area was Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin 
(HIG), with connections to Pakistani Taliban leader Beitullah Mehsud. 
According to Zahir Dad, the former Taliban "shadow governor" for 
Paktika, Bakhta Jan, from Gayan district, had been replaced by 
commanders Sangin and Rassul Khan; Zahir Dad described these commanders 
as "very extremist and very bad."  He added that the ANP only had half 
of its authorized force in place in Sarobi, and only ten of those 
police had ammunition; however, the Sarobi ANP could call for help from 
Orgun district.  Lack of fuel hindered the Sarobi ANP's ability to 
conduct patrols, and the district administrator bought fuel with 
personal funds to enable patrolling. 
 
Development: Schools Operating Despite 
Challenges; Roads and Irrigation Needed 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Regarding development, Zahir Dad said men from many Sarobi 
families work abroad in Karachi, Lahore, or the UAE, and these families 
wanted peace in the district.  However, some of Sarobi's (Kharoti) 
tribal leaders with Taliban connections were opposed to reconstruction 
projects.  Zahir Dad noted that Sarobi district, with a population of 
47,000 distributed among 122 villages, has 25 operating schools, only 
ten of which have buildings.  Seven of these need boundary walls.  Four 
girls' schools are functioning (one high school, one middle school, and 
two primary schools), serving 1,800 girls.  Schools have not received 
textbooks for the current school year for any grade.  On the morning of 
the PRT's visit, Zahir Dad said that Taliban on motorcycles threatened 
contractors working at a school near the district center but the 
contractors continued their work.  Zahir Dad said road construction, 
retaining walls for agricultural land, deep wells for farmers outside 
of the Zama watershed area, and lining of irrigation canals (karezes) 
were the greatest needs of the people. 
 
¶4.  (U) Zahir Dad said that USAID-supplied winterization kits and World 
Food Program (WFP) wheat earned through the Food-For-Work program had 
reached their intended recipients in Sarobi.  He said he had held a 
shura in which recipients showed their identification cards and 
certified receipt of the assistance with a thumbprint.  According to 
Zahir Dad, Sarobi residents had cleaned 65 karezes so far in the 
Food-For-Work program, and another 66 remained to be cleaned.  The 
residents did good work beyond their expected capacity, he said, but 
the karezes will fill back up with sediment quickly unless they are 
lined with masonry or stone. 
 
Governance: More Resources Needed; 
Elections Depend on Security 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Despite being one of Paktika's more prosperous districts, 
government capacity in Sarobi remains sparse.  Zahir Dad said only 
representatives from the provincial directorates for agriculture, 
education, and administration/finance are present in the district, as 
well as a statistics officer responsible for identity documents.  There 
are no functioning courts or judges (Note: The district prosecutor died 
of natural causes four months ago).  Zahir Dad said he needed the line 
directors for agriculture and rural rehabilitation and development, as 
well as the provincial director for administration and the district 
attorney, to visit Sarobi to understand local needs.  Zahir Dad said he 
communicates by cell phone, usually twice a day, with the provincial 
government; however, the Taliban shuts down cell phone service at night 
which limits communication.  Zahir Dad has a PRT-provided satellite 
 
KABUL 00000908  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
telephone but has no funds for air time cards.  CODAN radio allows ANP 
communication with Sharana. 
 
¶6.  (U) Zahir Dad said approximately 10,000 Sarobi residents had 
registered to vote during the December-January voter registration 
period.  However, Sarobi residents are under the influence and threat 
of HIG and Pakistani influences and may not vote in the August 
presidential elections unless security is established.  Zahir Dad said 
local Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) would begin work the 
following day on a security plan for the elections.  Most important, he 
said, would be the establishment of checkpoints on the road between 
Bermel district and the Sarobi village of Rabat, and on the road 
between Sarobi and Gomal districts.  Asked how election campaigning 
would likely be conducted in Sarobi, Zahir Dad replied that no parties 
or candidates would set up offices or campaign there, but they would 
reach out through proxies to tribal leaders to influence the people. 
He said the 2004 presidential elections had been conducted well in 
Sarobi, but the 2005 parliamentary elections had been bought outright 
by agents of the candidates. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7.  (U) Sarobi district shows evidence of greater prosperity than most 
of Paktika due to relatively good agriculture conditions and the 
relatively greater amount of foreign remittances from residents working 
in higher paying locations such as Dubai.  Sarobi is strategically 
important as a geographic connection between Pakistan and the 
provincial capital Sharana, as well as for its agricultural potential 
and relatively successful educational and economic conditions.  Despite 
the presence of enemy activity, reconstruction and development can be 
accomplished in Sarobi, and the PRT includes it among its priority 
districts. 
 
¶8.  (U) PRT Sharana Commander, Maneuver Battalion commander and the 
DOS Regional Advisor for Task Force Yukon have reviewed this cable. 
RICCIARDONE