VZCZCXRO6090
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1141 1250512
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050512Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8736
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0800
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0029

UNCLAS KABUL 001141 
 
DEPT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A 
DEPT PASS FOR AID/ANE 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR DELANEY AND DEANGELIS 
DEPT PASS OPIC 
DEPT PASS FOR TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP 
USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE 
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
TREASURY FOR MHIRSON, ABAUKOL, AWELLER, AND MNUGENT 
COMMERCE FOR HAMROCK-MANN, DEES, AND FONOVICH 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958 N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ASEC EIND EAID AF
SUBJECT: Atmar promises private security company rules will address 
USG concerns; Parliamentary action on hold 
 
REFS: (a) Kabul 918 (b) Kabul 603 (c) Kabul 463 
 
¶1. (SBU) Interior Minister Atmar told acting DCM on May 3 that the 
government was prepared to modify its regulations of private 
security companies (PSCs) to meet U.S. concerns.  Karzai has 
directed cabinet members to give Atmar the authority to grant the 
U.S. exceptions to existing regulations on personnel caps, and to 
equalize governmental fees.  Atmar characterized cabinet approval to 
grant Atmar this authority to be "pro forma."  The regulations limit 
the armed personnel per PSC to 500, a number that would be 
insufficient to meet security requirements for USG facilities and 
operations.  The regulations also impose significantly higher 
governmental fees on non-Afghan than Afghan providers.  (See refs b 
and c).  The authority for Atmar would permit MOI to exempt certain 
PSCs from the personnel cap and to equalize the differentiated fee 
structure.  The MOI would exempt PSCs that the U.S. Embassy sought 
exemptions for, as long as the companies were properly vetted. 
(Note: The U.S. only contracts with properly licensed PSCs.) 
 
¶2. (SBU) The cabinet had expected to approve the authority at the 
May 3 cabinet meeting, but Karzai changed the agenda to focus on the 
May 6-7 Trilateral Meeting.  Atmar expected the cabinet to take up 
this issue at the May 18 cabinet meeting.  Atmar dismissed the delay 
as inconsequential.  Karzai had made clear his intent, and the 
cabinet would affirm the decision when it met next.  In the 
meantime, the embassy will continue its working-level consultations 
with Interior officials to work out the details of the exemption 
from the cap and equalization of the fees. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Parliament continues to debate a draft PSC law that is even 
more restrictive and discriminatory than the regulations issued by 
the cabinet (ref a).  Speaker Qanooni promised the Charge on April 
29 to keep the law from a vote until MPs advocating harsher rules 
and those closer to the U.S. position could reach a compromise.  The 
majority of MPs want to ban PSCs altogether, but they are 
disorganized and Qanooni rightly regards their hard-line position as 
impractical and unworkable.  Atmar promised that he and his staff 
would continue to lobby Parliament for changes to the bill but urged 
the embassy to keep up its own efforts as well.  Since Parliament 
action is always unpredictable, the embassy will continue to speak 
with both opponents and supporters to make sure that the law 
addresses USG concerns over force protection and equal treatment for 
non-Afghan PSCs. 
 
RICCIARDONE