VZCZCXRO6795
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #1643/01 1741259
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231259Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9686
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/A, S/CRS, INL/AP, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
OSD FOR FLOURNOY 
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-82, POLAD, JICENT 
KABUL FOR COS USFOR-A 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS MASS AF
SUBJECT:  U.S. SAVES THE DAY ON ANP GROWTH AT LOTFA STEERING 
COMMITTEE MEETING 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  The Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan 
(LOTFA), chaired by MOI Minister Atmar, faced a daunting task in its 
Steering Committee meeting of June 14 chaired.  The main issue was 
funding a proposal already approved by the Joint Coordination and 
Monitoring Board (JCMB) and International Police Coordination Board 
(IPCB) to add an additional 10,000 Afghan National Police (ANP) 
officers for vulnerable provinces in advance of the election.  IPCB 
and LOTFA members were successful in raising contributions 
specifically for this effort totaling almost $25 million.  However, 
the bad news was that requirements totaled just under $42 million. 
When no additional contributions were forthcoming, the U.S. 
announced that it would cover the remaining shortfall.  The MOI 
faces the burden of rapidly meeting recruiting requirements in order 
to begin the training process.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Minister Atmar opened the Law and Order Trust Fund for 
Afghanistan (LOTFA) Steering Committee meeting of June 14 by 
recognizing the loss of an ANP officer and his Canadian mentor in an 
IED explosion in Kandahar earlier that day, a stark reminder of the 
challenges faced by MOI in the current security environment. 
 
¶3. (U) Although the big issue for discussion was funding for growth 
of the ANP by 10,000 for vulnerable provinces in the lead-up to the 
election, that difficult topic was left for last on the agenda. 
First, Minister Atmar provided a short summary of election security 
preparations, but noted that despite positive developments on 
presidential candidate security and international observers, the ANP 
was short 20,000 officers to do all that was being asked of them. 
Atmar ended his opening remarks by saying that significant progress 
had been made against "ghost police" (an issue of high continuing 
interest to the international community) and that very soon "nobody 
should be outside the Tashkil."  The Tashkil is the formal annual 
staffing document authorizing positions within the MOI and ANP. 
 
¶4. (U) Bo Asplund, Deputy Special Representative for UNAMA, and 
UNDP's Sandeep Kumar, LOTFA Project Manager, provided updates since 
the last LOTFA SC meeting in March.  They expect the total LOTFA 
project budget to reach $539 million for the two-year 2009/2010 
period.  Virtually 100 percent of ANP are now covered under 
Electronic Payroll System (EPS) and 70 percent under Electronic 
Funds Transfer (ETF), both of which help ensure that individual 
officers are paid directly and without supervisor interference or 
skimming.  They announced they believe they have found a "solution" 
to UNDP HQ failure to hire a Monitoring Agent for LOTFA, a 
contentious issue amongst LOTFA donors.  With few bidders, there was 
concern that the company selected did not have the capacity to meet 
contract requirements, so UNDP will run a 6-month pilot with the 
firm before making a final decision. 
 
¶5. (U) Minister Atmar continued by describing the status of other 
priority LOTFA initiatives.  He emphasized the importance of 
recruiting female police officers, saying he wants to develop a 
national program that will result in 5,000 women on the rolls. 
However, he noted that current working conditions were not 
appropriate for female officers.  He is working on a Joint 
Integrated Registration Program that will re-register all ANP, 
conduct biometrics and drug test all of them, and then issue 
reliable identity cards.  He wants to have this program (which 
builds on existing screening procedures) completed by August.  LOTFA 
and MOI are in the process of transferring compensation for martyrs 
and permanently disabled ANP to the Ministry of Labour, Social 
Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, with 1,287 of the 3,199 files already 
transferred.  A pilot project to pay ANP their food allowance in 
cash instead of in-kind has received a positive reception so far. 
Lastly, another pilot program to provide hazard pay to ANP serving 
in high-threat districts is being evaluated for extension with 
CSTC-A funding. 
 
¶6. (U) The last and most challenging issue was funding for the 
already agreed-upon growth in the ANP by 10,000 for vulnerable 
provinces in preparation for the August elections.  The Joint 
Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) and International Police 
Coordination Board (IPCB) had already endorsed the proposal, which 
complements a separate initiative to increase Kabul ANP by 4,800 
that is already in process and is being funded by CSTC-A.  LOTFA 
donor countries had been meeting for weeks at the working level to 
encourage contributions from members in preparation for the Steering 
Committee meeting, but had been unsuccessful in raising the full 
$41.6 million required for this 10,000 increase. 
 
¶7. (U) Surprisingly enough given skepticism before the June 7 IPCB 
decision, prior to the LOTFA meeting we were able to persuade LOTFA 
donors to contribute a total of $24.7 million, broken down as 
follows:  Canada $10 million, Japan $7.7 million, UK $3 million, 
Denmark $2 million, and Norway $2 million.  Nonetheless, the 
 
KABUL 00001643  002 OF 002 
 
 
original target of $32 million ultimately grew to $41.6 million, 
leaving a gap of $16.9 million.  CSTC-A had already offered to cover 
equipment, training and other associated support costs for the full 
10,000 increase.  Going in to the meeting, donors assumed that the 
SC would decide to hire new recruits based on funding available, 
which would necessarily be less than 10,000. 
 
¶8. (U) Then came the bigger surprise.  Minister Atmar spent 10 
minutes noting the gap in contributions and seeking additional 
funding.  No additional contributions were forthcoming.  Finally, 
Atmar said to LOTFA donors, "Are you telling me that I cannot begin 
recruiting my policemen tomorrow?"  At that point the Embassy and 
CSTC-A representatives (Pol-Mil Deputy Counselor and Deputy 
Commanding General for Police Development) announced that the USG 
(through CENTCOM and CSTC-A) would fund the entire shortfall of 
$16.9 million. 
 
¶9. (U) Comment.  The Embassy representative learned of the last 
minute USG contribution at the beginning of the SC meeting; and the 
meeting strategy was to wait until the very last minute to see if 
other donors came up with additional contributions.  Atmar was 
obviously genuinely pleased to get this final piece of good news 
from the U.S. when other donors fell short, and the meeting ended on 
a high note.  At the same time, the burden remains on MOI to recruit 
up to the required levels (and fast) if there is to be any hope of 
having these additional ANP in place by August 20.  End comment. 
 
EIKENBERRY