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O 201123Z AUG 09
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TO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 2906
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 086705 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PINR PREL PINR
AMGT, XD, AF, KPAO, EAID, KDEM 
SUBJECT: TFAF01 AFGHAN ELECTION WATCH:  SIT REP AND 
S/SRAP MEDIA MESSAGING REPORT #2 
 
---------------------------------- 
Operations Center Situation Report 
---------------------------------- 
¶1.  Begin Sitrep: 
SECURITY INCIDENTS CONTINUE 
--------------------------- 
(SBU) Kabul:  Embassy Kabul reports several incidents of 
IEDs and gunfire, without large-scale casualties or 
disruption of voting.  (TFAF01/Embassy Kabul telcon) 
 
(SBU)  RC-North Baghlan:  ISAF reported a security 
incident that might have resulted in the death of a 
district police chief in the vicinity of a polling 
station.  (TFAF01/Embassy Kabul telcon) 
 
(SBU)  RC-East Parwan:  Rumors continue to circulate 
that Abdullah supporters will take to the streets with 
weapons if he does not win.  The sources tended to be 
Karzai supporters or those with relatively neutral 
political views.  (Kabul 2432) 
(SBU)  RC-East:  PRT Panjsher investigated the 
disappearance of ballots and other sensitive materials 
bound for Mandol district in Nuristan.  (Kabul 2432) 
 
(SBU)  RC-East Ghazni:  ISAF helicopters were sent to 
Mungur district to investigate armed men on rooftops. 
According to Governor Usmani, the men were local militia 
protecting polling centers.  (Kabul 2432) 
 
(SBU)  RC-Central Ghor:  According to both the 
Independent Election Commission and the Afghanistan 
Independent Human Rights Commission, 99 of the 250 
polling stations in Ghor Province are without police 
presence.  (Embassy Kabul Elections Database) 
 
UPDATE FROM OBSERVER GROUPS 
--------------------------------- 
(SBU)  Reports indicate international groups deployed as 
planned. (TFAF01/Embassy Kabul telcon) 
 
(SBU)  Democracy International reports an IED hit its 
observer vehicle near a women's polling center in 
Helmand.  There were no injuries. (Embassy Kabul 
Elections Database) 
 
(SBU)  Observer groups report problems with hole 
punchers used to mark voter registration cards; poll 
station officials improvised by using scissors to clip 
off corners.  (TFAF01/Embassy Kabul telcon) 
 
ELECTION DAY FRAUD ISSUES AND LEGITIMACY 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
(SBU)  As of 0100 EDT, over two hours after the polls 
opened, there were no reported issues of fraud. 
(TFAF01/Embassy Kabul telcon) 
 
---------------------- 
S/SRAP Media Messaging 
 
STATE 00086705  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶2.  Begin Messaging: 
 
Please find attached coordinated media messaging 
guidelines regarding the Afghan elections.  This 
messaging has been cleared for public use throughout the 
Department and interagency.  Updates will follow by 0600 
and 1600 daily for the duration of the Department's 
Afghan Election Task Force. 
 
SRAP:  SUMMARY OF UPCOMING EVENTS 
--------------------------------- 
Aug 20, 0730 (EDT):  Polling ends 
Aug 20, 0930 (EDT):  FEFA press conference 
Aug 20, 1030 (EDT):  NATO Secretary General Rasmussen 
press statement in Brussels 
 
SRAP:  MESSAGING 
-------------------- 
(U)  MEDIA RESTRICTIONS:  We are aware of the Afghan 
Government's statements calling on all media to refrain 
from reporting any incidents of violence during election 
day.  While we recognize the sovereign rights of the 
Afghan Government and note their intention to encourage 
Afghans to turn out and vote, we believe that free media 
reporting is directly linked to the credibility of the 
elections and continue to support both the freedom of 
the press and responsible reporting.  We are engaging 
with Afghan authorities on these concerns. 
 
(U)  INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE:  As expected, insurgents are 
attempting to intimidate voters and disrupt the process. 
The Afghan and international security forces are working 
closely together to provide voting site security on 
polling day. Conditions are challenging.  We strongly 
support the rights of all Afghans to choose their own 
leaders. 
 
(U)  ELECTION SECURITY:  The Government of Afghanistan 
is the lead for election security, with over 160,000 
police and army soldiers manning polling stations and 
travel routes.  The International Security Assistance 
Force (ISAF) along with U.S. forcers support Afghan 
forces' security efforts.  ISAF and USFOR-A have made 
these elections their primary mission and are working 
closely with their Afghan partners to enable the 
election day events. 
 
(U)  JUDGING LEGITIMACY:  Afghanistan's Independent 
Electoral Commission will publish preliminary results 
and there is a process in place to deal with any 
complaints.  We look forward to reports from independent 
Afghan and international observer missions. 
 
(U)  FRAUD/OBSERVERS: The international community will 
be watching closely as the voting and the election 
unfold.  The U.S. is funding over 360 observers from 
independent, international NGOs and from Embassy Kabul. 
These international observers will be present in 29 0f 
Afghanistan's 34 provinces. 
 
(U)  U.S. IMPARTIAL:  The U.S. has been working to 
support credible, secure, and inclusive elections that 
 
STATE 00086705  003 OF 003 
 
SUBJECT: TFAF01 AFGHAN ELECTION WATCH:  SIT REP AND 
S/SRAP MEDIA MESSAGING REPORT 
are seen by the Afghan people and the international 
community as legitimate.  The U.S. does not support or 
oppose any candidate in the upcoming elections in 
Afghanistan.  We are impartial. 
 
¶3.  MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
CLINTON