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AMCONSUL KARACHI
AMCONSUL LAHORE
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY KABUL
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
CDR USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL
NSC WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
CIA WASHDC

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                  ------------------C45D83  141359Z /38    
O 141418Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8260
INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
NSC WASHINGTON DC
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
CDR USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 
AMEMBASSY KABUL 
CIA WASHDC
AMCONSUL KARACHI 
AMCONSUL LAHORE 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000208 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/14/2019 
 
TAGS: MOPS PREL PTER PK
 
SUBJECT: RC-EAST MG SCAPPAROTTI DISCUSSES BORDER COORDINATION WITH PAKISTANI ARMY/FRONTIER CORPS 
 
Ref: A) ISLAMABAD 2462; B) ISLAMBAD 2427 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Candace Putnam, Principal Officer, Peshawar, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  In an October 13 meeting with RC-East 
Commander MG Scapparotti, Pakistan' 11th Corps Commander Masood 
and Frontier Corps commander Tariq Khan discussed ongoing 
operations and venues for cross-border cooperation.  The 
Pakistanis requested U.S./ISAF assistance in blocking militant 
border crossings ahead of what they characterized as their 
"final push" to drive militants out of Bajaur; they also noted 
increased movement across the Paktika-Waziristan border.  Masood 
agreed with the necessity for increased U.S. troop levels in 
Afghanistan but suggested that this would strain Pakistan's 
infrastructure for supplying U.S./ISAF troops.  Both Masood and 
Khan pressed for improvements to the Pakistani side of the 
Torkham border crossing.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) On October 13, MG Curtis Scapparotti, accompanied by PO 
and SOC-FWD Colonel Kurt Sonntag, met jointly with Pakistan's 
11th Corps commander LTG Masood Aslam and Northwest Frontier 
Province (NWFP) Frontier Corps commander MG Tariq Khan. 
 
Cooperation with FC Operation in Bajaur 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Tariq said the Frontier Corps (FC) was engaged in a 
"final push" to eliminate the militant threat in Bajaur. (Note: 
According to FATA ACS Habibullah Khan, the FC in Bajaur has been 
augmented by three additional "wings" - battalion equivalents 
for the operation.  Its goal to entirely mop up remaining 
militants in the Charmang valley while cutting off and gradually 
tightening the noose on militants in the restive Mahmond tehsil; 
both areas are on the border with Afghanistan.)  SOC-FWD 
commander noted that SOC-FWD liaisons would be in Bajaur October 
13 to support this operation (ref A). 
 
¶4. (C) Tariq passed information regarding militant crossing 
points on the Bajaur-Kunar border, where he wanted RC-East 
support.  Tariq alleged that the GOA was actively ensuring that 
the "Khan of Kunar" in Afghanistan had the financing and 
supplies necessary to attack Pakistani military forces.  Tariq 
mentioned SIGINT indicating that safe havens have been offered 
to Pakistani insurgents in Afghanistan in an effort to safeguard 
force structure as the Pakistani military begins offensive 
operations. 
 
¶5.  (C)  MG Scapparotti reviewed the redeployment of U.S. forces 
in Nuristan and Kunar to protect population areas and briefed 
plans to coordinate blocking action with Pakistani military.  He 
said that RC-East was also focusing on building Afghan National 
Army and Afghan Police/Border capabilities.  Scapparotti offered 
that his intelligence indicated that the insurgents are 
increasingly having logistical problems, to include the ability 
to resupply ammunition and food. Tariq asked that RC-East 
consider beginning dual patrolling with the FC and other 
measures to improve daily cross-border communication.  In 
particular, he mentioned an issue with radio frequency 
compatibility.  Both sides agreed to raise the issue at the next 
border flag meeting. 
 
Movement across the Waziristan-Paktika Border 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) As usual, Masood was evasive about the precise timing of 
the allegedly imminent 11th Corps operation against Mehsud areas 
of South Waziristan.  However, both sides agreed there had been 
an increase in cross-border movement along the South 
Waziristan-Paktika border.  Their consensus was that the most 
appropriate way to deal with this flow was to increase the 
number of sensors; it did not make sense to position permanent 
forces.  Tariq said they were seeing increased action along the 
Iranian border as well. 
 
Improving Torkham 
---------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Masood stated that the U.S. needed more troops in 
Afghanistan, though the actual numbers could be debated. 
However, he said, the U.S. should also factor in the need for 
infrastructure along the GLOC supply lines to support such an 
increase.  It would take time to develop the roads, bridges, and 
other infrastructure necessary on the Pakistan side of the 
border to handle the increased traffic that the new troop levels 
would require. 
 
¶8. (C) Masood particularly raised the need to improve border 
controls through Torkham.  Tariq said there were two dimensions 
to the problems-security and political, which increasingly 
intersected.  Afghan complaints about Pakistani inspections of 
fruit and other trucks created a political furor that did not 
take into account the reality of militants using these trucks to 
smuggle guns into Pakistan.  The FC was ready to build a new 
gate and possibly provide security for border officials, but he 
needed to convince the civilian customs and bank personnel to 
man the site beyond the current 1000-1400 daily schedules. 
Tariq said that the Pakistani government had "tried and failed" 
to control the Pashtun truckers transporting supplies for 
coalition forces in Afghanistan.  He alleged that the civilian 
contractors were cutting corners and at the expense of the U.S., 
and claimed that the ten NATO trucks burnt over the past weekend 
were because the contractor was trying to save money by parking 
where he was told not to park.  Often, Tariq said, the allegedly 
destroyed truck merchandise ends up in Peshawar bazaars. 
 
¶9. (C) Comment:  Atmospherics at the meeting, the first between 
the field commanders in this sector of the border since August, 
were good; notably, the Pakistani generals abandoned the usual 
set power point brief for a useful exchange, and they did not 
even raise the issue of the Kerry-Lugar Bill (ref B).  Ongoing 
cooperation and coordination of U.S./ISAF and Pakistani forces, 
especially with the support of SOC-FWD, for the pending Bajaur 
operation will we believe, further enhance the bilateral 
relationship. 
 
¶10. (U)  MG Scapparotti did not have an opportunity to clear 
this message. 
PUTNAM