US embassy cable - 05KABUL4976

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 004976 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CT, EUR/RPM 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFA-A, CG CJTF-76 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, AF 
SUBJECT: PRT FARAH: A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN 
 
1.  (SBU) Begin Summary.  MOI replaced Farah Provinces 
Chief of Police Colonel Allah Wadin Noorzai on November 14 
with Brigadier General Said Agha.  First indications are 
favorable although he must deal with issues of ingrained 
corruption, bribery and a poorly-functioning judicial 
system.  On November 16, PRT officials and Poloff met with 
the incoming commander.  End Summary. 
 
 
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General Background 
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2.  (SBU) Agha, who appears to be in his mid-50s, 
graduated in 1998 from the military academy and has been on 
the Police force for the past two years. He served for 
several years in Jalalabad under Haji Qader during the 
Taliban regime and under Ismael Khan in Herat.  More 
recently he worked assisting new governors with security 
concerns as they transitioned into their new positions.  He 
spent the last two years in the MOI commanding a QRF (Quick 
Reaction Force) element.  He has served in 20 provinces and 
brings with him 30 selected men from his previous command. 
His first intention is to create an elite first response 
team to combat the most dangerous crimes in the province. 
 
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First Impressions 
----------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) PRT Commander and his staff, accompanied by 
Poloff, met with Agha November 16.  He provided a favorable 
first impression as a man dedicated to the law and 
possessing a true desire to protect and serve his province. 
He claimed to eschew bribery and corruption and espoused a 
desire to partner with the PRT to bring security and order 
to the province.  He stated that he would increase the size 
of the police force (by an unspecified number) with 
qualified individuals.  He made the point that he did not 
want to be confused with outgoing commander Col. Noorzai, 
who was largely ineffectual in controlling crime and 
corruption.  He opined that his greatest challenges were 
the curbing of governmental bribery and the reduction of 
drug and contraband smuggling. 
 
4.  (SBU) Addressing the PRT Commander, Agha requested 
unspecified help from the international community.  The 
Commander advised him two police mentors would be arriving 
imminently and Agha appeared genuinely pleased.  Strategies 
for identification cards and centralizing equipment 
accountability were also outlined.  Agha plans to inventory 
all equipment immediately, as past commanders have left 
with personnel and as much equipment as could be removed. 
 
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Inheritance 
----------- 
 
5.  (SBU) Agha inherits a province rife with lawlessness 
and corruption.  According to the Security Director of 
Farah, General Nashbaum, and retired police chief Aktar 
Mohammad of Lash Juwein, the ten ANP district commanders 
paid a percentage of their monthly income to the previous 
Chief of Police to maintain their positions.  This 
percentage included both base government pay and funds from 
illegal checkpoints and smuggling.  In a clumsy move to 
disguise the true nature of the replacement of the honest 
police chief in Ana Dara last October, the PRT was told he 
was removed because the district lacked vehicles and 
equipment.  However, the outgoing police chief, the 
training officer and several police officers in Ana Dara 
all confirmed that his lack of susceptibility to corruption 
was the real reason. 
 
6.  (SBU) Government funding is not reaching its intended 
recipients.  Every three months 6,735,000 Afghanis(approx. 
USD 157,000) is released to the province for uniforms, 
vehicles, weapons and ammunition.  Six officials - those in 
charge of finance, security, logistics, and the crime 
branch, the assistant police chief, and the former police 
chief  - disseminated only enough for basic pay and food, 
according to the training officer and the officers in the 
field who were not receiving the funds.  According to the 
Agha, he presently has no access to funds as the police 
bank account was emptied the same day as Noorzai left 
office. 
 
7.  (SBU) Comment: Security is the cornerstone for 
provincial success, so the change of ANP leadership is a 
welcome one.  Our first impressions of Agha are favorable 
and he seems to have a game plan and skills to handle the 
task at hand.  However, Farah has heard from well 
intentioned professionals in the past who have ultimately 
yielded to temptation and the influence of an allegedly 
corrupt governor.  An inadequate judicial process 
undermines any positive changes, however, as bribes are the 
common method to release the incarcerated.  End Comment. 
 
 
NEUMANN