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United States Plan for Sustaining the Afghanistan National Security Forces

June 2008
Report to Congress iIn accordance with the
2008 National Defense Authorization Act
(Section 1231, Public Law 110-181)

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Section 4: U.S. Government Efforts

4.1 ANSF Development Efforts

The DoS and U.S. Embassy play a major role in mentoring, shaping, and developing the ability of Afghan leadership to direct and prioritize the use of security forces countrywide. Representatives of the U.S. Embassy assist in advising the security sector ministers and provide assistance in coordinating with the international community and participating in security sector development planning forums. The U.S. Government provides International Military Education and Training (IMET) funding to send Afghan military officers to U.S. military schools for professional development and leadership training. IMET is also provided for English language training. Further efforts include:

• The U.S. Ambassador provides policy guidance for all U.S. actors in Afghanistan, with particular emphasis on the development of the ANP. INL provides trainers and mentors to assist CSTC-A in executing the police program. INL’s specific mandate is to assist in the development of the police through training in accordance with direction from CSTC-A.

• The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in conjunction with INL and the U.S. Embassy’s Counter-Narcotics Task Force, is the lead U.S. agency for counternarcotics planning and operations.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Afghan Engineering District supports CSTC-A’s efforts in planning and programming infrastructure development for the ANSF, as well as supporting (as needed) USAID’s infrastructure development efforts in Afghanistan.

• The United States works with the IPCB in order to coordinate its efforts and train Afghan police more efficiently and professionally.

The U.S Government, the GIRoA, and international entities coordinate their security sector development activities through the Policy Action Group, the Security Operations Group, and the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board. DoS and CSTC-A also coordinate their efforts through these forums.

The Policy Action Group (PAG) is a committee composed of GIRoA ministers, international agencies (e.g., United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), EU, NATO, and ambassadors from key donor nations such as the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and the Netherlands), and others. The PAG was created to address issues pertaining to four southern provinces (Nimroz, Helmand, Kandahar, and Zabol). Over time the PAG has become a forum for discussing overarching national issues (e.g., regulation of private security companies and reconciliation). The PAG is scheduled to meet twice monthly and is chaired by the Afghan National Security Advisor. The U.S. Ambassador, CSTC-A Commander, and the ISAF Commander all attend these sessions. The PAG is chartered to develop joint long-term strategic security initiatives with the international forces and the ANSF to ensure that a long-term, consistent approach is adopted towards security, economic development, and social challenges. All of these efforts are designed to accelerate the development, equipping, manning, and modernization of the ANSF. Issues to be addressed by the PAG are discussed in Afghan interagency working groups corresponding to six pillars: security operations, counternarcotics, reconstruction and development, intelligence fusion, sub-governance, and strategic communications.

The Security Operations Group (SOG) is composed of representatives at the one- to three-star general officer rank from MoD, MoI, and NDS; international partners; ISAF; and U.S. Embassy representatives. The SOG meets weekly, but a SOG Working Group meets each day to produce an overall security assessment that is passed to Afghan ministries and ISAF. The SOG provides coordinated guidance and direction for security operations, facilitating coordination between security operations and other efforts supporting the pillar groups mentioned above. It is perceived to be the lynchpin of the pillar construct. The SOG ensures the implementation of security-related decisions made by the PAG. The ANSF are fully represented at the SOG and brief their requirements to the forum.

The JCMB was established by the GIRoA and the international community for overall strategic coordination of the ANDS. The 28 JCMB members include ministerial-level representatives from the GIRoA and the international community who oversee the delivery of the ANDS. CSTC-A and other U.S. Government participants are critical parts of all JCMB meetings and working groups. They assist in preparing policy discussions and papers that are related to the ANSF. The JCMB meets quarterly.

The primary U.S. Government policy-making mechanisms to provide guidance to sustain and build national military forces and police services capacity are the Afghanistan Interagency Operations Group, the Afghanistan Steering Group, and the Deputies Committee. CSTC-A participates in the preparation and coordination of topics that are directly or indirectly related to the ANSF via these interagency working groups. The groups meet weekly to discuss all aspects of Afghanistan security policy issues (e.g., ANSF development, counternarcotics planning, reconciliation, border issues, and election security).

Additionally, CSTC-A coordinates daily with members of the interagency through the Deputy Commander for Political-Military Affairs (DCG-PMA) and his primary staff who work and live at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The DCG-PMA staff coordinates with the country team at the U.S. Embassy and ensures that ANSF policies and planning are consistent with policies of other U.S. Government agencies. DCG-PMA is also the main conduit to pass and coordinate information through the chain of command to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and other relevant members of the U.S. Government entities.

CSTC-A assists in hosting and briefing U.S. Government representatives visiting Afghanistan. CSTC-A officials also make periodic visits to Washington in order to discuss key issues with U.S. Government officials.

4.2 Efforts to Ensure Progress in Other Pillars of the Afghan Security Sector

4.2.1 Rule of Law

The U.S. Government is developing its own strategy to support the GIRoA in establishing the rule of law in Afghanistan that is coordinated through the U.S. Embassy and incorporates U.S. military efforts. Priority areas of the U.S. strategy include: accelerating institutional reform; building provincial infrastructure and capacities; bolstering counternarcotics and anti-corruption prosecutions; investing in the corrections system; improving linkages between police and prosecutors; and focusing on public awareness and legal aid to improve public confidence in and access to the justice system. These efforts support the overall U.S. Government push to project governance to the provincial and district levels, which in turn will build nationwide confidence in the central Government’s ability to provide security and services. U.S. Government agencies currently pursuing justice sector and rule of law efforts include: DoD, Department of Justice (DoJ), DoS, and USAID.

The Special Committee on the Rule of Law (SCROL), established in 2006 and chaired by the U.S. Embassy Rule of Law (ROL) Coordinator, meets on a weekly basis. The SCROL provides a mechanism to organize, coordinate, and deconflict ROL programs and policy issues among elements of the Embassy; to highlight unresolved issues for decision by the ambassador; and to present a consistent face to the justice sector ministries.

4.2.2 Counternarcotics

CN operations are severely constrained by the capacity of the Afghan law enforcement and judicial systems. As a result, DoD, DoS, DoJ, DEA, USAID and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are working to build the infrastructure necessary for the GIRoA to conduct legitimate law enforcement operations against narcotics traffickers.

The U.S. counternarcotics strategy focuses on helping the GIRoA disrupt Afghanistan’s opium-based economy and strengthen the central government’s control over the country. DoD, INL, USAID, Department of Justice (DoJ), and DEA collectively promote the “Five Pillar” Afghan National Drug Control Strategy. The five pillars include:

• Public Information: Designed as a year-round, nationwide program focused on helping the GIRoA achieve sustainable reductions in poppy cultivation and production through public information, engagement, and education, the most recent campaign has increased its emphasis on person to person community outreach initiatives through local Shuras that engage trusted local opinion leaders.

• Alternative Development: Designed to help the GIRoA establish economic alternatives to the cultivation of poppy for the Afghan people, this includes short-term cash-for-work projects and comprehensive agricultural and business development projects.

• Elimination/Eradication: Designed to help the GIRoA deter and reduce the cultivation of opium poppy through incentives while also building a credible forced eradication capability, this program includes support for Governor-Led Eradication and the centrally-led Poppy Eradication Force.

• Interdiction: Interdiction efforts focus on decreasing narcotics trafficking and processing in Afghanistan by helping the GIRoA to build its capacity to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations. Groups such as the CNPA, the Afghanistan Special Narcotics Force, and the National Interdiction Unit of the CNPA are being equipped to arrest and prosecute the command and control elements of narcotics trafficking organizations.

• Law Enforcement/Justice Reform: Both police and justice sector efforts help the GIRoA increase overall rule of law, specifically in the area of narcotics-related law enforcement. U.S. advisors mentor the Afghan Criminal Justice Task Force’s pursuit of narcotics and public corruption cases through the Central Narcotics Tribunal in Kabul. Building the overall justice system has a direct effect on expanding the rule of law and thus on enhancing counternarcotics law enforcement efforts.

CSTC-A serves in a coordinating role with the U.S. agencies listed above. CSTC-A also coordinates with counternarcotics specialists at ISAF, CJTF-101, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the U.K Embassy. Finally, CSTC-A provides a representative to the Counter- Narcotics Sub-PAG meetings hosted by the Afghan Ministry of Counter-Narcotics.

Through the various staff agencies, CSTC-A trains, equips, and supports members of the ANP and ANA that are involved either directly or indirectly in the counternarcotics effort.

CSTC-A funds training at the Counter-Narcotics Police Academy and is assisting the MoD in its efforts create a new unit, the Counternarcotics Infantry Kandak, intended to provide security for MoI eradication operations. Additionally, CSTC-A provides a mentor to the Deputy Minister of Counternarcotics within the MoI.

Current joint DoD-DEA programs have resulted in the construction of the National Interdiction Unit (NIU) training compound, the installation of equipment for the Sensitive Investigative Unit and the Technical Investigations Unit and provided advanced training for the CNPA. Funding for these programs was supplied by DoD. DEA conducted background checks on applicants and trained those suitable for duty in these elite units. With DoS, DoD provided funding for the Afghan Joint Aviation Facility and the CN Justice Center, while providing helicopter flight training to MoI personnel for the creation of an organic lift capability for Afghan CN organizations. DoD is developing an Unmanned Aerial System program to provide dedicated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to CN forces. This program will provide situational awareness and force protection for DEA Foreign Advisory Support Teams (FASTs) and the NIU when conducting operations. DEA deployed FASTs are supported by DoD and provide guidance, mentoring and bilateral assistance to the GIRoA and CNPA to identify and disrupt clandestine drug operations. While U.S. military personnel do not directly participate in law enforcement operations, U.S. forces do provide medical evacuation and in-extremis support, pilot training, helicopter lift support for administrative purposes, and intelligence for law enforcement CN missions.

DoD and DEA are working with the MoI to strengthen the capacity of the CNPA. In FY08, DoD is providing more than $95 million to foster CNPA development. Some major DoD-funded initiatives are: Afghan helicopter crew member training, Mi-17 helicopter operations and maintenance, aviation facilities, NIU sustainment training, DEA mentoring and training program, expansion of the CNPA headquarters compound, and construction of two regional law enforcement centers. DoD has long-term plans to further support the capacity building of GIRoA law enforcement CN forces.

DoD also plays an integral role in building the operational capacity of the Afghan Border Police (ABP) and Afghan Customs Department (ACD). The ABP and ACD require extensive support if they are to effectively control Afghanistan’s 5,000 plus kilometer border. To help the GIRoA meet this challenge, DoD funded a DoS program, the Border Management Initiative (BMI). The purpose of BMI is to improve security and promote stability in the border regions, and to increase interdiction capacity. In FY08, DoD will provide over $14 million to build the capacity of the ABP and ACD. At the request of DoS, DoD funded the development of the U.S. Embassy Border Management Task Force (BMTF). The BMTF provides oversight and management of U.S. border initiatives and assists the GIRoA with border issues. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) looks to the BMTF as the focal point for border management issues on behalf of the international community. Under the BMTF, U.S. mentors are provided to the ABP and ACD for border crossing points at Islam Qalah and Towrkham. DoD-funded construction of several border crossing points in Afghanistan and the region to include Sher Khan Bander, Towragundhi, and Islam Qalah. A communications system was also purchased for the ABP to support key command and control functions. Non-intrusive detection capability (x-ray and gamma scanners) has been provided to support inspections at major border crossing points and airports.

The DoS works within the five pillar plan to coordinate public information campaigns and poppy eradication. DoS and DoJ work together to increase the capacity and competence of the Afghan judicial system, train prosecutors, and build the infrastructure necessary to indict, arrest, try, convict, and incarcerate drug traffickers. DEA is in the process of developing a three-to-five-year expansion plan for DEA operations in Afghanistan. USAID provides devolvement opportunities for the Afghan people, and is building roads, installing irrigation, constructing cold storage facilities, and introducing improved farming techniques to the Afghan people with the goal of providing viable alternatives to opium cultivation.

4.2.3 Demobilizing, Disarming, and Reintegrating Militia Fighters

. In May 2005, Takim-e-Solh (PTS) was established as an independent commission by presidential decree. PTS is reconciliation program for the former insurgent fighters. The Office of the Afghan National Security Council (ONSC) provides oversight for the commission. At the outset, ONSC assigned a full-time PTS program manager and the former Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan assigned a full-time contractor to the program, in addition to providing CJ2 and CJ5 directorate support. Since its inception, PTS has reconciled 5,000 Afghans. Since December 2006, CSTC-A has maintained oversight of PTS. CSTC-A’s role in PTS is under transition, and management options are being explored.

The program receives donor funding from USAID, the U.K., and the Netherlands. The United States contributes $1.3 million to the program, and the U.K. and the Netherlands contribute $390,000 collectively. The United States pays for PTS employee salaries and overhead operating expenses, including rent and administrative expenses for the main office in Kabul and 10 of 11 field offices. U.S. funding has been constant since the outset of the PTS reconciliation program. On 1 April 2007, USAID assumed the primary funding role.