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Viewing cable 06KABUL5395, PRT/NURISTAN: SEIZURE OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL NEAR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KABUL5395 2006-11-07 11:44 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kabul
VZCZCXRO1932
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #5395/01 3111144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071144Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3975
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 005395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO, SA/A, S/CR, SA/PB, 
S/CT, EUR/RPM 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
OSD FOR DFATA 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, POLAD 
TREASURY FOR D/S KIMMITT, APARAMESWARAN, AJEWELL 
RELEASABLE TO NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC SNAR KCRS AF
SUBJECT: PRT/NURISTAN: SEIZURE OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL NEAR 
NEW PRT SITE 
 
 1. (U) SUMMARY: PRT Nuristan assisted Afghan 
National Directorate of Security (NDS) officers in 
the seizure of material that could be used to make 
explosives which was being transported in the 
direction of a region in western Nuristan noted 
for its lucrative illegal mining activities. 
Nothing indicates that the seized material was 
directly intended for terrorist activities, but 
the seizure will cause discomforting to those used 
to profitting from the illegal mining activities. 
ISAF's establishing a presence in western 
Nuristan may encourage a more aggressive approach 
by local law enfourcement officials.  The 
Embassy is pressing the Ministry of Mines to 
develop regulations needed to implement the law 
recently passed to help bring illegal mining 
under control.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------- 
Middle of the Night Seizure 
--------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) At approximately 0200 on October 22, Afghan 
Security Guards employed by the PRT to provide 
security, stopped two vehicles, a lorry and a Hilux 
pick-up, that were traveling together on the road that 
passes the entrance to PRT Nuristan.  Inspection of 
the lorry revealed more than 150 110-pound bags, most 
of which appeared to contain ammonium nitrate, which 
can be used in explosives.  Some of the bags had 
Cyrillic script, others were labeled as containing 
sugar.  Found in the Hilux were boxes labeled as 
filled with acne medication but which contained 159 
small brake fluid cans that were filled with a silvery 
metallic paste.  In the Hilux were also three local 
Afghan National Police. 
 
3. (SBU) The vehicles had raised suspicions because they 
were traveling slowly and late at night.  Lorries do 
not normally travel in this region after dark.  PRT 
Nuristan had recently heard reports that a lorry would 
be transporting explosives up the Alingar road and, in 
response, took measures to increase vigilance for 
suspicious vehicles. 
 
--------------------------- 
No Good Explanation Offered 
--------------------------- 
 
4. (U) The occupants of the vehicles, when initially 
questioned offered different stories.  The local 
police insisted that they were simply hitching a ride 
back to their base at Nurgaram District headquarters 
from Nangerach village, which lies about two km south 
of the PRT.  The driver of the lorry at first said 
that the ammonium nitrate would be used for explosives 
in road construction (see para 10) but subsequently 
changed his story and said that it would be used 
for in connection with mining activities -- which 
at this point are illegal in Nuristan Province. 
 
------------------- 
PRT-NDS Cooperation 
------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) The PRT notified the district NDS personnel 
based at Nangerach who shortly arrived at the PRT. 
NDS directed that vehicles and occupants be held 
pending investigation at a location along the road 
that was not in or adjacent to the PRT.  The bags were 
unloaded from the lorry and scanned with a metal 
detector.  No triggering devices or other suspicious 
items were found in either vehicle. 
 
6. (SBU) PRT Nuristan contacted RC East which 
 
KABUL 00005395  002 OF 003 
 
 
dispatched a team from Jalalabad to examine the 
material.  The team arrived in the afternoon, took 
samples and preliminarily identified the cans as 
containing magnesium paste.  The ammonium nitrate, 
which can also be used as fertilizer, was found to be 
finely ground, suggesting that it was intended to be 
used for explosives rather than fertilizer.  Because 
the mining that is being conducted in Nuristan Province 
is illegal, the NDS confiscated the material.  The 
vehicles and their occupants were released. 
 
------------------------ 
Misleading Press Reports 
------------------------ 
 
8. (U) Reports in the press about this seizure, which 
cite an ISAF statement, describe the vehicles as 
carrying bomb-making materials.  The reports 
incorrectly locate the seizure as having occurred in 
Laghman Province rather than Nuristan Province.  The 
articles juxtapose the report of this seizure with the 
uptick in suicide and other bomb attacks in recent 
weeks in Kabul, implicitly drawing a relationship that 
does not seem to be warranted. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
9. (SBU) The explanation offered that this 
material was intended for use in mining is plausible. 
Material and supplies bound for mines in western 
Nuristan must be transported over the road that run 
past PRT Nuristan.  That does not mean, however, that 
the use would be benign and pose no threat.  The 
gem mining that takes place in the region is being 
done largely on public lands, and is illegal. 
The use of crude mining techniques (involving 
explosives) reduces the value of the precious 
gems produced and degrades the source.  The 
manner in which the gems are smuggled out and 
trafficked in no way benefits the government and 
the people of the region.  There are reported ties 
to anti-government elements. 
 
10. (SBU) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has 
two road construction projects in the Alingar 
River basin that will dramatically ease access 
to western Nuristan's prime mining districts. 
Only one of the projects requires blasting, and 
the contractor for the other project has not yet 
received approval from the MOI to purchase and 
transport blasting materials.  While these roads 
will facilitate ISAF and Afghan security and law 
enforcement operations in this isolated and 
largely lawless region, they may also make it 
easier to move the illegally mined and trafficked 
gems. 
 
11.  (SBU) ISAF's move to establish a permanent 
and active presence in western Nuristan -- and its 
involvement in this seizure likely caused 
discomfort among parties involved in illegal mining 
and related activities who were used to operating 
at will.  The cooperation between PRT and local 
officials in making the seizure signaled support 
for enforcement of laws that do exist.  It may 
encourage local officials to move on their own 
in future instances. 
 
12.  (SBU) Parliament passed a mining law which 
has the potential for helping bring illegal 
mining in Nuristan under control, but the 
Ministry of Mines has not developed the regulations 
that implement the law.  Embassy will continue to 
 
KABUL 00005395  003 OF 003 
 
 
press the Ministry to issue regulations 
expeditiously, and will help develop ministry 
officials' capacity to implement the regulations 
and enforce the law. 
NEUMANN