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Viewing cable 05KABUL5066, MINISTRY OF FRONTIERS AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS:

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05KABUL5066 2005-12-14 12:54 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kabul
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM AF
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF FRONTIERS AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS: 
PROMOTING NATIONAL UNITY AMONG THE TRIBES 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Deputy Minister of Frontiers and Tribal 
Affairs Alhaj Sayeed Ahmad Haqbeen described for Poloffs the 
important work of his Ministry in supporting national unity 
and understanding.  The key competencies of the Ministry of 
Frontier and Tribal Affairs (MFTA) are promoting the national 
government and its policies among tribal groups, assuring 
equal education and opportunity for all tribes, addressing 
tribal needs at the national level and resolving tribal 
disputes.  He also mentioned the value of the tribal Arbakee 
militias in border regions and hoped administration of the 
Arbakee would return from the Ministry of Interior to the 
MFTA.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Poloffs met December 11 with Deputy Minister of 
Frontier and Tribal Affairs Alhaj Sayeed Ahmad Haqbeen and 
Political Advisor Dr. Wassim to learn more about the role of 
the MFTA.  Haqbeen told Poloffs that the Ministry was 
responsible for promoting government policies and the 
importance of the national government through information 
campaigns and through their offices in tribal regions.  The 
Ministry promotes equal education and opportunity for all 
tribes through education programs designed specifically for 
tribal groups.  The MFTA also addresses tribal needs by 
acting as a liaison between tribal groups and government 
organs, and resolving tribal disputes. 
 
Promoting Government Policy 
--------------------------- 
 
3. (U) Deputy Minister Haqbeen and Political Advisor Wasim 
argued that the MFTA played a very important role in 
Afghanistan.  The MFTA claims to be the main interlocutor 
with tribal leaders through their offices in the provinces, 
and works to educate the tribes on government policies and 
the Afghan constitution.  The Ministry is therefore important 
in promoting national unity as it works to sell tribal groups 
on the importance of Afghanistan's elected government. 
Political Advisor Wasim noted the GOA counternarcotics 
efforts as an example of a policy the MFTA is trying to 
explain in tribal regions.  Through their outreach programs, 
they hope to limit through outreach programs the ability of 
traffickers to use migrating tribes as vehicles for drug 
smuggling. 
 
Education and Equality 
---------------------- 
 
4. (U) The Ministry works to promote equal opportunity among 
the tribes by improving access to education.  The Ministry 
built a high school in Khoshandan near the Pakistani border 
to educate 1,600 children from Pashtun tribes that span the 
border.  Haqbeen said President Karzai issued a Presidential 
decree ordering the building of schools for Kuchi's in all 34 
provinces.  The MFTA plans to begin work on these schools as 
they gain funding.  Haqbeen told Poloffs that financial 
support is needed, but stopped short of asking for USG 
embassy support.  They hope to complete construction of 20-30 
percent of the schools by the end of 2006. 
 
5. (U) Promoting the needs of the Kuchi nomads or working to 
integrate them into Afghan society is a major concern of the 
Ministry.  Haqbeen noted that the MFTA divides the Kuchis 
into three categories:  fully nomadic, semi-nomadic and 
modernized.  The Ministry works to negotiate Kuchi needs with 
settled communities, such as securing grazing land for their 
animals, running medical clinics and immunizing children. 
The Political Advisor noted the importance the Kuchis once 
held for Afghanistan's economy, supplying 36 percent of its 
economic production.  He noted the Ministry wants to help 
restore the Kuchi economy while moving them towards 
settlement and modernization. 
 
Increasing Tribal Understanding 
------------------------------- 
 
6. (U) The MFTA seeks to increase tribal understanding 
through special programs and resolving disputes between 
tribes when they erupt in the countryside, usually through 
their provincial offices.  The Ministry regularly conducts 
workshops for tribal leaders in Kabul to get them used to 
communicating with each other.  Exchanges between tribal 
leaders across Afghanistan is another means of increasing 
inter-tribe cooperation. 
 
Arbakee Militias in Border Regions 
---------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) Haqbeen told Poloffs about the Pashtun Arbakee 
militias that were once funded by the MFTA.  He argued that 
the Arbakee militias are often more effective and cheaper 
than ANA and ANP in the mountainous Greater Paktika region 
bordering Pakistan's Nortwhest Frontier Province.  He pointed 
out that Arbakee forces are cheaper than ANA and ANP, and by 
employing tribal militias as security forces, the GOA can 
prevent them from being coopted by the Taliban or drug 
traffickers.  The MFTA plans to propose a force of 8,800 
Arbakees to President Karzai.  Haqbeen also indicated that 
the Deputy Minister for Military Affairs managing the Arbakee 
should be returned to the MFTA from the Ministry of Interior. 
 (Note: The embassy is still assessing the pros and cons of 
the Arbakee forces as a local complement to the ANP.  In any 
case, they would not be a substitute for the ANA.  End Note.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) The Deputy Minister of Frontiers and Tribal Affairs 
and the Ministry's Political Advisor appeared to be trying 
hard to convince Poloffs of the importance of the Ministry's 
role.  The Ministry's efforts to educate the tribal groups, 
resolve tribal disputes and give all tribes equal 
consideration are worthwhile goals.  (Note: In November, 
President Karzai's Advisor for Tribal issues met with Charge 
and spoke only about the need to assist the Pashtuns. End 
Note.)  Overall the MFTA appears to be a Ministry of 
increasing importance and one that can assist if not lead in 
promoting stability in tribal regions. 
 
9. (SBU) The Deputy Minister's desire to see Arbakee militia 
responsibility returned to the MFTA is an interesting 
bureaucratic power play.  Poloff visited a meeting in the 
early autumn with representatives of an NGO called the Tribal 
Liaison office to discuss the Arbakee militias.  The Arbakee 
are one possible piece in the overall security puzzle, and 
some experts believe they can be very effective in the border 
regions.  The MFTA probably wants to regain control of the 
Arbakee to increase its profile among the ministries. 
NEUMANN