Cablegate: Deputy Attorney General Filip Visits Kabul

VZCZCXRO5356
RR RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #3286 3621135
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271135Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6535
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KABUL 003286

DEPARTMENT FOR INL, SCA/A

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KJUS AF

SUBJECT: DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL FILIP VISITS KABUL

1. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip
visited Kabul December 20-21 to meet with Attorney
GeneralQs Office, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of
Interior officials. In the meetings, Attorney General
Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior
advisors and discussed security for government facilities
in the provinces; Justice Minister Danish asked for USG
assistance with drafting a new penal code and new
internal and external security laws; and Deputy Interior
Minister Mangal committed to strengthening judicial
security. The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) was
accompanied on these visits by the Acting Rule of Law
Coordinator and Kabul-based DOJ senior legal advisors.
The DAG also held a Town Hall meeting with Kabul DOJ
employees. End Summary.

2. (SBU) The DAG met with Attorney General Aloko at the
AGQs office and congratulated the AG on the inception of
the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and continuing good work
with the Counter-narcotics Justice Task Force (CJTF).
Aloko expressed gratitude for the work of DOJ senior
advisors in mentoring CJTF prosecutors and in providing
technical advice and vetting assistance to the ACU.
Aloko noted in particular that the Attorney GeneralQs
Office needs more professional prosecutors, buildings,
computers, technological assistance, and furniture
outside of Kabul. Aloko also stated that security is a
big problem for the provinces and that he does not feel
that the government can adequately protect its own
facilities in all areas of Afghanistan with currently-
available resources. Aloko further commented on the poor
quality of cases being received from police and stated
that he is working with MOI to improve the quality of
cases to be presented to the courts.

3. (U) The DAG met with Justice Minister Danish at the
Ministry of Justice and expressed his gratitude and
appreciation for DOJQs opportunity to help MOJ with its
work on the final Criminal Procedure Code as well as on
the Counter-Narcotics Law. The DAG mentioned two issues
of ongoing DOJ concern regarding the Counter-Narcotics
Law: specifically, the removal of language from the draft
law granting subject matter jurisdiction over narcotics-
related corruption, and the removal of most procedural
safeguards for wiretapping. Danish did not comment on
the merit of the concerns but said that he understood the
DAGQs views and agreed to send a copy of the final draft
of the law to the U.S. Embassy prior to submission to
Parliament. Danish in turn asked the DAG to pass on to
the Ambassador and the new Administration his request for
Embassy assistance in drafting a new penal code and new
internal and external security laws. In addition, Danish
stated that he would welcome the opportunity to send some
MOJ employees to legislative drafting courses in the
United States.

4. (U) The DAG met with Deputy Minister Mangal at the
Ministry of the Interior. He congratulated Mangal on
progress of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and pledged
continued FBI participation and support for the AKU.
They discussed judicial security in light of the
September 2008 assassination of the Chief Appellate Judge
of the counter-narcotics court in Kabul. A DOJ senior
advisor present at the meeting brought to MangalQs
attention that only 21 of 50 recruits to the MOIQs
judicial security program had showed up for training;
Mangal pledged to look into the matter, and noted that he
had upped the total of recruits for the unit to 75.
Mangal also mentioned that employees of the MOIQs
Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Extortion Department
were going to receive salary increases, but did not
elaborate further.

WOOD

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