Viewing cable 09PESHAWAR41, SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ)-PESHAWAR

 

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09PESHAWAR41	2009-02-28 11:11	2010-11-30 21:09	SECRET	Consulate Peshawar

R 281125Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7857
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR

SS E C R E T PESHAWAR 000041 


DEPT FOR: DS/IP/SCA; DS/TIA/ITA 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/28/2019 
TAGS: ASEC PK PTER
SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ)-PESHAWAR 

REF: STATE 33533 

CLASSIFIED BY: David J. Hazarian, Regional Security Officer, 
RSO, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 

The following responses are provided for the Security 
Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) Responses are keyed to 
questions in Reftel. 

(U) Demonstrations 

¶A. Yes. There are numerous religious communities and 
organizations within the NWFP and FATA, including a high volume 
of violent Islamist islamaci radical groups that are fully 
capable of carrying out anti-American demonstrations. In 
addition, political parties, at times, include anti-American 
sentiments in their demonstrations on domestic political issues. 

i. In Peshawar, YES. There were eleven medium to large 
demonstrations following Friday prayers relating to counter 
terrorism efforts in the Tribal areas. There was also one large 
demonstration where locals were protesting against the NATO 
supply shipments transiting Peshawar onward to Afghanistan. 

ii. No, Consulate Peshawar is located within the confines of a 
Military cantonment and is marginally insulated from 
demonstrations. 

iii. The one demonstration stated in (Ai), consisted of 
approximately 3,500 individuals. 

iv. All three are possible. Pakistani military operations in the 
FATA are perceived as initiated by the U.S. or policies viewed 
by some as anti-Islamic are often blamed on U.S. influence. 

¶B. Demonstrations are generally peaceful but have the 
potential to become violent. 

i. No 

ii. No 

¶C. Peshawar has not witnessed a large volume of Anti-Government 
demonstrations over the past year. 

i. No 

ii. 250-700 

iii. Demonstrations are generally peaceful but have the 
potential to become violent. 

iv. No 

II. (S) Macro Conflict Conditions 

¶A. Yes. Elements of the Taliban and Al-Qaida fighting in 
Afghanistan use sites in the NWFP and the FATA for training, 
rest, and recuperation. The Taliban have used the NWFP and the 
FATA to stage attacks into Afghanistan and have also initiated 
attacks on the Pakistan Military and Government in both the 
Settled areas and the Tribal areas. Elements sympathetic to the 
Taliban have attacked GOP buildings, officials, citizens and 
Western-associated enterprises and personnel inside Peshawar, 
often as retaliation for GOP efforts to stop Taliban and Al 
Qaeda activities. The Pakistani Military has engaged in clashes 
with Taliban elements inside the FATA and NWFP and local Police 
have engaged with militants within the confines of downtown 
Peshawar. The NWFP and the FATA have seen frequent instances of 
sectarian violence between Shi'a and Sunni elements, most 
notably in Peshawar (two bombings of Shi'a mosques in the Old 
City during the Muharram Holiday); Sectarian violence has taken 
place in Swat, Bannu, Kurram Tribal area and the NWFP's D.I. 
Khan area. 

¶B. The conflicts mentioned above have taken place mostly in the 
FATA and NWFP to include the "settled areas", which are adjacent 
to the FATA. Almost every FATA Agency has been effected by the 
above mentioned conflicts. Heavily effected areas include Tank, 
D.I. Khan, Bannu, Swat, Mohmand, Hangu and North and South 
Waziristan. However, recently a significant number of attacks 
have occurred in the settled areas. 

¶C. U.S. Consulate Peshawar 

¶D. Yes, the Taliban, Al Qaeda and extremist militants are 
Anti-U.S. in nature and express this in their actions and 
demonstrated capabilities. 

III. (S) Host Country Capabilities 

¶A. The Peshawar police are poor at deterring crime, and 
responses to emergency calls by local citizens often go 
unattended. The police have generally responded effectively to 
Consulate Peshawar's requests when assistance has been needed. 
The Police have limited resources, such as a shortage of 
vehicles, and criminal lab facilities. Their police force is 
geared toward security force work, i.e. protecting a street 
corner, than investigative work or proactive procedures. As a 
result of crime concerns a number of wealthier citizens in 
Peshawar have hired contract security companies to provide armed 
personnel at their residences. 

¶B. The police forces in the NWFP have received significant 
training and support from the U.S. State Department, Diplomatic 
Security Anti-terrorism Training Assistance (ATA) Program and 
the Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative 
Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). The training is first rate 
but it has not had a major effect on police capabilities in the 
province. Their ability to conduct effective investigations, 
whether it be post-blast, homicide or kidnappings is extremely 
limited. 

¶C. Yes. Corruption tends to be wide spread and pervasive at all 
ranks of law enforcement. There are also reports of high-level 
corruption in the province. 

¶D. Yes, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is 
professional and capable of deterring terrorist actions. 
However, they do face resource challenges which sometimes 
affects their ability to effectively conduct counterterrorism 
operations. 

¶E. Yes, ISI for the most part, is cooperative with U.S. 
Consulate requests for information and support. They are an 
important U.S. ally in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). 
However, there is a divided loyalty within ISI ranks which may 
cause inaction, or assistance to Taliban and anti U.S. groups. 

¶F. Yes. A number of Al-Qaeda and Taliban members have been 
killed or apprehended. 

¶G. Yes. Pakistani officials have been very responsive. At the 
Consulate in Peshawar, we have a platoon of Capital City Police 
and a platoon of Frontier Constabulary augmenting security at 
the consulate. 

¶H. The airport security is below-average. 

¶I. The customs and immigration control at airports is adequate 
but at border crossings along the border with Afghanistan and 
Iran it is ineffective. 

¶J. Ineffective, the borders are porous. Taliban and militant 
extremists are constantly crossing the border with Afghanistan 
and engaging in terrorist and smuggling activity. The rugged 
terrain makes it difficult to patrol and control the border. 

(6) (S) Indigenous Terrorism 

¶I. (S) Anti-American Terrorist Groups 

¶A. Yes-Pakistan has a significant number of Islamic extremist 
militants. Jaish-i-Muhammad (banned by the GOP) aka 
Khudam-ul-Islam, Lashkar-I-Tayyiba (banned by the GOP), 
Jamaat-ul-Furqaan, Harakat ul-Jihad-I-Islami, Harakat 
ul-Mujahideen aka Jamiat ul-Ansar, harakat ul-Mujahideen 
al-Alami, Al-Badr Mujahideen, Hizbul Mujahideen, Harakat ul 
Ansar, Lashkar I-Jhangvi (banned by the GOP), Sipah I-Sahaba 
Pakistan (banned by the GOP), Hizb-e-Islami Khalis, Tehrik Nefaz 
I-Shariat Muhammadi (banned by the GOP), Taliban and Al Qaeda. 

¶B. In Peshawar, Yes, the killing of an Amcit USAID Contractor. 

¶C. Yes, the attack of the Principal Officer. 

¶D. Yes, see C. 

¶E. See C-and there continues to be credible on-going reporting 
by these groups to target U.S. interests and personnel. 

¶F. They operate across the FATA and NWFP and inner city of 
Peshawar. 

¶G. U.S. Consulate Peshawar which is located in Peshawar. 

II. Other Indigenous Terrorist Groups 

¶A. In Peshawar, yes 

¶B. Yes, there have been three diplomats kidnapped within 2-5 
kilometers of Consulate residences; thirteen individual rocket 
attacks which have impacted within 1-7 kilometers from the 
Consulate and Consulate residential housing area; three large 
IED attacks within 800 meters to 3 kilometers of the Consulate; 
four shooting incidents between host nation police and militants 
within 200 meters to 1.5 kilometers from the Consulate 
residential housing area; seven infantry-style assaults 
conducted by militants on NATO shipping terminals located 5-7 
kilometers from the Consulate residential housing area ranging 
from 50-275 militants used in these attacks and two 
assassination attempts of Amcit personnel, resulting in the 
death of a USAID Contractor and the unsuccessful 
assisination/kidnapping attempt of the Principal Officer within 
125-meters to 3 feet from the Consulate residential housing 
area. Additionally, there have been 138 incidents of violent 
crimes and kidnappings targeting locals which have occurred 
within 2-3 kilometers of the Consulate and Consulate residential 
housing area. 

¶C. In Peshawar, yes. Indiscriminate attacks have occurred 
directly in front of Consulate facilities/residences and as 
close as 400 meters from the Consulate. On two separate 
occasions USG personnel were specifically targeted, resulting in 
the death of one USAID Contractor (see B). There have also been 
sectarian violence aimed at specific groups i.e. Sunni, Shi'a 
and there have also been numerous random attacks 
indiscriminately targeting innocent civilians. 

¶D. Yes, see-(B and C) 

(7). (S) Transnational Terrorism 

¶I. (S) Transnational Terrorist Indicators 

¶A. Yes, Al Qaeda, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Islamic 
Jihad Union, Peshawar is the birthplace of Al-Qaida and 
continues to provide a safe haven for it's activities. 

¶B. All 

¶C. Officially no, however, sympathizers are suspected 
throughout the GOP ranks. 

¶D. Yes, some Islamic charities include al-Rashid Trust, 
Al-Akhtar Trust, Idara, Khidmat-e-Khalq. Also, madrassas support 
some of these groups. 

¶E. Both Sunni and Shi'a with extremist views support these 
groups. 

¶F. The hostile third country intelligence services in Pakistan 
include Russia, Iran, Cuba and China. There is no corroborated 
information at this time to suggest that these intelligence 
services are directly targeting U.S. interests in Pakistan or 
are engaged in anti-American terrorist acts. 

¶G. The availability of weapons and explosives is high in the 
NWFP and FATA as well in neighboring Afghanistan with the border 
area being so porous. On a routine basis, Pakistani security 
forces and police are uncovering sizeable numbers of weapons and 
explosives from suspected terrorist locations throught downtown 
Peshawar, FATA and the NWFP. 

¶8. (U) Point of contact of contact for this information RSO 
Peshawar, David J. Hazarian