Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PRAGUE889
2005-06-10 13:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Prague
Cable title:  

CZECH ARMS SALES/DONATIONS TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

Tags:  PARM PM EZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000889 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015
TAGS: PARM PM EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH ARMS SALES/DONATIONS TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
- EMBASSY PRAGUE PROPOSAL FOR INTEREMBASSY TEAM


Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D)

O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000889

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015
TAGS: PARM PM EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH ARMS SALES/DONATIONS TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
- EMBASSY PRAGUE PROPOSAL FOR INTEREMBASSY TEAM


Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D)


1. (U) ACTION REQUEST, SEE PARAGRAPH 4.

2 (C) As the western-most country in the Soviet bloc, then
Czechoslovakia became the forward ammo depot for any
potential invasion of Western Europe.That fact, combined with
the recent draw-down in the number of Czech troops from over
130,000 to roughly 30,000, means there are massive surpluses
of Soviet-era ammunition in the Czech Republic. The Czech
Army doesn't have adequate storage facilities, or money to
build new ones and renovate old ones. As a result, the Czech
Army has begun asking Czech arms firms to help them get rid
of the surplus. The Czech Republic, as a result of rather
liberal registration requirements in the early to mid 90's,
has more than 160 firms licensed to deal in arms and some of
these firms have eagerly responded with proposed sales of the
surplus to Iraq and Afghanistan. The contractor for these
transactions is usually either the US Government, or an
American firm. The licensing authorities at the Czech
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) are generally inclined to
support requests from the US. But they are also inclined to
be cautious when the end user is in places such as
Afghanistan or Iraq. If the MFA has any questions about the
sale itself, or the supporting documents, they are likely to
withhold approval of the export application. Therefore, post
proposes the establishment of a mechanism under which Embassy
Prague would be notified of the proposed sale, and Embassies
in Baghdad and Kabul would identify points of contact who
could confirm details or answer questions regarding the sale.


3. (C) Such a mechanism would not only help avoid delays in
the licensing process, it should also help avoid situations
in which American companies use a Czech subcontractor which
is in turn subcontracting part of the transaction to a firm
in a country of concern. Although there are massive
surpluses in the Czech Republic, not all firms have access to
all the material. Czech firms might contract to provide more
than they have access to domestically and then try to make up
the difference with imports from other countries, including
countries of concern. That information, which might not be
available to the main American contractor, would be in the
import documentation the Czech firm would have to provide to
the licensing authorities at the MFA. The MFA's licensing
office is currently processing 8 export applications for Iraq
and Afghanistan, with US contractors, for transactions
ranging from 8000 rounds to 150 million rounds. One of the
transactions, for example, involves a subcontractor in China
about which the US Army office handling the sale was unaware
of.


4. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: On more than one occasion, Embassy
Baghdad has already helped answer questions, or confirm an
EUC, and for that post is grateful But these were done on an
ad hoc basis, and involved an unneccessarily long chain of
passed messages Post would like to identify individuals in
Baghdad and Kabul who could be directly contacted by
counterparts in Prague. Embassy Prague's points of contact
are:
Pol--mil officer Brian Greaney (GreaneyBE@state.sgov.gov)
Tel: 420 257-533-822
Defense Attache Office:Colonel Frank Morgese
(dimorfx@notes.dawn.dia.smil.mil) Tel:420 257-533-811
Request Baghdad and Kabul provide views on feasibility of
such a mechanism and points of contact.

CABANISS