KAZAKHSTAN: COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000901

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS TO NCTC
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN (M. O'MARA),S/CT (R. SHORE),NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC KRCM EFIN KHLS KPAO KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM

REF: STATE 175925


1. Included is Post's submission for the 2006 Annual Terrorism
Report for Kazakhstan, as well as point of contact information as
requested in reftel.


2. Embassy point of contact is:
Douglas Monk
+7(3172) 70-24-79
monkd@state.gov


3. Note: Post requests that the term "Kazakhstani" not be changed
to "Kazakh" for final publication, as was the case in last year's
submission. The term "Kazakh" is not correct in this context as it
refers to a person's ethnicity, whereas "Kazakhstani" refers to
citizenship.


4. Suggested report language: "In 2006, Kazakhstan continued to
aggressively combat terrorism and extremism locally, as well as to
improve cooperation with other states and international
organizations, including the United States. There has been little
movement, however, on counterterrorism legislation. The draft law
on money laundering that the GOK has been working on since 2005 sat
stalled in parliament all year. This law, if passed, would
establish a financial intelligence unit and make it easier for the
procuracy to secure convictions in terrorist financing cases.

In January, authorities arrested a number of individuals from two
extremist cells in Almaty on terrorism charges. Eight of those
arrested remain in prison with on-going trials. In November,
authorities arrested eleven people from a terrorist group in
Stepnogorsk and confiscated arms, explosives, and extremist printed
materials. Press reports claim that the members of the terrorist
group were planning hostage sieges, lethal attacks on state
employees, and several explosions. In December, three Kazakhstani
nationals were returned to Kazakhstan from the Guantanamo Bay
detention facility.

Kazakhstan continues to have a growing problem with the Islamic
extremist group Hizb'ut Tahrir (HT),an extremist political movement
advocating the establishment of a borderless, theocratic Islamic
state throughout the entire Muslim world. HT remains outlawed as an
"extremist" organization through the Law on Extremism and continues
to be the only group so designated under this law. Although there
are extremist organizations in Kazakhstan, there is no evidence that
Kazakhstan is used by terrorists or terrorist organizations as a
sanctuary or safe haven.

In November, the GOK added the East Turkistan Liberation
Organization and Aum Shinrikyo to the national list of banned
terrorist organizations, accusing these groups of using terrorist
means in an attempt to achieve an independent state in China and
Central Asia. The list of banned groups also includes Al-Qa'ida,
the East Turkistan Islamic Party, the Kurdish People's Congress,
Asbat al-Ansar, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Taliban, the Boz Gurd,
Jamaat of Central Asian Mujahadins, Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Social
Reform Society, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and its splinter
group, the Islamic Jihad Union.

In July, Kazakhstan became an Initial Partner Nation in the Global
Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Kazakhstan was one of the
first countries to endorse and participate in the Global Initiative
after its inception earlier this year.

Kazakhstan is a founding member of the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA),a nascent international
forum aimed at improving security in Asia, which was launched by
Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev and includes Afghanistan,
Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, "State of Palestine," Russia, South
Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. In June, CICA
held a summit in Almaty which was attended by heads of states and
top government officials from throughout Asia.

Kazakhstan, along with China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan, is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,
which has established a Regional Antiterrorism Center in Tashkent.
Kazakhstan is also a member of the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization and the Eurasia Group -- a regional anti-money
laundering organization or Financial Action Task Force-style
regional body whose objective is to integrate Kazakhstan, along with
Belarus, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, and Uzbekistan into
the global system on anti-money laundering and combating the
financing of terrorism. Kazakhstani cooperation and timeliness in

ASTANA 00000901 002 OF 002


sharing information with the USG continues to strengthen."

MILAS