Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DHAKA1251
2006-03-12 00:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VISIT A SUCCESS; NUCLEAR
how-toVZCZCXRO5877 PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB DE RUEHKA #1251 0710045 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 120045Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5946 INFO RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7346 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1014 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8429 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 8948 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0850 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0207
UNCLAS DHAKA 001251
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG PREL KSCA PARM KNNP OTRA ETTC IN BG
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VISIT A SUCCESS; NUCLEAR
DEMARCHE DELIVERED
REF: A. STATE 034761
B. STATE 018365
UNCLAS DHAKA 001251
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG PREL KSCA PARM KNNP OTRA ETTC IN BG
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VISIT A SUCCESS; NUCLEAR
DEMARCHE DELIVERED
REF: A. STATE 034761
B. STATE 018365
1. (U) Summary: The Department of Energy's visit to Dhaka
was successful in moving forward on the Radiological Threat
Reduction Program. After a two-year build up, contracts were
signed at the Science Ministry, and a vendor has been hired
to complete work. A demarche on the U.S.-India Nuclear
Cooperation was delivered to the BDG.
2. (SBU) On March 8, Department of Energy officials signed
contracts with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC)
to provide security upgrades for locations that store
high-grade radiological material. Under this agreement, the
USG will purchase intrusion detection and monitoring
equipment directly through a vendor, as part of the DOE's
Radiological Threat Reduction program. Improvements to a
reactor site and several hospitals will help ensure that
material that could be used for "dirty bombs" is more secure.
Initial assessments for this contract were completed in May
2004, but were halted due to severe bureaucratic
ineffectiveness in the BDG.
3. (U) Charge and econoff accompanied the DOE team at the
request of Abdul Moyeen Khan, Minister for Science and
Information & Communication Technology, who was there with
the Ministry's Secretary, Mian Mushtaque Ahmed. The Minister
emphasized his role in cutting through the bureaucratic
process of authorizing the agreement.
4. (SBU) The Minister and Secretary noted that they will
contact the embassy about ways to increase the use of the
Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between
the USG and BDG, including additional training for scientists
in the U.S. and a resident science fellow in Bangladesh.
Minister Khan stated that the S&T Agreement was his "trick"
in authorizing the DOE contract. The Minister commented
separately that Bangladesh will never have the resources to
use nuclear energy for anything but "for peaceful purpose."
5. (U) The Ministry invited media to cover the contract
signing. In response to questions, the Charge noted that the
DOE program was not at all related to recent terrorist
arrests, or to nuclear agreements with India. Media sources
erroneously reported that the agreement with Bangladesh was
similar to the U.S. India nuclear agreement.
6. (U) A non-paper on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear
Cooperation Initiative was passed to Minister Khan and to
C.S. Karim, Chairman of BAEC at the contract signing. No
substantive comment was made.
CHAMMAS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG PREL KSCA PARM KNNP OTRA ETTC IN BG
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VISIT A SUCCESS; NUCLEAR
DEMARCHE DELIVERED
REF: A. STATE 034761
B. STATE 018365
1. (U) Summary: The Department of Energy's visit to Dhaka
was successful in moving forward on the Radiological Threat
Reduction Program. After a two-year build up, contracts were
signed at the Science Ministry, and a vendor has been hired
to complete work. A demarche on the U.S.-India Nuclear
Cooperation was delivered to the BDG.
2. (SBU) On March 8, Department of Energy officials signed
contracts with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC)
to provide security upgrades for locations that store
high-grade radiological material. Under this agreement, the
USG will purchase intrusion detection and monitoring
equipment directly through a vendor, as part of the DOE's
Radiological Threat Reduction program. Improvements to a
reactor site and several hospitals will help ensure that
material that could be used for "dirty bombs" is more secure.
Initial assessments for this contract were completed in May
2004, but were halted due to severe bureaucratic
ineffectiveness in the BDG.
3. (U) Charge and econoff accompanied the DOE team at the
request of Abdul Moyeen Khan, Minister for Science and
Information & Communication Technology, who was there with
the Ministry's Secretary, Mian Mushtaque Ahmed. The Minister
emphasized his role in cutting through the bureaucratic
process of authorizing the agreement.
4. (SBU) The Minister and Secretary noted that they will
contact the embassy about ways to increase the use of the
Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between
the USG and BDG, including additional training for scientists
in the U.S. and a resident science fellow in Bangladesh.
Minister Khan stated that the S&T Agreement was his "trick"
in authorizing the DOE contract. The Minister commented
separately that Bangladesh will never have the resources to
use nuclear energy for anything but "for peaceful purpose."
5. (U) The Ministry invited media to cover the contract
signing. In response to questions, the Charge noted that the
DOE program was not at all related to recent terrorist
arrests, or to nuclear agreements with India. Media sources
erroneously reported that the agreement with Bangladesh was
similar to the U.S. India nuclear agreement.
6. (U) A non-paper on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear
Cooperation Initiative was passed to Minister Khan and to
C.S. Karim, Chairman of BAEC at the contract signing. No
substantive comment was made.
CHAMMAS