Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUSHANBE2109
2006-11-20 15:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:  

CONTRACTUAL ISSUES IMPEDE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS AT THE

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR SNAR TI AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3999
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #2109 3241510
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201510Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9096
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1906
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1879
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1915
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0591
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 002109 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR SNAR TI AF
SUBJECT: CONTRACTUAL ISSUES IMPEDE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS AT THE
KHIRMANJO TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER POST; VISIBLE PROGRESS AT BAKHORAT

REF: DUSHANBE 1945

CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 002109

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR SNAR TI AF
SUBJECT: CONTRACTUAL ISSUES IMPEDE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS AT THE
KHIRMANJO TAJIK-AFGHAN BORDER POST; VISIBLE PROGRESS AT BAKHORAT

REF: DUSHANBE 1945

CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (SBU) EmbOffs along with General Zuhurov, Chairman of the
State Border Protection Committee surveyed the Tajik-Afghan
border posts of Khirmanjo, Bakhorat and Bog November 15 and
discovered slow progress at two of the three U.S.-funded
renovation sites. Contractual issues impede substantive
progress at Khirmanjo, where the contractor used fragile mud
bricks, rather than U.S.-standard stone bricks to construct post
buildings. Construction at Bakhorat showed visible progress
since EmbOffs previous visit October 18. Border guards still
have only limited equipment to detect and detain those
attempting to illegally cross the border. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
(INL)-funded interior and exterior reconstruction has commenced
at Khirmanjo. However an inspection of completed work thus far
revealed the contractor used mud bricks to construct base
buildings, rather than the U.S.-preferred stone bricks, to which
General Zuhurov expressed his personal displeasure. The
contractor ignored a November 5 INL request to immediately
suspend building operations, and has continued constructing
buildings using the less-sturdy mud material. Despite these
shortcomings, Zuhurov preferred to correct the existing
structural deficiencies rather than cancel the entire contract.
The Embassy's local staff reviewed the Statement of Work (SOW)
with the local contractor during our visit to reiterate the
SOW's explicit requirements.


3. (SBU) We witnessed visible progress at Bakhorat, since our
last visit on October 18. The contractor had installed new
windows, doors and electricity in the soldier's barracks and new
tiling in the bathhouse. The situation at the Bog border post
had not changed since October 18.

SECURITY


4. (SBU) Khirmanjo has one guard tower which overlooks the
Tajik-Afghan border and protects the 45 soldiers currently
living at the border post. Caves were visible on the Afghan
side of the border, where narco-traffickers hide before crossing
the border into Tajikistan at night. The guards still do not
have night-vision goggles to detect or interdict nocturnal
crossings. General Zuhurov also expressed his personal concern
over this issue. Per reftel, the Embassy delivered over 5,000
units of winter clothing to the Tajik Border Guards headquarters
in Dushanbe in September 2006, which have not yet been delivered
to the border posts. Post plans to avoid these problems with
distribution of night vision equipment, by directly delivering
the night-vision goggles during our next trip to these outposts.
We hope in this manner to cut through the Tajik government red
tape.


5. (C) COMMENT: Post did not have a great deal of interaction
with the local soldiers, and it was difficult to ask them
specific questions about their daily living conditions, due to
the presence of General Zuhurov. The Khirmanjo border post
renovation is an INL cost-saving pilot project. Using local
contractors to renovate this post is expected to cost
approximately $200,000, while employing U.S. contractors for the
same work would cost approximately $1,200,000. While there are
steps that must be taken to ensure the quality of work performed
is comparable, Post hopes these immense cost savings of
approximately $1 million per border post will free up additional
funds which could be allocated to future border post projects.
END COMMENT.

JACOBSON