EXBS Afghanistan Advisor Monthly Reporting Cable - October

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 005675 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JLCOLLINS; CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO; DOE/NNSA FOR RSTUBBLEFIELD; DOC FOR ELOCKWOOD-SHABAT; DOT FOR APARAMESWARAN; SECDEF FOR MHOFFMANN, FLIGHT, AND RVIERKANT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP AF SUBJECT: EXBS Afghanistan Advisor Monthly Reporting Cable - October 2006 KABUL 00005675 001.2 OF 003 ¶I. SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) During this reporting period the EXBS Advisor solicited the assistance of the Afghan Engineering District (AED) to prepare a Statement of Work (SOW) for upgrading the perimeter security at the Kabul International Airport (KIA). The EXBS Advisor has also coordinated the efforts of DynCorp and the German Police Project Office (GPPO) to provide FAA the information needed to procure required security scanners for KIA. ¶2. (SBU) A Working Group was established within the GPPO Pillar IV training program to consolidate the efforts of those entities involved in police training. The EXBS Advisor participated on behalf of the Border Management Initiative (BMI) to ensure the inclusion of Customs Police and Customs Officers in the future development of course curricula affecting those responsible for Border Crossing Point (BCP) operations. The Afghan Customs Department (ACD) is progressing in its training programs by sending personnel to be trained by foreign counterparts in Japan, Pakistan and a planned training program in Tajikistan. ¶3. (SBU) The USG Border Management Initiative (BMI) staff is continuing its efforts to formulate a 12-person Border Management Task Force (BMTF). In addition, the BMI is working with DynCorp and the International Narcotics Law Enforcement (INL) agency to provide support for the proposed BMTF 6-person mentoring team to be deployed to selective BCPs. ¶4. (SBU) The ACD identified the need to collect additional Customs revenue from commercial couriers housed at the U.S. Bagram Air Force Base north of Kabul. ACD has selected and issued the order of appointment to five customs officials who are to serve at Bagram Airbase for customs controls and clearances. ¶5. (SBU) After meeting with the DCM and a Political Officer from the U.S. Embassy Tashkent at the Heratan BCP in Afghanistan on September 19 - 21, 2006, the ACD is accelerating the transfer of a newly completed Customs house from UNOPS to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). This will help pave the way for the transfer of duty collection from the Mazar-e-Sharif Inland Container Depot (ICD) to the Heratan BCP. ¶6. (SBU) The EXBS Advisor met with the counter-narcotics committee that is providing infrastructure to house the central command for the Counter-Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) in Kabul. This committee is also devising a plan to build several Regional Law Enforcement Centers (RLCs) in various strategic locations around the country. END SUMMARY II. ITEMS OF BROAD INTEREST. ¶7. (SBU) The EXBS Advisor coordinated a security survey at the Kabul International Airport (KIA) by DynCorp, GPPO, and the Afghan Engineering District (AED) for preparation of a Statement of Work (SOW) to upgrade perimeter security at the KIA. This SOW is required for the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to secure $2.5 million available for infrastructure projects at the airport. The EXBS Advisor has also coordinated the efforts of DynCorp and the GPPO to provide FAA the information needed to procure required security scanners for KIA. During this reporting period, FAA procured 4 magnetometers and 8 handheld metal detector wands that were delivered to the airport and are now in use. Additional scanners required for use in the new KIA terminal under construction were identified and submitted to FAA Headquarters by the FAA representative for consideration. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representatives will travel to Kabul to perform an integrated security assessment of KIA and validate equipment requirements. KABUL 00005675 002.2 OF 003 ¶8. (U) Issues relating to the training of Customs Police are being pursued through the newly formed Training Working Group under Pillar-IV of the GPPO Interagency Police Reform Action Group. The EXBS Advisor and a representative from the ACD Training Coordination Unit will participate in this group to ensure that Customs Police and Customs Officers are considered when addressing newly developed curriculums as they pertain to BCP operations, including specialized training for the airport environment. ¶9. (U) The ACD has developed a Goods Inspection & Examination Handbook for Customs Officers in Dari, Pashto and English. The inspection and examination of 'goods under customs clearance' is a major function of customs having a direct bearing not only on the quantity of customs duties and taxes collected, but also on the facilitation of safe and secure international trade and the protection of the Afghan people. This major development has resulted in developing an implementation guideline for the ACD training team as they teach these basic fundamentals to ACD staff. This training guide is being incorporated in the larger management guide that will be of particular use in implementing and monitoring functions at the Customs Training Institute now under construction. ¶10. (U) Twenty Five Afghan Customs Officers are undergoing a 6-month training program in Islamabad, Pakistan. During the first stage of training they are being given an immersion course in the English language at the National Institute of Modern Languages (NIML). Successive stages of training include Information Technology; Management; Customs Processes based on the World Customs Organization (WCO) standards; and On-the-Job Training in Peshawar, Quetta, and Karachi, Pakistan. ¶11. (U) The ACD management program selected 5 officers to continue their Certificate Courses in Economics, General Management, Financial Management, English and Information Technology in Kabul. Three ACD officers attended a two-week course in Japan which focused on customs management, the World Customs Organization (WCO),the Kyoto Convention, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. The course was funded and organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ¶12. (SBU) USG Border Management Initiative (BMI) staff is continuing its efforts to form a 12-person Border Management Task Force (BMTF). In addition, BMI staff is working with DynCorp and the International Narcotics Law Enforcement (INL) agency to provide support for the proposed BMTF 6-person mentoring team to be deployed to selective BCPs. This team will consist of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents and four former Customs Inspectors. This will allow complete mentorship coverage within the BCP for immigration and customs matters and augment the DynCorp mentoring program. The EXBS Advisor and the BMI Director have submitted their choices to fill the two Border Police mentor positions and the BMTF Border Police Systems & Immigration Coordinator position to JIACG and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). BMI staff is awaiting the submission of SIPDIS former Customs Inspector resumes for review to fill the remaining BMTF positions. ¶13. (SBU) The Afghan Customs Department (ACD) identified the need to collect additional Customs revenue from commercial couriers housed at the U.S. Bagram Air Force Base (BAF) north of Kabul. ACD has appointed five customs officials to serve at BAF for customs control and clearances. The EXBS Advisor, working with Bagram military officials, CFC-A and the ACD, is scheduling the officers for appointments at the Force Protection Screening Cell after completion of required forms and a letter of justification for unescorted privileges at BAF. ¶14. (SBU) Efforts are underway by ACD to accelerate the transfer of a newly completed Customs house at the Heratan BCP from UNOPS to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The Director General of the ACD traveled KABUL 00005675 003.2 OF 003 to Heratan in October after a visit by the EXBS Advisor in September who received complaints from the Afghan Border Police (ABP) and Customs Officers who were not allowed to occupy the newly constructed customs house. As a result, The World Bank's CURE team met with the UNOPS infrastructure team to assess the current status of this project. New customs satellite offices at different BCPs owned by the Ministry of Commerce (MoC),funded by the World Bank and built by UNOPS, are now in various stages of completion and are to be transferred to the MoF. The original plan devised by the World Bank CURE unit was to push forward the collection of customs duties at the BCPs instead of the Inland Container Depots (ICDs). This procedure should help eliminate leakage of goods entering Afghanistan that are not being reported to the ICDs for clearance and payment of duties. CURE and UNOPS are working together to ensure a smooth relocation of the customs staff and processes from Mazar-e-Sharif to Heratan for this purpose. ¶15. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. Nothing to report. ¶16. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. Under Procurement. ¶17. (U) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE. The BMTF 6-person mentoring team consisting of two former Border Patrol agents and four former Customs Inspectors are expected to be deployed to the Islam Qalah BCP in 2007. These mentors will be responsible for conducting On-The-Job-Training (OJT) to ABP and Customs Officers. EXBS is awaiting the delivery of x-ray screening machines for baggage and cargo, fiberoptic scopes, density meters, radioisotope identifiers, explosive detectors, handheld metal detectors, cranes, forklifts, vehicle inspection kits, and tool kits destined for the Islam Qalah and Towraghundi BCPs. The delivery of the Rapidscan x-ray screening machines is scheduled to arrive in Kabul in December ¶2006. No delivery dates are available for the remaining items, but the EXBS Advisor is coordinating logistical arrangements such as temporary storage for the equipment as it arrives. ¶18. (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY. Nothing to report. ¶19. (U) OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES/EVENTS. None to report. ¶20. (U) RED FLAG U ISSUES. None to report. ¶21. (U) Please direct any questions or comments to Barry F. Lory, EXBS Advisor to Afghanistan; +93-070-073-652, extension 4836; lorybf@state.gov or to Jimmie L. Collins, South Asia Regional Program Manager, Office of Export Control Cooperation, 202-647-1778, collinsjl2@state.gov. NEUMANN