TURKMENISTAN: ALONG THE IRANIAN BORDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001187 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, NEA/IR, INL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC MARR IR TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ALONG THE IRANIAN BORDER REF: ASHGABAT Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: EmbOffs toured on October 30 State Border Service (SBS) facilities near the Iranian border, including a kennel where tracker dogs are trained. In contrast to recent months, SBS hosts were warm and rather informal. Smuggling remains a seious problem along Turkmenistan's border with Iran. SBS has intercepted at least one haul of synthetic drugs, thanks to training border guards received at an EXBS training seminar. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On October 30, DCM traveled with EXBS advisor and EXBS assistant to visit customs posts near Turkmenistan's border with Iran. They stopped at several State Border Service (SBS) units in the Ashgabat headquarters region, including a border guards base in Annau (about 30 minutes drive from Ashgabat),a kennel, a smaller post in the hills about 40 kilometers from the border, and an SBS rest area. Captain Bayram Garayev, Principal Deputy for the Ashgabat region, and Major Oraz Orazov, Combat Training Deputy, accompanied EmbOffs. ALONG THE IRANIAN BORDER ¶3. (SBU) Along the Iranian border, the State Border Service headquarters' units are located in Serahs, Kaka, Ashgabat, Berherden, Karakala, and Gaudan. These headquarters units are commanded by a major or lieutenant colonel. The crossing point near Karakala is located at Altyn Asyr. There is also a border crossing point at Galdan. The only rail crossing point along the Iranian border is at Serahs. The smaller zastavas (border guard posts) under each headquarters can have as many as 50 men. SBS troops patrol the border area by vehicle where there are roads, on foot, and on horseback in mountainous terrain. SBS uses some aircraft, but rarely, because it is very expensive. EXBS-donated WMD portal monitors are at all crossing points. ¶4. (SBU) An electrified fence runs along the length of the border. While the charge is not strong enough to shock an intruder, sensors on the fence alert the nearest border guards unit of the location of a breach. A raked road runs alongside the fence or, in some places, between two fences, to detect footprints. ¶5. (C) Smuggling (primarily drugs) from Afghanistan and Iran is a major problem. In October, a border policeman was wounded by smugglers near Serahs. Drugs also enter along the Caspian, trasported by high-speed motor boats. Smugglers also are trying to bring in synthetic drugs. Summer 2007, SBS officials had their first bust of man-made drugs. A woman was caught at a crossing point on the Iranian border with ecstasy in vials disguised as prescription drugs. The SBS were able to detect the contraband using training they had learned in May at an EXBS training seminar in McAllen, Texas. TRACKING DOGS ¶6. (C) The dog kennel, which has spaces for 33 dogs (almost all of which were filled),trains canines for work in the mountains. As the Turkmenistani officials explained, if the dogs were trained on flat terrain, they would not be able to work in high altitude. The border guards breed their own dogs, and several retired trackers live in the kennel as breed stock. Most of the tracking dogs are German shepherds, although a few were spaniels, and used to detect drugs. One dog, the kennel official said, is used to search for mines and was trained in Russia. (COMMENT: We are unaware of mines along the border with Iran. However, in March, during bilateral militay discussions, a senior MOD officer said Turkmenistan had destroyed all mines on its terrirotry in ASHGABAT 00001187 002 OF 002 accordance with its treaty obligations, while at the same time somewhat contradictorily asking for new mine detectors. END COMMENT.) It also participated in a tracker dog competition in Russia. All the other dogs were trained in Turkmenistan. The kennel was clean, and the dogs were all well cared for. ¶7. (SBU) The kennel has a state-of-the-art veterinanry clinic, which was financed by the EU's border management program for Central Asia (BOMCA). The clinic, which opened in February, has two surgery rooms, a large bath, laboratory, and kennels for sick animals. BUILDING A BETTER RELATIONSHIP ¶8. (SBU) Garayev and Orazov hosted EmbOffs for a traditional lamb feast at a SBS rest area at an oasis about a mile beyond the electrified fence. Despite a certain coolness and formality in recent months in contacts with the Embassy, both men were warm, talkative, and effusive. Garayev spent a month in New Mexico on a U.S.-sponsored training seminar that he raved about. In addition, to the typical toasting, they opened up about their families and for more than an hour told anecdotes and jokes. A HISTORY LESSON ¶9. (SBU) The recent official emphasis on Turkmen history and culture was also evident on this trip. The entry walkway of the Annau SBS base (which opened two months ago) is flanked by posters of Turkmen historical figures. On the wall of the conference room in the small border post in the mountains, not far from the corner dedicated to the "Ruhnama," former president Niyazov's "book of the soul," was a poster of Turkmen historical figures. During the lunch Garayev told several stories about ancient Turkmen heroes. ¶10. (C) COMMENT: Despite a recent standoffishness and reluctance to particpate in U.S.-sponsored programs like the Marshall Center, SBS officials on this trip were warm and very appreciative of U.S. training and equipment. We hope the relationship will continue to warm. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND