EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 ASTANA 000653

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSCHLOSSER
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA
CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO AND RWATT
USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER
DOC FOR DCREED AND GPETERSEN-BEARD
USCG FOR BGOLDEN
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS
ADVISORS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE
(FEBRUARY 2007)



I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS:


1. EXBS Advisor Mike Seguin departs post on March 15, due to
receipt of military orders to Active Duty.
Embassy welcomes on board TDY EXBS Advisor Larry Adkins
assigned to post from March 7 to April 26, 2007, as the first of a
series of temporary advisors who will manage the office until a
permanent replacement can be installed.


2. Trip to Aktau and Bautino (Feb.4-7). The EXBS Team traveled
from the Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan February 4 through February
7, 2007, to conduct site assessments at both the Segendy Border
Monitoring Station and Bautino Border Guard and Customs facilities.
The EXBS team was accompanied by INL and OMC representatives. The
purpose of the trip involved four areas of focus: a. Resolution of
outstanding Safe-Boat maintenance issues and tasks required to get
the boats back in operation; b. Site Survey of the Segendy
Monitoring Facility; c. Bautino Port Site Survey; and d. Assessment
of the Office of Military Cooperation interest in working with the
Border Guard on Counter Narcotics programs.
The EXBS team, INL, and OMC met with the Border Guard at their
Headquarters in the City of Aktau. The objective of the mission was
to establish a clear way forward in getting the three Safe Boats
back in operational condition and serviced as soon as possible. The
key issues involved hull painting, winterization, and maintenance.

The meeting was also designed to establish whether there was a
Border Guard Counter-Narcotics (CN) mission in order to justify the
use of an Office of Military Cooperation's $5 mn CN funding
proposal. The $5 mn represents a significant opportunity for the
Border Guard to enhance not only CN security in the region; it also
represents the possibility of enhancing the counter proliferation
mission supported by the EXBS program.
In Bautino Port the EXBS team inspected the state of equipment
previously donated and resolved a variety of operational issues
associated with the three Safe-Boats.
The Border Post Survey was conducted at Segendy Border
Monitoring Station - the site of an EXBS Border Guard shelter
donated in 2003.
The team inspected the state of equipment previously donated
and resolved a variety of operational issues associated with the
donation of three Safe Boats at a meeting with the Border Guard
regional Headquarters personnel in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Recommendation: Assessments in the region should continue,
EXBS donations should continue in places where the greatest impact
can be made, and synergies for leveraging and multiplying the
efforts of adjacent engagement entities should continue, as was the
example in this case with OMC and INL participation.


3. Department of Energy Software Upgrades. The Department of
Energy (DOE) will send a representative from the Nuclear Technology
Safety Center (NTSC) to the Dostyk and the Bakhty Border Control
Posts from March 19-23 and the Maikapshagai Border Control Post from
April 9-13, to conduct necessary software installation and upgrades
to 3-each portable X-ray Florescence (XRF) metal analyzers that were
provided to Kazakhstan Customs in June 2006. EXBS, together with
the NTSC representative, will also review how the units are being
used at the ports of entry.


4. Annual EXBS Financial Plan for Kazakhstan. -
A February 2 telcon was conducted with EXBS in Washington to settle
the 2007 EXBS Plan and obtain guidance. Though the U.S. budget
continues to operate under a continuing resolution, a clear

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way-forward was established with priorities and estimated funding
thresholds. This plan will allow the EXBS Advisor to meet in March
with key Customs and Border Guard leadership to discuss value-added
joint activities and present the EXBS office's desired Border Survey
Schedule for 2007, which resumed in February.


5. EXBS Presentation. EXBS Presentation - DRAFT Power Point
Presentation detailing the EXBS Astana Office activities was
completed and forwarded to ISN/ECC office for evaluation.


6. Annual EXBS questionnaire. This activity remains incomplete with
status unchanged from the January report. The EXBS Advisor will
contact the appropriate EXBS personnel in Washington to gauge the
relevance of an annual questionnaire to be given to the host
government to gauge the state of Customs and Border Control efforts.
Prior to issuing the questionnaire on-hand, a number of questions
were noted by the EXBS Advisor regarding the methodology associated
with completing the questionnaire. It is noteworthy to point out
that due to the realignment of some ministerial positions in
Kazakhstan's government, the unsettled nature of leadership
positions may or may not impact Customs. The present governmental
situation relative to Customs should become clearer throughout the
month of March

II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD


A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED


1. Volunteer Visitor Program. On February 26, the EXBS team again
had a meeting with the Customs Control Committee Chairman Askar
Shakirov to discuss the proposed agenda for the upcoming Volunteer
Visitor Program and the timing - May 11-20. Mr. Shakirov expressed
his consent with the program outline and itinerary and tentatively
agreed on the dates for the event. However, due to the RK Government
restructuring, he would need to get the GOK final approval both for
the dates and the names of the rest of the delegation's
participants. EXBS will follow up on the status with customs
officials by mid-March.


B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. International Seaport Interdiction Training, February 9-18 in
Charleston. Eighteen representatives of the Kazakhstani Border
Guard and Customs agencies participated in ISIT in South Carolina
February 9-18 (including travel). The training was hosted by U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP),under the U.S. Department of
State funded EXBS Program. The ISIT Course is designed to provide
hands-on training for customs, border guard and coast guard officers
in the detection, identification and interdiction of contraband,
with an emphasis on countering the cross-border proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD),conventional arms, and related
materials. The course was geared toward line officers and included
practical exercises, with a focus on the type of high and low-tech
equipment and tools included in program plans for the region.
Participants received instruction on tactical radio communications,
false document identification, detecting hidden compartments in
private and commercial vessels, behavioral analysis and
anti-terrorism as well as a range of inspection and detection
techniques applicable to all types of contraband. This training is
a key to training junior and mid-level officers on systems and
methods associated with identifying and interdicting suspected WMD
movement in the vicinity of Kazakhstan's seaports on the Caspian
Sea.

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Gulnara Abildaeva, EXBS Program Manager, accompanied the group and
reported that training went very well, except for the mishaps in the
travel to and from the training destination. However, in spite of
all the hardships the team had to overcome (flight delays due to
inclement weather conditions, many hours of layover, lost luggage in
the airport of destination) everyone made it back home safely. The
training was a good event.
The EXBS advisor is concerned by the fact that the group of 19
travelers (18 GOK officials and the EXBS Program Manager) were stuck
at the airport in Kazakhstan over the weekend without the necessary
contact information for the POC in Charleston or information about
the hotel in the U.S.
Recommendations: Future efforts will require complete information
prior to departure. It is recommended that definite policy be
explored to allow the accompanying EXBS representative to be able to
commit funding in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
It is also recommended that clarification on the Authority to make
financial commitments be provided. EXBS Advisor requests guidance
on permission for emergency authorizations. When things such as
airline delays happen, the escorting EXBS officer should have
authority to make a prudent decision to incur the expense of an
additional hotel night stay and not feel exposed personally for that
expense.


2. Internal Export Control Compliance Programs Seminar - February
19-22 in Almaty. As part of the Department of State funded EXBS
program, the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security
Administration's (DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation Export
Control Program (INECP) conducted a seminar on export controls in
Almaty on Feb. 20 and 21 for the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP)
and Institute of Atomic Energy (IAE). The specific thrust of the
seminar was establishing and executing internal export control
compliance programs. The training was conducted by DOE contractors
Kenneth Cross, Export Control Analyst, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory; Tatyana Colgan, Project Manager, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory; and Anupam Srivastava, Ph.D., Director of the
Center for International Trade and Security, the University of
Georgia.
This was one of the series of workshops held by INECP for
Kazakhstan's state-owned and/or controlled nuclear institution,
commercial enterprises as well as government agencies (such as the
Ministry of Education and Science). The workshop targeted
Kazakhstan's two aforementioned nuclear research institutes. The
workshop topics included: US internal compliance programs,
technology transfer, and substantial information on Kazakhstan's
national export control regulations. Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy
Committee (KAEC) and Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) also
substantially contributed to the workshop.
The training was a very good event. The participants highly valued
the training and dialogue, they reiterated their interest in a
Commodity Information Center initiative and support for a web-based
solution as licensing protocols are rolled out to the effected
community. They were especially interested in having a Central
Asian workshop that would allow neighboring counterparts to network
and learn from one another, which post sees as a very good idea.
The participants were from the Ministry of Education and Science as
well as the Government Nuclear Research Institute. They were
lively, engaging, and uncharacteristically open to two-way
communication. Dr. Srivastava's and Mr. Cross's contributions were
particularly good. These gentlemen are simply treasure troves of
current information in world affairs and threats. Their
participation clearly helped open up and stimulate dialogue and
offered many suggestions to both our EXBS Program and Kazakhstan

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government efforts to control proliferation among those in the
technical and academic communities.
The event gave the opportunity for EXBS Advisor Mike Seguin to
discuss the future focus on UNSCR 1540 support for training and
engagement with those involved in investigation and intelligence
services designed to monitor, investigate, and proactively detect
illicit traffic - a key focus for the EXBS program to pursue.
It is recommended that effort be made to continue this training and
integrate it in some congruent format with the DOC's CTP training
events associated with Administrative Enforcement and other
compliance related training as well as Risk Management and enhancing
intelligence and investigation techniques. During the question and
answer portion of the event, recommendations were made to engage the
National Security Committee (KNB),and other intelligence,
investigation and enforcement institutions to enhance Kazakhstan's
capacity to proactively interdict efforts at illicit smuggling.


3. Administrative Enforcement training (AE) Training. Molly Pyle
and Doug Evans (DOE/Commonwealth Trading Partners) conducted AE
training in Astana February 26 through March 2. The training
involved 20 Kazakhstani Customs Law Enforcement Officials. The
training was conducted in one of the Astana Customs Committee
Headquarters conference rooms.
The focus of the event was on training Customs personnel to
"train" their colleagues in the outlaying Kazakhstan regions on AE
policy, concepts, and techniques. Methodology included interactive
case studies and presentations by each of the participants - a very
effective means of training.
The training was positively received by those attending as
relevant to enhancing AE techniques. It was requested by the
attendees that the workshop be conducted four more times this year
in outlying regions with the USG's participation. The training was
particularly well done because of Doug Evans' background and
presentation skills as a former Customs Investigation Officer.
Areas of instruction not only included training techniques
associated with AE concepts and principals, but also criminal
investigation techniques. Particular focus was on proactive WMD
investigation methods and the importance of Government Outreach,
making industry contacts, intelligence gathering and proactive
investigation - all areas of present particular interest to the EXBS
programs immediate direction. It is noteworthy to point out that in
the experience of those present, no examples of AE had ever occurred
in Kazakhstan. This is a problem.
Recommendations: This training should continue in the regions
and should be accompanied by "Risk Management" training to augment
the AE events. All EXBS training should include, as was effectively
done in this workshop, a format where the instruction is interactive
- meaning the participants should be involved and have a chance to
present how they conduct business so that the USG can better tailor
the exchange to what is most relevant to the audience as well as
better assess Kazakhstan's needs.
The upcoming Volunteer Visitor Program should be used as an
opportunity to impress on the Customs Chairman (Mr. Askar Shakirov)
that AE should be exercised diligently to at least the point where
"actual violations" are reported and prosecuted. The location for
the previously mentioned AE training was unsuitable because of the
inherent distractions associated with conducting training in the
working environment. Facilities used by USG agencies are in the
opinion of the Advisor often deficient. This is routinely
experienced, perhaps due to money concerns. However the quality of
the instructional environment should always be considered. Bluntly,
the cost of contracting a decent and fully equipped conference room
in a hotel or other suitable place outside of the participants'

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working area should be policy. Training events in substandard
working areas should not be allowed because they detract from both
the learning experience and level of participation. State
Department contractors should know that selection of a decent
conference room is a requirement, and, the EXBS Advisor may need to
start having some say in where events are planned to avoid this
problem.



C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. No equipment delivered during this reporting period.


D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE


1. Product Identification Training (PIT) April 3-5. Department of
Commerce (DOC) is planning to conduct Product Identification Tool
Training (PIT) in Almaty. This training focuses on the
identification of nuclear, biological, and chemical materials, the
use of Kazakhstan's software and licensing systems to identify
materials, what to do if questionable materials are suspected at
Border Crossings, as well as methods of processing licensing
applications.
EXBS office is expecting to get CCC Request from DOC.


2. Bucharest Export Control Conference. Kazakhstan's delegation to
the 8th Annual Export Control Conference in Bucharest, Romania
(March 6-8) consists of two officials: Sergey Savelyev, representing
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ernar Bakenov, representing the
Customs Control Committee under the Ministry of Finance. At this
time, all preparations have been made and the event is scheduled to
take place as planned.


3. Task Order 79 Donation. Task Order 79 for the EXBS donation of
Ural Trucks and Border Guard Shelters is nearing fruition. It is
expected that these donations will occur in March or April; however,
definite delivery dates have not yet been determined.
Additionally, EXBS-DC has approved modifying the Task Order to
include "complete" shelter installation rather than "partial"
installation. EXBS has also requested the supplying contractor to
change the ship point of the Ural trucks. These changes are
considered very desirable and are recommended by the EXBS office in
Kazakhstan. Due to the significance of this donation, EXBS Office
intends to solicit the participation of the Ambassador at the
dedication ceremony.


7. X-Ray Van Repairs. The Department of Energy (DOE) will send a
technician to maintain the donated X-Ray Van at the Korday Customs
Post on the Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan Border April 14-16, and to
Shymkent city on the Kazakhstan - Uzbekistan border on April 18-20.
The EXBS team is planning to support the X-Ray van team and conduct
Border Site Assessments at the above mentioned customs posts.


8. Preliminary Second Line of Defense site survey. The Second Line
of Defense (SLD) program team will conduct construction and
integration efforts in the placement of radiation detection
equipment and portal monitors to vehicle crossing sites throughout
Kazakhstan during April 2007 (Apr.1-30). Country Clearance Cable was
sent to the SLD team.


9. Fiber Scope Repairs. Status unchanged. EXBS Office will
continue to contact Carla D'Onofrio of DHS/CBP to determine whether
funding to repair various EXBS donated equipment, such as the

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previously donated fiber scopes is available. In February
Kazakhstani Customs requested EXBS to support these repairs.


E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR
RELATED BORDER SECURITY


1. UNSCR 1718. Review of Mr. Tobey's visit. At the Feb. 26 meeting
with Mr. Shakirov, EXBS Advisor reviewed the visit of William Tobey,
Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, and
accompanying delegation on January 24, 2007. Mr. Tobey had a
meeting with the Kazakhstani Customs leadership representatives to
discuss UNSCR 1718 and reinforce the urgency of interdicting North
Korean attempts to proliferate WMDs. Since Mr. Shakirov was unable
to attend this meeting, the EXBS office reinforced Mr. Tobey's
message to Mr. Shakirov.


F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION


1. None.

III. RED FLAG ISSUES.


1. EXBS Advisor requests guidance on the authority to make
financial commitments in emergency situations. When unexpected
emergencies arise, like airline delays as previously mentioned, the
escorting EXBS officer should have some kind of authority to make a
prudent decision on the ground to incur the expense of an additional
hotel night stay and not feel exposed personally for that expense.


2. During the Export Control Seminar in Almaty (Feb. 19-22),the
participants discussed the possibility of creation/establishment of
international toll-free number, similar to one existing in the U.S.
Customs, or web site for anonymous reporting of any suspicious cases
related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This may become an
additional tool in the interdiction of contraband and countering the
proliferation of WMD, conventional arms, and related materials.


3. Donor Agreements. When donations are transferred to a receiving
government the Donor Agreement should be very clear on where the
host government and USG responsibilities start and stop. Two cases
in point include the Safe-Boat Donation to Kazakhstan in Spring 2006
and the pending Shelter / Ural truck donation scheduled to occur in
spring 2007. The Advisor recommends that Statements of
Understanding or Agreement should be very clear and in both of the
latter cases this clarity is not present. Unclear responsibilities
will lead to misunderstanding and potential strained relationships
between the EXBS Program and host government. This is an issue of
attention-to-detail and solid communications. This situation should
be a topic for discussion at the Annual EXBS Conference in June

2007.


4. EXBS Program Mission. A meeting was held March 9 with the
Embassy Security Assistance Working Group and a number of visitors
from Central Command and DoD. The question of how EXBS is different
in terms of host government engagement from other DOD and INL
activities was raised by the visitors. The question was asked
because DoD, DTRA, OMC, DOE, INL, etc. all do many similar things
with, for example in this case, Kazakhstan's Border Guard. Of
course the response included the narrow focus of EXBS has on WMD
UNSCR 1540 and NADR funding, but the answer seemed to fall short.
This question of role and coordination could be another topic for
the June Conference.


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ORDWAY