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 ASTANA 00000653 002 OF 007 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. ASTANA 00000653 003 OF 007 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 ASTANA 00000653 004 OF 007 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' ASTANA 00000653 005 OF 007 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 ASTANA 00000653 006 OF 007 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. ASTANA 00000653 007 OF 007 ORDWAY