EXBS Afghanistan Advisor Monthly Border Management

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KABUL 001731 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/A, ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, CBCRAFT DEPT FOR CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO, MMULLINS, ISAUNDERS, JSULLIVAN, JAHERN USOSCE for JCS DOE/NNSA FOR RSTUBBLEFIELD DOC FOR ELOCKWOOD-SHABAT DOT FOR APARAMESWARAN SECDEF FOR FLIGHT, AND RVIERKANT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC PARM ETRD EFIN PREL KSTC KNNP AF SUBJECT: EXBS Afghanistan Advisor Monthly Border Management Initiative Reporting Cable - April 2007 KABUL 00001731 001.2 OF 004 Sensitive But Unclassified ¶I. SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The new Border Management Task Force (BMTF) Director, and the Finance and Metrics Coordinator, and the Customs Systems Coordinators are expected to arrive between mid-May and early June. These positions are located at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. In addition, six mentors who will be responsible for mentoring Afghan Border Police (ABP) and Customs Police and Customs officials are expected to arrive in-country in mid-June. The BMTF and USAID are in the process of exploring procedures by which USAID Customs Advisor contractors with Bearing Point would hire additional advisors to augment the BMTF's efforts. The BMTF representative from the Afghan Engineering District (AED),U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has been assisting in a site survey of the Spin Boldak/Weesch border crossing in anticipation of obtaining donor funding to construct a more secure BCP at Weesch on the Pakistan border in Kandahar Province. ¶2. (SBU) The Border Management Initiative (BMI) Executive Steering Committee (ESC) met and discussed the status of presenting the Presidential Decree to President Karzai for the establishment of the Border Management Commission within the Government of Afghanistan (GoA). The BMTF construction project at the Islam Qalah BCP, funded by the Joint Interagency Coordination Group-Counter Narcotics (JIACG-CN),is estimated to be completed in July 2008. JIACG-CN is also funding the $11 million BCP project at the Shir Khan Bandar BCP in Kunduz Province. AED will oversee this project, which includes the construction of a similar BCP on the Tajikistan side at Nizhny Pyandzh. A meeting with officials from the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan centered on the development of an Afghan-Turkmenistan Cross-Border Communication Program at the Imam Nazar BCP in Turkmenistan and the Aquina BCP in Afghanistan. The BMTF is coordinating with the Italian Embassy to recruit 10 Guardia di Finanza officers in Herat to teach Customs courses to Customs personnel at the Kabul Customs Training Facility. EXBS procured three x-ray scanners for use at Kabul and Mazar airports. END SUMMARY. II. ITEMS OF BROAD INTEREST. ¶3. (U) The BMTF is moving forward with the expected arrival between mid-May and early June of the new Director, Finance and Metrics Coordinator, and the Customs Systems Coordinator. These positions are located at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Six mentors, who will be responsible for mentoring Afghan Border Police (ABP) and Customs Police and Customs officials, are expected to arrive in-country in mid-June. The mentors consist of former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Agents and Customs/Immigration Officers. The mentor teams will be split between the Torkham BCP in Nangarhar Province and the Islam Qalah BCP in Herat Province. The funding for these positions and associated support is provided by the Joint Interagency Coordination Group-Counter Narcotics (JIACG-CN) from CENTCOM. ¶4. (U) Recent departures from the BMTF include the Assistant Director and the Customs Systems Coordinator. The Strategic Planner and EXBS Advisor positions will be vacated at the end of May. Replacements for these positions are expected in June and July 2007. ¶5. (U) The BMTF and USAID are in the process of establishing procedures by which USAID Customs Advisor contractors with Bearing Point would hire four additional Bearing Point Customs advisors to KABUL 00001731 002.2 OF 004 augment the BMTF's efforts in support of the Afghan Customs Department (ACD). Two of these advisors would deploy to the Jalalabad Inland Container Depot that serves the Torkham BCP. The other two advisors would deploy to the Herat ICD that serves the Islam Qalah BCP. Their function would be to mentor/advise on-site ACD staff and provide direct communication, coordination and support to BMTF mentor teams in Torkham and Islam Qalah. BMTF has also requested that USAID consider hiring a fifth Customs Advisor through Bearing Point to be housed in Kabul with the BMTF to provide coordination between the field mentors/advisors, their respective chains of command, and the ACD in Kabul. ¶6. (SBU) The BMTF representative from the Afghan Engineering District (AED),U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has been assisting the ACD in a site survey of the Spin Boldak/Weesch BCP location in anticipation of obtaining donor funding to construct a more secure BCP at Weesch, on the Pakistan border in Kandahar Province. Security, smuggling, and infrastructure issues, stemming from the lack of construction space for a suitable BCP, prompted the BMTF Strategic Planner and the AED representative to meet with U.S. and Pakistan officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, to explain the need for a corresponding BCP in Pakistan, and potentially a joint BCP, adjacent to Weesch. Pakistan officials were in agreement with the concept and future meetings are expected to follow through with the suggestion. ¶7. (SBU) The Director General for ACD informed the BMTF that he will be meeting with World Bank representatives in May to discuss World Bank funding of the Weesch BCP and the Khowst ICD in Khost Province. Typically, the World Bank utilizes the services of UNOPS to construct such a project. However, BMTF will make the services of the AED representative available to impart information developed thus far to assist in the construction of the Weesch BCP. The need for this new BCP is also being championed by ISAF to better secure the free flow of human and commercial traffic from Pakistan through this area. News reporting of Taliban insurgents and illegal weapon trafficking suggests this area is a favored entry point of the Anti-Coalition Forces (ACF). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has earmarked $5 million to equip the Weesch BCP after its construction. ¶8. (SBU) The Border Management Initiative (BMI) Executive Steering Committee (ESC) met and discussed the status of presenting the Presidential Decree to President Karzai for the establishment of the Border Management Commission within the Government of Afghanistan (GoA). The minister for MoF stated he will take the necessary steps to make a formal presentation of the decree to the President. This Commission is designed to mirror the goals and associated activities of the BMI enabling the GoA to take ownership of its border management initiatives. At issue during this meeting were the roles of GoA ministries at the border and in part the lack of mutual support and misunderstandings between MoF and MoI at the BCPs. Although the MoI and MoF are in agreement of their respective roles, the BMTF has scheduled a meeting between the Director General of ACD and the Commanding General of MoI to further discuss the new border strategy as it affects the BCPs. In this meeting the drafting of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU),as they pertain to new strategies agreed upon by all parties, will be discussed. A Deputy Minister level BMI Working Group meeting is scheduled for mid-May for further discussion of topics addressed at the ESC. KABUL 00001731 003.2 OF 004 ¶9. (SBU) The BMTF construction project at the Islam Qalah BCP, funded by the Joint Interagency Coordination Group-Counter Narcotics (JIACG-CN),is estimated to be completed in July 2008. The cost will be $15 million. Issues such as the illegal fuel distribution being conducted at the direction of the Herat Provincial Governor threaten continued progress. The BMTF met with Civil Affairs teams and Elders in the villages surrounding Islam Qalah BCP to discuss options in mitigating negative impacts on the local economy. By involving the local villages, BMTF hopes to preclude the development of any problems that may arise during the construction of the BCP that will certainly have impact on the local population. ¶10. (SBU) JIACG-CN is also funding the $11 million BCP project at the Shir Khan Bandar BCP in Kunduz Province. AED will oversee this project which includes the construction of a similar BCP on the Tajikistan side at Nizhny Pyandzh. Completion of theses 2 BCPs is expected to be at the end of this year. The EC will be constructing a $10 million Euro commercial depot in connection with the U.S. funded BCPs for clearance and storage of goods by the ACD. A ground breaking ceremony for this site will be scheduled in May by the EC. The U.S. funded $35 million Afghan-Tajik Bridge being constructed by AED at Shir Khan is scheduled to be complete in August. ¶11. (SBU) The BMTF, GPPO, CSTC-A, and INL Police Mentor representatives conducted a meeting with U.S. Embassy officials from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the Turkmenistan Consul General and the Turkmenistan Deputy Minister of National Security. Turkmenistan Embassy personnel included the EXBS Advisor, Econ and the Defense Attach. The meeting centered on the development of an Afghan-Turkmenistan Cross-Border Communication Program at the Imam Nazar BCP in Turkmenistan and the Aquina BCP in Afghanistan. In addition, the BMTF was able to conduct an Aquina BCP (Faryab Province) Recon and Assessment of the BCP infrastructure. The European Commission is slated to provide the funding for a new BCP facility at Aquina and the Heratan BCP in Balkh Province. ¶12. (SBU) The BMTF is coordinating with the Italian Embassy to recruit the Guardia di Finanza in Herat to teach Customs courses to Customs personnel at the Kabul Customs Training Facility. Afghan Customs currently has little capacity to conduct a comprehensive course for its staff of over 1900 officers. The Guardia di Finanza is well qualified to conduct courses for Afghan Customs, but currently insist on teaching Customs related topics to the Afghan Border Police in the Herat INL Regional Training Center. Discussions with the Italian Embassy DCM are progressing on the alteration of the Guardia di Finanza's course of instruction to be directed more towards ABP duties, including immigration procedures. The BMTF met with the Italian Embassy Defense Attach who stated that the Italian government is willing to provide 10 additional Guardia di Finanza instructors to train Customs officials in Kabul if they would be allowed to teach in a secure training facility located next to the Italian military compound in Kabul. This facility is currently being used by the Afghan National Army for training being conducted by the U.S. military. The BMTF is making inquiries in an effort to secure classrooms and barracks for the students. ¶13. (SBU) EXBS is in receipt of 3 Rapidscan X-Ray scanners, 2 of which will be employed at the Kabul International Airport (KIA) to screen hand baggage, cargo and hold baggage placed on commercial carriers. The third scanner will be employed at the Mazar-E-Sharif international airport in Balkh Province to scan cargo and hold KABUL 00001731 004.2 OF 004 baggage. The German Police Project Office (GPPO) is in receipt of 2 additional Rapidscan X-Ray scanners to be placed inside the Mazar airport terminal for scanning passengers and hand baggage. GPPO recently provided similar scanners for use at the Herat international airport in Herat Province. EXBS also procured one of two 40 ton cranes for use by the ACD. The crane that has been purchased is currently being retrofitted for use at the Kabul Customhouse. ¶14. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. Nothing to report. ¶15. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. Under Procurement. ¶16. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE. EXBS is awaiting the delivery of fiber optic scopes, density meters, radioisotope identifiers, explosive detectors, handheld metal detectors, a 40 ton crane, two forklifts, vehicle inspection kits, and tool kits destined for the Islam Qalah and Towraghundi BCPs. Delivery is scheduled in May 2007 for the explosive detectors and the 40 ton crane; and July 2007 for the fork lifts. However, no dates are available for the remaining items, but the EXBS Advisor has secured temporary storage for the equipment and will coordinate logistical arrangements as the equipment arrives. An 'End-User Statement' for the Sabre tri-mode explosive detection systems has been provided by the GoA and has been sent to the manufacturer as required before delivery can be scheduled. ¶17. (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY. Afghanistan Joins Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT): On April 16, the MFA provided post a Diplomatic Note confirming the GoA's endorsement of the Statement of Principles of the GICNT (see also KABUL 1427). ¶18. (U) OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES/EVENTS. Nothing to report. ¶19. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES. Nothing to report. ¶20. (U) Please direct any questions or comments to Barry F. Lory, EXBS Advisor to Afghanistan; +93-700-073-652 or +93-700-108-272; lorybf@state.gov or to Cassady Craft, South Asia Regional Program Analyst, Office of Export Control Cooperation, 202-647-1063,craftcb@state.gov. WOOD