Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT261
2008-02-21 12:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: EFFECTS OF DEEP FREEZE LINGER IN
how-toVZCZCXRO3616 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0261 0521208 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 211208Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0320 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3420 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1238 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1105 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1674 RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2253
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000261
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EFFECTS OF DEEP FREEZE LINGER IN
EAST
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0225
B. ASHGABAT 0139
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000261
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EFFECTS OF DEEP FREEZE LINGER IN
EAST
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0225
B. ASHGABAT 0139
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) A February 20 visit by EmbOff to Turkmemabat,
Turkmenistan's second largest city, revealed that the area is
still suffering the after-effects of the freezing-cold winter
that gripped the country in January and early February. City
Mayor Yazgeldi Annayev told us that the temperature averaged
-20C during the cold snap, leading to 15cm-thick ice to form
on the nearby Amu Darya River. Now, he said, ice on the
river is only 6cm thick. (NOTE: EmbOff drove near the river
on the outskirts of town, and it appeared as if much of it
had melted. END NOTE.) Annayev said that his area had
received "technological" help from the Lebap provincial
government as well as from other provinces to help break up
the ice, following the January 19 inspection visit by
President Berdimuhamedov. (NOTE: According to DAO military
sources, Turkmen military fired mortars and engineers used
plastic explosives to break up the ice. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) Annayev insisted that there would be no flooding due
to the steps taken to break up the ice. Nevertheless, not
everyone is so certain (Ref. A). A visiting delegation from
NATO's Civil Emergency Planning Division told us February 18
that the possibility of flooding came up in their discussion
with Deputy Defense Minister Atabayev. Atabayev had asked
the NATO officials about providing assistance in dealing with
floods and mudslides, specifically asking if using explosives
like dynamite is the best way of breaking up ice. Atabayev
said that he was interested in knowing how other nations
handle such problems.
4. (SBU) Although the weather has warmed in Turkmenabat,
residents remain without water. Residents told EmbOff that
pipes froze because of the cold weather and are damaged. As
a consequence, there is no running water in Turkmenabat.
Residents must bring in water from elsewhere or use bottled
water for all necessities. They had no idea when the problem
would be completely remedied, but assumed there would no be
change until spring.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The mayor was the only person we
encountered who was sanguine about the possibility of
flooding. Nevertheless, residents were more concerned about
immediate problem of the lack of running water rather than
the still (somewhat) distant possibility of flooding. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EFFECTS OF DEEP FREEZE LINGER IN
EAST
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0225
B. ASHGABAT 0139
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) A February 20 visit by EmbOff to Turkmemabat,
Turkmenistan's second largest city, revealed that the area is
still suffering the after-effects of the freezing-cold winter
that gripped the country in January and early February. City
Mayor Yazgeldi Annayev told us that the temperature averaged
-20C during the cold snap, leading to 15cm-thick ice to form
on the nearby Amu Darya River. Now, he said, ice on the
river is only 6cm thick. (NOTE: EmbOff drove near the river
on the outskirts of town, and it appeared as if much of it
had melted. END NOTE.) Annayev said that his area had
received "technological" help from the Lebap provincial
government as well as from other provinces to help break up
the ice, following the January 19 inspection visit by
President Berdimuhamedov. (NOTE: According to DAO military
sources, Turkmen military fired mortars and engineers used
plastic explosives to break up the ice. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) Annayev insisted that there would be no flooding due
to the steps taken to break up the ice. Nevertheless, not
everyone is so certain (Ref. A). A visiting delegation from
NATO's Civil Emergency Planning Division told us February 18
that the possibility of flooding came up in their discussion
with Deputy Defense Minister Atabayev. Atabayev had asked
the NATO officials about providing assistance in dealing with
floods and mudslides, specifically asking if using explosives
like dynamite is the best way of breaking up ice. Atabayev
said that he was interested in knowing how other nations
handle such problems.
4. (SBU) Although the weather has warmed in Turkmenabat,
residents remain without water. Residents told EmbOff that
pipes froze because of the cold weather and are damaged. As
a consequence, there is no running water in Turkmenabat.
Residents must bring in water from elsewhere or use bottled
water for all necessities. They had no idea when the problem
would be completely remedied, but assumed there would no be
change until spring.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The mayor was the only person we
encountered who was sanguine about the possibility of
flooding. Nevertheless, residents were more concerned about
immediate problem of the lack of running water rather than
the still (somewhat) distant possibility of flooding. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND