KAZAKHSTAN: EXBS ADVISOR'S REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 002181 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN, SROBINSON DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DFISCHER DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSPILSBURY DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA CBP/INA FOR SBAKER AND BPICKETT USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER DOC FOR DCREED USCG FOR SHABETIMICHAEL AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS ADVISORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC KSTC KNNP KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: EXBS ADVISOR'S REPORTING CABLE (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. On September 22-23, the EXBS Advisor to Kazakhstan traveled to Washington, DC, for consultations with personnel from the Department of State's Office of Export Control Cooperation, the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction Policy and Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Department of Energy's Second Line of Defense and International Nonproliferation Export Control Program, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of International Affairs and Trade Relations. Discussions were held on a wide range of topics which clarified plans for the coming year and set a framework for the EXBS Advisor's second tour. High on the list of priorities for this year's EXBS program is assisting in the modernization of Kazakhstani Customs, indigenizing U.S. training courses into the national training academies, and implementing the Green Border Project. ¶2. On October 5, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a brief visit to Astana to discuss a wide range of issues pertaining to bilateral and regional cooperation with President Nursultan Nazarbaev, Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin, and other government officials. ¶3. On October 15, the Embassy's Office of Military Cooperation successfully completed a project of upgrading three MI-8MT helicopters for the Border Guards Service at a cost of $7.9 million. These helicopters, now equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Radar systems, emergency landing-on-water systems, weather radar, and modernized navigational systems, will be used for Green Border security. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶1. On September 8, the EXBS advisor met with the new chief of the Office of Military Cooperation, LTC James Yentz, to discuss coordination of assistance to the Border Guard Service and future �00A;plans in the area of border security. ¶2. On September 9, the EXBS advisor met with Sarah Prescott, from the Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, and gave a presentation on EXBS activities in Kazakhstan. ¶3. On September 15, the EXBS advisor met with an Assessments, Reviews and Evaluation team from the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance, and discussed training for Kazakhstani Customs and Border Guards personnel and border security issues relating to nonproliferation and counter-terrorism. ¶4. During September 22-23, the EXBS advisor conducted consultations in Washington at the Office of Export Control Cooperation of the State Department's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. During these consultations, the EXBS advisor reviewed progress made over the last year and discussed EXBS Astana plans for FY2009 and beyond. ¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. During October 27-31, the U.S. Department of Energy's Second Line of Defense program sponsored 20 Customs Officers at the Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training and Education Center in Richland, Washington. This comprehensive course trains customs officers in the detection, identification, and ASTANA 00002181 002 OF 002 interdiction of illicit transfers of material, commodities, and components used in the development, production, or deployment of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass effect, and their delivery systems. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. On October 31, an equipment turnover ceremony was held at the Border Guard Service headquarters. Thirty video cameras, 46 digital cameras, two Contraband Team Inspection (CT-30) kits, and parts for safe boats procured by the EXBS program were transferred to Major General Abdyrzak Iliyasov. ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. During November 3-7, EXBS, in cooperation with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of International Affairs and Trade Relations, is sponsoring five Kazakhstan Border Guards and six Kazakhstan Customs Officers for participation at an "International Air Cargo Interdiction Training" (IACIT) workshop at JFK International Airport in Jamaica, New York. ¶2. During November 10-14, the EXBS Advisor and the EXBS Administrative Assistant will attend an Export Control Policy and Regimes seminar at the University of Georgia's Export Control Academy in Athens, Georgia. ¶3. During November 18-21, EXBS, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration's (DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP),is sponsoring 26 Kazakhstani officials from the Border Guard Service, the National Security Committee's Military Institute, the Financial Police Academy, and the Customs Control Committee for participating in a "Weapons of Mass Destruction - Commodity Identification Training" (WMD/CIT) workshop in Almaty. ¶4. During November 17-21, the Department of Energy's Second Line of Defense program will sponsor training for customs officers on the use of radiation portal monitors and related equipment at the Customs Canine Training Center in Almaty. Subject matter experts from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and ASPECT Company will conduct this training course. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶1. None ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶1. None III. RED FLAG ISSUES. ¶1. None HOAGLAND