KAZAKHSTAN: BORDER SECURITY ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS ASTANA 002352 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC, ISN/ECC-AMT, EUR/ACE, SCA/RA, SCA/CEN, CBP FOR INA; ENERGY FOR NNSA; COMMERCE FOR DCREED; COAST GUARD FOR SHABETIMICHAEL; BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE; TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS ADVISORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC SNAR KSTC KNNP KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BORDER SECURITY ASSISTANCE REF: STATE 107424 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. The fundamental strategic aim of the U.S. Mission is a stable, secure, democratic and prosperous Kazakhstan. The strategic partnership between the United States and Kazakhstan for border security is based on our common security interests including bolstering Central Asian sovereignty and independence; fighting terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and stemming the flow of illegal narcotics. ¶2. (U) The U.S. Mission supports Kazakhstan in defense, law enforcement, and security sector reform. The objective is to support Kazakhstan as a reliable partner with whom we share a common vision and who has a positive regional and international impact in these sectors. Our approach is three-fold: -- Ensure Kazakhstan continues on its current path of reform of defense, law enforcement, and security structures which reflect democratic values and adequately defend national sovereignty and maintain domestic peace and stability; -- Assist Kazakhstan to integrate defense, law enforcement, and security structures; -- Support the development of Kazakhstan's national-level capabilities to influence regional defense and the regional fight against narcotics, crime and illegal exports. ¶3. (U) To achieve these goals, the U.S. Mission will continue to execute a multi-discipline, inter-agency security cooperation program. The program focuses on transforming security and law enforcement equipment and doctrine at police, border guard and customs agencies; providing assistance to Kazakhstan as it establishes centers of command and control; and raising Kazakhstan's interoperability level so that it can integrate with global security institutions such as the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC) for anti-narcotics. Kazakhstan acts internationally and regionally as a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism, narcotics, money laundering, proliferation, and other global threats. END SUMMARY. TOPOGRAPHY ¶4. (U) Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, in the heart of the Eurasian continent. In terms of total land mass, Kazakhstan is the �0A;ninth largest country in the world and the second largest country to emerge from the former Soviet Union. With an area of about 2,717,300 square kilometers, Kazakhstan is more than twice the size of the other four Central Asian states combined. In fact, the territory of Kazakhstan exceeds that occupied by the original twelve countries of the European Union. ¶5. (U) There is considerable topographical variation within Kazakhstan. Although high mountain ranges fringe Kazakhstan's eastern and southeastern boarders, the terrain of Kazakhstan consists mostly of deserts, steppes (vast, semiarid grassy plains), and hilly upland areas. Deserts and semi deserts cover more than two-thirds of Kazakhstan's surface area. Only 12.4% of Kazakhstan is mountainous, with most of the mountains located in the Altay and Tian Shan ranges of the east and southeast, although the Ural Mountains extend southward from Russia into the northern part of west-central Kazakhstan. Many of the peaks of the Altay and Tian Shan ranges are snow covered year-round, and their run-off is the source for most of Kazakhstan's rivers and streams. The highest elevation, Khan Tengri Mountain, on the Kyrgyzstan border in the Tian Shan range, is 6,995 meters; the lowest point, at Karagiye, in the Caspian Depression in the west, is 132 meters below sea level. ¶6. (U) Except for the Tobol, Ishim, and Irtysh rivers, portions of which flow through Kazakhstan, all of Kazakhstan's rivers and streams are part of landlocked systems. They either flow into isolated bodies of water such as the Caspian Sea or simply disappear into the steppes and deserts of central and southern Kazakhstan. Many rivers, streams, and lakes are seasonal, evaporating in summer. The three largest bodies of water are Lake Balkhash, a partially fresh, partially saline lake in the east, near Almaty, and the Caspian and Aral seas, both of which lie partially within Kazakhstan. ¶7. (U) Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan border Kazakhstan to the south; Russia borders Kazakhstan to the north; Russia and the Caspian Sea border Kazakhstan to the west; and China borders Kazakhstan to the east. OVERVIEW OF BORDER SECURITY ASSISTANCE ¶8. (U) The Mission's border security goal is to enhance our relationship with Kazakhstan as partners in regional and strategic security. Our border security assistance programs improve the Government of Kazakhstan's capacity to secure its borders, intercept contraband, narcotics, and articles of proliferation interest, while facilitating trade and commerce. ¶9. (U) The U.S. and Kazakhstan have a record of extensive and effective cooperation in fighting terrorist and narco-trafficking groups in Central Asia. Moreover, the Government of Kazakhstan ensures that its banking system does not permit financing of terrorism and drug trafficking. ¶10. (U) The objective of our border security assistance programs is to enhance our relationship with Kazakhstan as partners in regional and strategic security. Support for the War on Terror and Homeland Security is closely linked to our goal to prevent and curtail proliferation and narcotics trafficking. Kazakhstan's cooperation on proliferation and counter narcotic issues has been a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, creating trust and showing the benefits of cooperation with the U.S. that, in turn, have helped the United States make progress toward several other goals, including democratic reform and a welcoming investment climate. Future Kazakhstani progress on combating proliferation of transiting Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD),narcotics, and other malicious substances contributes directly to U.S. homeland security. The support for the War on Terror, combating proliferation, and counter narcotics performance goals reinforce each other and together form the main components of the U.S. Mission's efforts to protect U.S. national security. ¶11. (U) The U.S. Mission supports and encourages Kazakhstan's efforts to fully eliminate its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) infrastructure; secure its WMD materials; enact and effectively enforce sound export controls; and actively engage in counter narcotics trafficking activities. Prevention and curtailment of proliferation and narcotics trafficking support Mission goals of preventing terrorism and enhancing regional security. To achieve these goals, the U.S. Mission will strive to ensure the effective implementation of the nonproliferation efforts of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, the Second Line of Defense (SLD) project, Department of Defense counter-narcotics programs under the Office of Military Cooperation (OMC),and projects to fight transnational crime overseen by the International Narcotic and Law Enforcement section (INL). ¶12. (U) Since fiscal year 2007, OMC has upgraded three Border Service Mi-8MT helicopters, provided night operations training for their pilots and provided training in container inspection. Additionally, OMC is coordinating procurement of ground surveillance radar, vehicles, and Saber-4000 trace detectors to enhance Border Service control capabilities along Kazakhstani borders. ¶13. (U) Under the CTR, six patrol boats and related training were provided in the 1990s. From 2005-2007, CTR efforts were focused on providing the Maritime Border Guard Service and Navy with a capacity to interdict WMD on the Caspian. To that end, training and classroom upgrades, as well as equipment to support Maritime boarding operations (keel blocks, boarding equipment),were provided. ¶14. (U) INL works with the Border Guard Service through programs to secure borders against transnational crime, particularly counter-narcotics capacity. The program has enhanced capacity on the land border through the provision of specialized equipment, improvement of checkpoint infrastructure and personnel training, establishment of new training centers and improvement of existing centers, and curriculum reform. ¶15. (U) The ultimate goal is to provide Kazakhstan with the capacity to effectively secure its borders in a manner consistent with the World Customs Organization's Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade and provide the opportunity for Kazakhstan to adhere to all international agreements and commitments to WMD proliferation and narcotics trafficking prevention. COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES AT POST ¶16. (U) The responsibility for coordination of all U.S. Mission activities in Kazakhstan rests with the Chief of Mission. In order to coordinate the activities of the various sections with border security programs, a Security Assistance Working Group (SAWG) was created and is chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission. All section chiefs with programs that impact security programs in Kazakhstan are members of the working group, which has regularly scheduled meetings in a secure environment in order to discuss and plan future security assistance projects. This arrangement ensures that the front office exercises command and control over all security assistance programs sponsored by the U.S. government in Kazakhstan. The SAWG also provides a forum for section chiefs to coordinated activities, eliminates redundancy of effort, and promotes synergy. COORDINATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES ¶17. (U) The U.S. Mission is the primary donor assisting the Government of Kazakhstan to establish strategic trade control systems, including border control capabilities, in order to prevent WMD proliferation and narcotics trafficking. The U.S. Mission works to create international cooperation in these fields through outreach to international organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),the International Organization for Migration (IOM),the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),the Border Management and Drug Action Programs in Central Asia (BONCA/CADAP),as well as other diplomatic missions. ¶18. (U) U.S. Mission section chiefs with programs that impact border security maintain contact with representatives of these assistance programs and attend semiannual Border Security Donor Coordination meetings in order to coordinate and insure that there is no duplication of effort among the various international programs. The European Union and a number of other diplomatic missions to Kazakhstan have expressed a desire to assist Kazakhstan in securing it borders. Recently, post was successful in assisting the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative program to procure three modular shelters and smuggling documentation equipment worth $750,000 from money donated by a foreign government. BORDER PORTS OF ENTRY ¶19. (U) After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Kazakhstan as an independent country, Kazakhstan faced the problem of controlling a border stretching some 14,000 kilometers. Initially, the border control system was based on the former Soviet border control system, which has gradually been replaced by a new system that meets most international standards, with customs and border guards sharing responsibilities. ¶20. (U) There are approximately 22 airports of significant size in Kazakhstan, but only 14 are designated as international airports. Of those airports designated as international airports only four may be considered significant enough to merit the attention of this report. These airports are located in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Atyrau, and Aktau. The Department of Energy is currently installing Radiation Portal Monitors at the Airport in Atyrau and will do the same to Aktau once the airport modernization project there is completed. ¶21. (U) There are two main sea ports in Kazakhstan, Aktau and Bautino, both of which are located on the Caspian Sea. There are 112 international border crossings points declared open by Decree of the Government of Kazakhstan. The Border Guard Service only operates at 98 of these crossings and only 80 of these international border crossings are equipped with a passport control system. Of those international border crossings with a passport control system, six are located on the border with China, 38 are located on the border with Russia, 10 are located on the border with Kyrgyzstan, 10 are located on the border with Uzbekistan, and one is located on the border with Turkmenistan. Weak infrastructure, lack of facilities, inadequate equipment and under-trained personnel at these border locations are all factors being addressed by the U.S. Mission. CHINESE BORDER ¶22. (U) There are six border crossing points with China (Dostyk, Bakhty, Korgos, Maikapchagai, Narynol,and Kalzhat),but only two are significant enough to mention in this report: Bakhty is the Kazakhstani border crossing near the Chinese city of Tacheng. This post is a 13-hour drive from Almaty. The roads leading to this crossing are in very poor condition due to potholes, bumps, and lack of any lighting. This border crossing processes commercial trucks and buses, but no private vehicles or pedestrians. The facility itself was built in 2003 and is in relatively good condition. The Bakhty border check point is a border crossing that incorporates an integrated control system based on the "single window principle." This port has two radiation portal monitors, one for commercial trucks and the other for bus passengers. ¶23. (U) Dostyk (in Kazakh) or Druzhba (in Russian) is a small town in the Almaty Province, near the country's border with China. It is the only point of entry for rail traffic from China. The port is listed as an international border crossing because it processes privately owned vehicles, commercial vehicles and pedestrians but, in reality, there are no pedestrians. The main border crossing terminal facility was built in 2005 and is an efficient facility modeled on international standards for passenger processing. It is well-designed with an integrated control system where customs, border guard, veterinary-phytosanitary, and sanitary-quarantine controls are collocated. RUSSIAN BORDER ¶24. (U) There are only 46 border crossing points on the Kazakhstani border with Russia, but only 38 are significant enough to have a passport control system. The port of Zhana-Zhol lies in the northern part of Kazakhstan, about 80 kilometers northwest of Petropavlovsk. It is one of the main "international" crossings between Russia and Kazakhstan. The road entering and leaving the port is a two-lane highway, but at the port it splits into three lanes inbound and three lanes outbound. The port utilizes a two-stop process with border guards first processing and searching inbound and outbound vehicles, followed by customs officials who process inbound and outbound commercial traffic. ¶25. (U) The Sharbakty border crossing is located in a remote area about 25 miles northeast of the city of Sharbakty. The Sharbakty checkpoint incorporates an integrated control system based on the so-called "one-stop principle". Here customs, border guard, vehicle control, veterinary-phytosanitary control and sanitary-quarantine control officers all conduct required control procedures in a single building. This crossing is used for vehicles, trucks, buses, and rail traffic. ¶26. (U) The regional capital city of Pavlodar is a five hour drive northeast from Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. There are eight customs border crossings along the Kazakhstani-Russian border in the Pavlodar Region. These customs border crossings are Amankeldi, Kosak, Maraldy, Naiza, Sharbakty, Sulu-agash, Urlutobe and Yestir. KYRGYZSTAN BORDER ¶27. (U) Kazakhstan's southern border with Kyrgyzstan stretches 657 miles from Shakpakata in the west to Kegen in the east. Along this border are 11 border crossings, staffed by the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee (CCC) and Border Guard Service, but only 10 are significant enough to have a passport control system. Balasagun is the largest and busiest border crossing and is located approximately one mile from Kordai. Karasu is the second busiest border crossing and is located about eight miles from Kordai. Balasagun and Karasu are designated as "international" border crossings and process privately owned vehicles (POVs),buses and commercial trucks. ¶28. (U) Both Karasu and Balasagun lie on a major trade route that connects southern Asia with Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe. This trade route is referred to as the "Silk Highway". Today, the chief product crossing the border into Kazakhstan is fresh produce. Much like the Mexican border in the United States, the greatest enforcement threat that customs officials in this region face is that of narcotics and dangerous drugs being smuggled from Afghanistan and transiting through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. These drugs are generally en-route to the larger and wealthier metropolitan areas in Russia and Europe. UZBEKISTAN BORDER ¶29. (U) Kazakhstan's southern border with Uzbekistan stretches 1,376 miles from Akzhigit in the west to Shakpakata in the east. Along this border are only 10 border crossings staffed by the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee and Border Guard Service. Kazakhstan's Southern Region is located approximately 700 miles southwest of Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. The largest Kazakhstan city along the Uzbek border in the Southern Region is Shymkent, home to the regional customhouse. The CCC in Shymkent manages eight customs border crossings along Kazakhstan's border with Uzbekistan. These are the Jibek Joli, Kazgurt, Kaplanbek, Tole Bi, Abai, Baurzhana Konysbayeva (Gani Muratbayeva),Maktaral, and Sariagash Rail Way Station border crossings. Jibek Joli is the largest and busiest border crossing and is located about 63 miles from Shymkent and about 2 miles from Uzbekistan's capital city of Tashkent. TURKMENISTAN BORDER ¶30. (U) There is only one border crossing point with Turkmenistan and it can hardly be called a major port. The Temirbaba border crossing is miles away from the nearest significant city and process mostly vehicles with the occasional commercial truck. U.S. EQUIPMENT DONATIONS ¶31. (U) The U.S. Mission has donated equipment and provided training to numerous border ports in Kazakhstan. Donated equipment includes communications equipment; inspection, surveillance and detection equipment; protective and medical equipment; radiation control and detection equipment; drug detection equipment; x-ray machines and mobile x-ray vans; and vessels, vehicles, helicopters, and canines. GREEN BORDER PROJECT ¶32. (U) The U.S. Mission has made significant progress in assisting the Government of Kazakhstan to secure ports of entry, but as security at these crossings increases, smugglers will be more likely to use the vast, unguarded green borders between the fixed border crossings. The U.S. Mission has determined that a key deficiency in green border security in Kazakhstan is the lack of infrastructure and equipment needed for the Border Guard Service to provide an effective deterrent to smugglers by conducting border monitoring and patrols. ¶33. (U) The Border Guards Service is responsible for all green borders between the ports. On the green border, the Border Guards often work and live in primitive structures that offer little protection against the elements. The U.S. Mission has provided communication equipment, surveillance equipment, vehicles, vessels, and portable shelters to assist in this effort but much more is needed. More than 50 additional modular shelters are desperately needed, as well as dozens of ground monitoring surveillance stations and related equipment, communication equipment, and hundreds of all terrain vehicles and trucks. ¶34. (U) Post encourages the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative to continue seeking donations from other nations so that the Border Guard Service can fulfill it mission of securing the green border. BORDER OPERATIONS AND LEGAL AUTHORITY ¶35. (U) The border enforcement system in Kazakhstan consists of several government agencies, including the Border Guard Service, the Committee on Customs Control, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Committee on National Security. There are a number of laws and governmental decrees that govern border operations, but the two most significant are "The Law on the State Border" and the Customs Code. ¶36. (U) The Law on the State Border provides the legal basis for interagency collaboration with respect to border enforcement. It empowers the State Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan on State Border Guarding to coordinate interagency communication and cooperation between the Customs Committee, the Committee on National Security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Investigation Committee, and the Ministry of Defense. The Law on the State Border provides enforcement personnel with the authority to patrol and police the green and blue borders of Kazakhstan. It further empowers the Border Guard Service to ensure the protection of the interests of the individual and society. It also charges the State Committee on Border Guarding with coordinating international efforts with other members of the CIS. Under the law, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) is required to support border staff by informing them of intelligence regarding possible violations, providing assistance in actions on the border, and conducting training for the general population regarding the laws on border security. ¶37. (U) The Committee for National Security (KNB) is responsible for national security, intelligence, and counterintelligence. The KNB also plays a law enforcement role in border security, internal security, and antiterrorism efforts and oversees the external intelligence service. The chairman of the KNB reports directly to the President. The Border Guard Service, subordinate to the KNB, is responsible for passport control and security at the border crossings and for the controlling the green and blue Borders. ¶38. (U) The Customs Code specifies the duties and responsibilities of the customs agencies and delineates procedures for searching cargo and detaining suspected offenders for initial inquiry. The Customs Control Committee is responsible for monitoring the movement of people, cargo, transportation carriers, and other cargo across borders at the designated Ports of Entry (including international airports). The law empowers customs officials to search, detain, and seize goods without a warrant and enforce trade in controlled items at all borders for outbound, inbound, and in-transit cargo. However, a number of disincentives discourage enforcement. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for guarding the air-space of Kazakhstan. The issue of nuclear smuggling is the responsibility of the MVD (specifically, a new investigative body within the Ministry) and the KNB. BORDER SECURITY TRAINING INSTITUTIONS ¶39. (U) The U.S. Mission has contributed to the improvement of border security training institutions run by the Committee of National Security, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Response, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The Mission encourages these training institutions to incorporate U.S. training courses into their curriculum. To date, the Commodity Identifications Training workshop taught by the Department of Energy has been successfully incorporated into Kazakhstan Customs training classes. Members of the Border Guard Service are trained at the Military Institute of the Committee for National Security, which was moved to Almaty more than 50 years ago. The Military Institute was founded shortly after the Soviet Union was established and is the oldest military training facility in Kazakhstan. ¶40. (U) In response to the problem of training border guards stationed along such an extremely vast area, INL renovated and equipped regional training centers in the north-west and south. INL is preparing to conduct assessments of sites to for an additional training center in the north-east. INL has also initiated a joint project to develop canine training capabilities. The first canine training was conducted by a U.S. police trainer at the Military Institute. Following that, a professional relationship was established between the Austrian Ministry of Interior's Canine Center and law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan. Three canine instructors representing the Border Guard Service, Military Institute, and the Ministry of Interior took part in a two-month canine training course at the Austrian Canine Center. As part of the training, INL funded the purchase of three dogs for the officers taking part in training. INL received requests after the Austrian training to conduct additional train-the-trainer courses in Kazakhstan and there is interest in creating a new Kazakhstani methodology similar to the Austrian methods. ¶41. (U) Despite its interest in Austrian methods, the Military Institute also continues to express interest in learning more from U.S. experts. The next step will be for instructors to attend counter-narcotics canine training at a CBP canine academy. INL is also funding renovations of the Canine Center at the Military Institute. Officials at the Military Institute are interested in broadening their curriculum to include canine training for other law enforcement agencies in Kazakhstan and throughout the region. U.S. BORDER SECURITY TRAINING ASSISTANCE ¶42. (U) The U.S. Mission has provided significant training assistance to Kazakhstan in the area of border security. Training has been provided in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, the Commerce Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the Department of Transportation. Classes have covered all customs, coast guard, drug enforcement, law enforcement and investigative related activities. Additional training has been given in nuclear and hazardous material, weapons of mass destruction, contraband detection, emergency response and a wide variety of other topics. OMC recently organized a border security seminar provided by the Arizona National Guard for instructors and cadets from the Military Institute. The seminar included such topics as personal and vehicle search, profiling, and force protection systems and equipment used on the U.S.-Mexican border. ¶43. (U) A significant amount of INL programs also provide training. Recently, two instructors from the Military Institute attended basic training at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. This was the first time foreign border guards were admitted to basic training at the Academy. In Kazakhstan, INL provides training in a vast array of subjects, including use of equipment, border management, vehicle interdiction, and risk analysis. Much of the training has been provided through IOM, which has been INL's implementing partner in many of the border security projects. INL has also provided samples of all equipment provided to the Border Guard Service to the Military Institute, which allows cadets to get hands-on experience with equipment before they arrive at a border post. ¶44. (U) In the long-term, INL is working to build on the professional relationship established between the U.S. Border Patrol Academy and the Military Institute. INL will continue supporting participation of the Military Institute staff and cadets in exchange programs. To allow more staff to participate in courses in the United States, INL continues its efforts to increase the capacity of English language instructors at the Military Institute. INL provided the Military Institute a digital language laboratory and will provide software and train-the-trainer courses for the English language instructors. NON-U.S. BORDER SECURITY TRAINING ASSISTANCE ¶45. (U) The U.S. Mission is aware that other missions and international organizations are proving Kazakhstani border security agencies with training assistance. The United States closely coordinates activities with the international community through semiannual coordination meetings. These meetings are attended by all interested embassies, international organizations, and Kazakhstani officials. Border security coordination meetings are chaired by BOMCA/CADAP and, traditionally, the U.S. chairs a counter-narcotics coordination meeting the same day. INL is working with a range of international organizations to provide training at the newly-renovated regional training centers. Recent training sessions were supported and conducted jointly by IOM, OSCE, UNHCR and BOMCA. In addition, UNHCR provides a program on assistance to asylum seekers during the joint training programs. HOAGLAND