EXBS KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (DECEMBER 2007)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 000054

SIPDIS

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 KCHAISSON AND RWATT
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: ETTC, MNUC, PARM, PREL, KSTC, KNNP, KZ
SUBJECT: EXBS KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (DECEMBER
2007)

I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS:

1. The government of Norway has agreed to provide $5 million to fund
additional radiation detection equipment for improved Kazakhstan
border security. This will dramatically expand the number of border
posts with detection ability, and is the largest contribution to
date to the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI).
Representatives from the Department of Energy are meeting their
Norwegian counterparts to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding.
This contribution will be integrated into the Department of Energy
Second Line of Defense (DOE/SLD) program plans for Kazakhstan.

II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD

A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED

1. On December 8, 2007, the EXBS Advisor met with Mr. Richard
Talley, Program Manager for the Caucasus Region and Central Asia,
National Nuclear Security Administration, and Mr. Chuck Willingham,
Staff Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, on the
International Nonproliferation Export Control Program's (INECP)
country plan for Kazakhstan. The EXBS Advisor was briefed on INECP
efforts in Kazakhstan to date and was provided valuable insight into
INECP efforts in the licensing area aimed at adding additional
organizations and institutes to the computerized license system,
implementing security upgrades, and making improvements to the
computer network and communications infrastructure. Additional
discussions centered on proposed training for Customs and Border
Guards during 2008 and the need for a comprehensive Kazakhstani
response protocol.

B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

1. A Commodity Identification Training (CIT) course for Customs
Control Committee personnel was conducted the week of December 3,
2007, in Borovoe, Kazakhstan. This was the fifth CIT seminar in
Kazakhstan and the second one that did not require U.S. instructors
to present any training materials. This training was monitored by
Mr. Richard Talley, Program Manager for the Caucasus Region and
Central Asia for the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security
Administration's (DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation Export
Control Program (INECP),and Mr. Chuck Willingham, Staff Engineer,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2. From December 3 - 7, 2007, EXBS Program Manager Gulnara
Abildaeva and EXBS Program Assistant Oxana Limareva traveled to
Frankfurt, Germany, to participate in the Foreign Service
Institute's training class on Managing Foreign Assistance Awards
Overseas. This course prepares employees to link assistance programs
with post-specific strategic planning goals and objectives and to
develop a post-specific assistance awards program from concept and
design, through implementation and management, to evaluation of the
results.

C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

1. On December 4, 2007, EXBS Program Manager Gulnara Abildaeva
delivered to Mr. Jerry Guilbert, Special Projects Program Manager
ISN/ECC, the acceptance documents signed by Major General Hussain
Berkaliyev, First Deputy Director, National Security Committee,
Border Guard Service, for $970,326 worth of EXBS donated equipment
consisting of 4 portable shelter complexes and 11 URAL trucks

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delivered under Task Order 79.

D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE

1. The EXBS team has scheduled a meeting on January 15,
2008, with senior representatives from the Border Guard Services of
the National Security Committee and the Customs Control Committee of
the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The goal of
this meeting is to determine if EXBS donated equipment (such as
Radiation Isotope Identification Devices, enforcement tool kits,
modular shelters, vehicles, mobile X-ray vans, and stationary pallet
X-ray machines) is meeting the specific needs of the Customs and
Border Guard Services of Kazakhstan and to address future
implementation, training, and delivery issues. During the meeting in
Astana, the EXBS team will deliver five CT30 Kits, and two Ludlum
Survey Meters.

2. The EXBS team will attend a Border Security Donor Coordination
meeting in Astana on January 23, 2008.

3. The EXBS Advisor will participate in an International
Counterproliferation Program (ICP) course, "WMD International
Investigations", taught in Astana, from January 28 - February 1,
2008. This course is designed for approximately 30-35 criminal
investigators to enhance specialized investigative skills in
transnational investigations of Weapons of Mass Destruction
incidents.

4. The Department of Energy Second Line of Defense
Program is continuing its project to install portal monitors at
border sites. The EXBS team will accompany Ms. Laurel Cotton, the
Project Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy's Second Line
of Defense (SLD) Program, to a meeting in Astana with Kazakhstani
Customs officials on February 4, 2008, to discuss a broad range of
matters concerning the SLD program. The SLD equipment for Phase One
installation is scheduled to arrive in Kazakhstan from Russia
between January 9 and 14, 2008. EXBS will send a diplomatic note to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting access to the requested
sites for U.S. technical specialists so that they can begin the
installation of the portal monitors and related equipment during
February 2008.

5. Task Order 79 Donations. Delivery of the original water tanks
for the four modular shelters donated to the Border Guards was
delayed due to difficulties encountered in the Customs clearance
process created by a change in the Kazakhstani law. The official
letter from the Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy and Budget
Planning, approving the release of the water tanks from the Almaty
airport warehouse without charging the warehouse storage fees was
passed on to the Customs Control Committee on November 19. However,
the warehouse proprietor has thus far refused to release the water
tanks without payment of the storage fees. The Border Guard Service
is looking into gaining the release of these water tanks from the
warehouse.

E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR
RELATED BORDER SECURITY

1. None.

F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION


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1. The Kazakhstani Marine Border Guards (MBG) have
expressed a desire to attend the Safe Boat Operations Course (CG 33)
during the June/July time frame as offered by Lt. Michael Fisher,
EXBS Caspian Region Maritime Advisor, Baku, in a letter to MBG Major
General Berkaliyev.

III. RED FLAG ISSUES.

1. None

ORDWAY