EXBS KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE (MARCH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 000691 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 DEPT PLEASE PASS TO EXPORT CONTROL AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY 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 (MARCH 2008) ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. President Bush nominated Richard E. Hoagland to be U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan. Mr. Hoagland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as Charge d' Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan. Prior to this, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the State Department's Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs. ¶2. On March 27, the Customs Service of Kazakhstan seized 537 kilos (1,181.4 pounds) of heroin at the Kairak customs checkpoint, located 180 kilometers from Kostanai city in the Kostanaiskaya oblast (Northern Kazakhstan) on the border with Russia. The heroin was hidden under a false bottom of a Volvo refrigerated truck with Russian license plates. The truck, which entered Kazakhstan from Uzbekistan, was about to depart Kazakhstan for Russia when an export control examination, using a stationary TC-Scan x-ray machine, detected the false bottom. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed the heroin. The two Russian drivers were arrested. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED ¶1. On March 7, 2008, the EXBS program manager met with Rear Admiral Abileyev, Maritime Border Guard Service, and was informed of a major engine problem with the Sea Ark vessel. The Sea Ark, which was a 1996 donation, has a fuel leak. The status of the Sea Ark is certain to be a major topic of discussion during the visit of Lt. Michael Fisher, EXBS Caspian Regional Advisor, to Bautino, Kazakhstan, during April 23-24, 2008. ¶2. On March 11, 2008, the EXBS advisor met with three British counterterrorism desk officers from their London office at the request of British Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Mike Welch. U.S. Embassy personnel also attending this meeting included Steven Fagin, Chief of Pol/Econ, Richard Damstra, Pol/Econ officer, and Howard Leabetter, legal attache. The EXBS advisor limited his participation in this meeting to an overview of EXBS and Second Line of Defense activities in Kazakhstan. ¶3. On March 20, 2008, the EXBS advisor attended a Security Assistance Working Group (SAWG) meeting held in Astana, Kazakhstan. Among the topics discussed were the proposed U.S. Department of Energy's AirConOps program and possible meetings with a variety of concerned agencies within the Government of Kazakhstan. ¶4. On March 26, 2008, the EXBS advisor participated in a Kazakhstan Action Officer Working Group at the Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense. Also representing the U.S. were officers from the Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT),the Arizona National Guard (AZNG),the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA),the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement office (INL),and the Office of Military Cooperation (OMC). The Border Guard Service of the Kazakhstan National Security Committee was represented by Captain Nurakhmetov, Captain Khasanov, LTC Akhmedov, and CPT Tusupbekova. Discussions during this meeting focused on the Border Guards' training and equipment needs. ¶5. On March 27, 2008, the EXBS team attended meetings between Major Alexandra Vozhakova, Head of the Radioactive Materials and Technical ASTANA 00000691 002 OF 003 Means Department of the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee, Robert ¶E. Upchurch, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Wayne M. Lechelt, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The purpose was to discuss the development of a Second Line of Defense training curriculum and to assess the Customs Control Committee's current training materials and other products. Discussions included how SLD materials may be modified to meet the Kazakhstani government's requirements for operation of the radiation detection equipment. ¶6. On Saturday, March 29, 2008, a follow-up meeting on Second Line of Defense training was attended by the EXBS team at the Astana Intercontinental Hotel. During this meeting Major Alexandra Vozhakova, Head of Radioactive Materials and Technical Means Department of the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee, informed Robert E. Upchurch, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Wayne M. Lechelt, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, of the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee's desire to create a regional training center near Astana that would be modeled after the Interdict/RADACAD course conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) training center, in Richland, Washington. This facility would be a regional training center designed for frontline officers and teach techniques in the detection, identification, and interdiction of illicit transfers of radioactive materials, commodities, and components used in the development, production, or deployment of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass effect (WME),and their associated delivery systems. ¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. None ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. None ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. The Department of Energy Second Line of Defense Program is continuing its project to install radiation portal monitors at border crossing sites. The SLD equipment is being installed at nine locations but can not be officially transferred to the Customs Control Committee until the CTR Umbrella agreement has been ratified by Kazakhstan. ¶2. A Diplomatic Note was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing the Government of Kazakhstan of the proposed Safe Boat Operations Course for Kazakhstani Maritime Border Guards that will be conducted in Aktau, Kazakhstan, by the U.S. Coast Guard from July 5 to August 1, 2008. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY ¶1. None ¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION ¶1. On March 5, 2008, the EXBS program manager assisted the assisted the Maritime Border Guard Service in Aktau with the procurement of supplies needed to paint the three Safe boats donated by EXBS in ¶2006. Two of these vessels should be returned to active duty during ASTANA 00000691 003 OF 003 April 2008 after being painted. The third vessel has a mechanical defect which needs to be repaired before it can be placed back in the water. III. RED FLAG ISSUES. ¶1. None ORDWAY