POLISH MANPADS ALLEGED IN CHECHNYA

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 003475 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER ETTC MASS MCAP RS PL GG SUBJECT: POLISH MANPADS ALLEGED IN CHECHNYA Classified By: Ambassador John R. Beyrle. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On November 26 MFA DVBR First Secretary Andrey Odnoral passed us a nonpaper and video that allege Polish-made MANPADS were discovered in Itumkale, Chechnya. The video showed a raid on a home in Itumkale which housed a weapons cache, including small arms, ammunition, and MANPADS. According to Odnoral, the GOR theorized that Poland sold these MANPADS to Georgia and, during the August conflict, Georgian soldiers abandoned these weapons, only to be recovered by Chechen "bandits." ¶2. (C) Odnoral requested any information the USG has regarding the illegal trafficking of MANPADS, noting that the GOR has not raised this issue with the Polish or Georgian governments. Odnoral sidestepped our questions on the appropriateness of approaching the U.S. first on this issue. ¶3. (C) Russia will use the recovery of Polish-origin MANPADS in Chechnya to underscore its original contention that the arms sale to Georgia was destabilizing and to advance its latest policy initiative on seeking an arms embargo against Georgia. While we should insist that Russia raise this recovery directly with Poland, the GOR will raise this incident in our MANPADS dialogue and in any future discussion over the resumption of non-lethal military equipment assistance to Georgia. We are not in a position to judge whether the aforementioned Chechen "bandits" were facilitated by Chechen forces involved in the August conflict. ¶4. (SBU) Begin unofficial translation of nonpaper text: In October 2008 in the Itum-Kalinsk region of the Chechen Republic, which borders with Georgia, in the course of a search operation conducted by Russian servicemen, a weapons cache belonging to terrorist groups operating in the North Caucasus region was found. Among the weapons and ammunition in the bandit hide-out were a Polish produced "GROM" launch tube with missile, without the firing mechanism (production information: 62.0.0.0.000E2, 1060, 2107, GROM E2, E2-07-21, 1060, FILLED) and a used launch tube from a similar system (production information: 62.0.0.0.000E2, 1031, 2107, GROM E2, E2-07-21, 1031, FILLED). Video records of the removal of said Man-portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) are attached. A MANPADS with analogous production information was removed by Russian servicemen during peace and security restoration operations in the Georgian-South Ossetia zone of conflict in August of this year. The presence of combat capable Polish "third-generation" MANPADS in the hands of international terrorists raises serious concerns and requires immediate action to discover the means by which they are proliferated. Taking into account the cooperation of Russia and the USA in implementing the Russian-American intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the realm of strengthening control over MANPADS, we would appreciate it if the American side could present any materials it has at its disposal regarding the illegal trafficking of MANPADS. Translator's note: The GROM MANPAD is a Polish modification of the Soviet 9K310 IGLA. BEYRLE