SUBJECT: U.S. RESPONSE ON RUSSIAN NON-PAPER:

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 134448

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER ETTC MASS MCAP RS PL GG
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: U.S. RESPONSE ON RUSSIAN NON-PAPER:
POLISH MANPADS ALLEGED IN CHECHNYA

REF: A. MOSCOW 3475

B. WARSAW 1435

Classified By: classified By: Anita Friedt, EUR/PRA Office
Director. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (SBU) This is an action message; please see para 5 below.


2. (C) Per reftel A, Russian MFA DVBR First Secretary Andrey
Odnoral passed a nonpaper which requested any materials the
USG has regarding an alleged incident of illegal trafficking
of Polish MANPADS in Georgia. The Government of Russia (GOR)
claimed it had not raised this issue with the Georgian or
Polish governments. Per reftel b, it also appears the
Russians did not raise the issue at the December 9
Russian-Polish export control talks. Russian representatives
did raise the topic during the December 2-3 Wassenaar plenary
in Vienna in a presentation on destabilizing accumulations of
conventional arms in conflict zones, claiming Poland supplied
100 "GROM" MANPADS to Georgia in 2007, produced with
Russian-manufactured components and re-exported without GOR
consent, in violation of GOR export rules. The Russian
delegation also said that some of these systems had found
their way into the hands of non-state actors, but did not
specify a particular group. Their non-paper indicates that
they were found in the hands of Chechen "bandits."


3. (C/NF) A November Polish fact-finding mission to Georgia
(reftel b) concluded the Georgians had mishandled the
security of the Polish-made "GROM" MANPADS in the August
conflict. Nine launchers and thirty-four missiles remained
unaccounted for, with the GOG claiming sixteen of the
thirty-four missing missiles were sunk in the Kodori River in
Abkhazia.


4. (C) In furthering our own nonproliferation efforts,
Department is willing to make further inquiries regarding the
missing items. However, Department finds the apparent lack
of direct inquiries by the Government of Russia to the
Government of Poland about this issue puzzling, especially
given their recent bilateral export controls consultations.
In addition, while the Russian non-paper provides Department
with production data of the alleged "GROM" MANPADS, it is
unclear if we have been authorized by the Russian Government
to share this information with third countries, such as
Poland.


5. (SBU) Action Request: At its convenience Embassy Moscow
should make the following points and solicit answers to the
following questions from the appropriate GOR officials:

--The U.S. would be as concerned as Russia with the potential
acquisition of MANPADS by non-state actors.

--At this time, we do not have any independent information on
the incident you mentioned.

--Encourage you to reach out bilaterally to discuss with
Polish officials. Have you been in contact with
representatives from the Government of Poland (GOP) on the
claim of the "GROMS" ending up in a Chechen arms cache? What
was their response?

--Can you provide us the names of any Polish officials with
whom you have discussed this matter?

--Do we have your permission to share the information in your
November 26 non-paper, in particular the serial numbers of
the "GROM" MANPADS with the appropriate foreign government
officials?


6. (U) Department thanks Post for its assistance.
RICE