WMD COMMISSION: RUSSIA TRAVEL

UNCLAS STATE 084105 SENSITIVE SIPDIS PII DATA REMOVED MANUALLY SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED: EMBASSY MOSCOW FOR DOE POL EST E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG KNNP PARM PREL RS TRGY SUBJECT: WMD COMMISSION: RUSSIA TRAVEL ¶1. This is an action cable - please see paragraph 8 for Embassy assistance requests. ¶2. Summary: The Commission on Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism will travel to Moscow, Russia during the period of September 22-26, 2008 to assess and update, as appropriate, the Department of Energy's Nonproliferation Programs with Russia. Drawing on the information below, Washington requests that Post apply for Russian letters of invitation and site access for the WMD Commission to the following sites in order to complete the assessment process: the Russian Research Center Kurchatov Institute, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Security Assessment and Training Center, and the Lunevo MVD Training Center. (The Department also forwarded to the Embassy's Political Military Section a letter from Commission Chairman Senator Robert Graham and Commission Vice Chairman Senator James Talent to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov The letter requests the Foreign Minister's assistance in authorizing and facilitating the Commission's visit). An e-country clearance request and fund cite will be transmitted separately. End Summary. ¶3. Background: The Commission was established under the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The members of this bipartisan Commission were appointed by the majority and minority leadership of the U.S. House and Senate. Former Senator Robert Graham is the Chairman of the Commission, and former Senator James Talent is the Vice-Chairman. The Commission is required to assess the U.S. government's current activities, initiatives, and programs to prevent WMD proliferation and terrorism, and to provide a comprehensive strategy with concrete recommendations to the President and Congress. The Commission's final report is due this fall. ¶4. Travelers include the following: COMMISSIONERS 1) Wendy Ruth Sherman Passport #: DOB: 2) Daniel Robert Graham Passport #: DOB: 3) Stephen Rademaker Passport #: DOB: 4) Robin Cleveland Passport #: DOB: 5) Graham Tillett Allison, Jr. Passport #: DOB: 6) Henry David Sokolski Passport #: DOB: 7) Rahul Verma Passport #: DOB: 8) Timothy Roemer Passport #: DOB: STAFF 1) Neal Allen Pollard Passport #: DOB: 2) Joseph Jay Helman Passport #: DOB: 3) Evelyn Farkas Passport #: DOB: 4) George William Look Passport #: DOB: 5) Georgia Anne Adams Passport #: DOB: 6) Maurice Aaron Mallin Passport #: DOB: 7) Kenneth Damian Ward Passport #: DOB: 8) Eric Fanning Passport #: DOB: ¶5. Purpose of Travel: As part of its mandate, the Commission is required to assess and, where necessary, update and expand upon the conclusions and recommendations of the report entitled, "A Report Card on the Department of Energy's Nonproliferation Programs with Russia" (also known as the "Baker-Cutler Report"). The purpose of the trip to Moscow and the subsequent site visits serves as part of the assessment process pertaining to this portion of the Commission's mandate. ¶6. Travel Destination and General Schedule: The following is a draft itinerary for the Commissioners' trip to Moscow, Russia. Post is requested to provide permission to visit for the following days: September 22-26. Draft Itinerary September 22, 2008: Monday (Washington, DC -- Moscow) 1230 Depart Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) September 23, 2008: Tuesday (Moscow) 1030 Arrive Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) and recover 1400 Office Call U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle 1500 Embassy Briefings National Security Officials (TBD) 1700 Return to Hotel September 24, 2008: Wednesday (Moscow) 0800 Breakfast at hotel 0900 Meetings with MFA, Rosatom State Corporation, and MOD officials, including ROSATOM Director Sergey Kiriyenko, Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, General Nikolai Makarov, and the newly appointed Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak (if available). 1200 Lunch 1330 Site Visit: The Russian Research Center Kurchatov Institute (KI) DESCRIPTION: The Russian Research Center Kurchatov Institute is the first and the most prominent nuclear institute in Russia. This center was set up in place of the I.V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy (former Laboratory No.2 of the USSR Academy of Sciences founded in 1943) in November 1991 in accordance with the Decree of President of Russia. The first nuclear reactor (F1) in Europe and Asia is still operating in the Kurchatov Institute. The Center is placed under the direct authority of the Russian Government and is not part of either the Russian Academy of Sciences or any branch ministry. Material, Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC&A) improvements have been implemented at the main access gates, perimeter, and six buildings and facilities located at the Kurchatov Institute. These include physical protection and material accounting equipment upgrades, training, procedural improvements, protective force equipment including upgraded communications, and secure nuclear material transportation vehicles. Apart from having KI facilities upgraded, DOE also works with the Institute on many other activities - MPC&A upgrades at other facilities, MOD/Navy RTG recovery, RADON security upgrades, GT-MHR reactor development, etc. The site visit will include discussion with top institute managers and scientists on any topics of interest to the delegation. If site access is granted, the delegation also will/may see significant part of the MPC&A upgrades. 1630 Return to hotel 1900 Dinner hosted by Rose Gottemoeller, Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center September 25, 2008: Thursday (Moscow) 0730 Breakfast at hotel 0830 Depart for Site Visit: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) 1030 Site Visit: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) DESCRIPTION: JINR was established as an international scientific center in 1956 and conducts research in physics, radiation biology, nuclear medicine, and experimental instruments and methods. It employs over 6,000 people and is comprised of eight major laboratories. JINR had two plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)-fueled reactors and a Central Storage Facility (CSF) for fresh reactor fuel. The reactors have been decommissioned. The JINR project is funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of International Materials Protection and Cooperation and MPC&A cooperation began in 1996. Initial physical protection system upgrades were commissioned in 1998 and involved improvements to the CSF, relocation of the Central Alarm Station (CAS),and provision of a new radio- communication system. CSF security upgrades focused on personnel access control areas, the guard station, and the storage area. Initial MPC&A upgrades and capabilities were completed in 1998. These included a computerized Material Accounting System, Tamper Indicating Devices, Non-Destructive Assay equipment, a Physical Inventory Taking system, and fresh fuel measurement system. The project team initiated sustainability activities with the site in fiscal year 1999 and for the last 9 years, JINR has simultaneously received reduced U.S. support to replace old and obsolete systems and limited additional MPC&A upgrade work scope. 1300 Lunch 1400 Depart for Site Visit: Security Assessment and Training Center (SATC) 1500 Site Visit: Security Assessment and Training Center (SATC) DESCRIPTION: The SATC compound includes an access control point, a test bed, a simulated bunker facility, a simulated access control building, testing and evaluation laboratories, teaching and training rooms, administrative buildings, a maintenance building, a proof-of-concept AICMS (Automated Inventory Control and Management System) facility, a Small Arms Training System (SATS),a live-fire shooting range, and a drug testing laboratory used for the Personnel Reliability Program. The SATC provides a joint location to identify enhancements for MOD,s nuclear weapons storage structures. This has been accomplished by testing and demonstrating various commercial (off-the-shelf) security equipment in the SATC's simulated site environment. The types of security equipment procured for testing include command and control systems, exterior sensors systems, rapidly deployable sensor systems, fire and safety systems, access control systems with hazardous material detection systems, access delay systems, and guard force equipment, and engineering upgrades to those systems. It is envisioned that the SATC, in conjunction with the Kola and Siberian Technical Centers provided by DOE and the Far East Training Center to be provided by DoD, will be used as a training facility and depot-level maintenance facility to sustain security systems installed at all facilities securing weapons of mass destruction across Russia. 1900 Return to hotel September 26, 2008: Friday (Moscow -Washington, DC) 0800 Breakfast at hotel 1000 Check-out and depart hotel for airport 1255 Depart Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) 1942 Return to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) ¶7. Other options for site visits: Lunevo MVD Training Center DESCRIPTION: In the beginning of 2006 the Duma passed an act that shortened the enlistment for conscript troops from two years to only one year. This effectively doubles the training requirement for the MOD and MVD. The MVD-IT which is responsible for the security at MPC&A sites in conjunction with Rosatom agreed to establish training centers that train only the conscripts and contract forces that will be assigned to the special sites. The Lunevo Training Center (LTC) is a MVD-IT training center for all conscripts, contract troops and commanders assigned to protected the nuclear and sensitive assets of the Russian Federation. The center has indoor and outdoor classrooms and training laboratories that address all facets of guards' duties at a nuclear facility and some aspects of the transportation of nuclear assets. The classrooms were equipped with the furniture, computer hard and software, simulators, and the electronic shooting range. Funding for the Lunevo training center was jointly shared by the MVD-IT, ROSATOM and the U.S. MPC&A program. ¶8. Action Request: The Department requests Embassy Moscow's assistance in facilitating ground transportation, providing rates for hotels, and passing clearances for access and use of classified space. Furthermore, the Embassy's assistance is requested in coordinating requests for site visits and submitting a letter of invitation request. Please designate a POC at Post for further communication regarding Embassy assistance. RICE