EXBS: ALBANIA MARITIME, ADRIATIC REGION REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TIRANA 000175

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR ISN/ECC - YWONG, ACHURCH, JBALDWIN, LSPRINGER
STATE FOR EUR/ACE
USCBP INA FOR JGOUGE, PWARKER
SECDEF FOR DTRA CDRAKE
USDOE FOR TMUSTIN, EMELAMED, KGARNER
VIENNA PLEASE PASS TO ICE ATTACHE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP AL
SUBJECT: EXBS: ALBANIA MARITIME, ADRIATIC REGION REPORTING CABLE
FOR FEBRUARY 2008


1. (U) BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS

-- February 17, KOSOVO: Formerly declared independence; the event
was at the forefront of regional media (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia I
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia) reports.


2. (U) COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD

-- February 29: EXBS Maritime Advisor underway accompanied US
Special Forces assessment team during evaluation of training
opportunities in Albania's Southern Naval District. Future US
training event scenarios continue to develop through existing
administrative channels.


3. (SBU) MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD

-- February 04-08: EXBS Maritime Office hosted ISN/ECC Western
Balkans Country Officer. Meetings were held with the Director
General of Customs, Chairman of the Radiation Protection Office,
General Director of Border Police, Director of Civil Emergency
Department, Albanian Chief of Naval Operations and Command Center,
Durres Customs Director, General Harbor Master, Director of the Port
of Vlore, Naval Forces Training Center Commander Vlore, Southern
Flotilla Operational Commander, and MOI Delta force commander
regarding previous assistance and pending grants and training
opportunities. Briefings were also held with American Embassy
personnel including DCM, Pol/Econ Chief, DAO, RAO, ODC and ICITAP
regarding budget and future plans for EXBS Maritime position.

-- February 8: EXBS Maritime Office, Western Balkans Officer and
EXBS Officer Skopje met with Border police and customs officials at
the Qafe Thana and Kafasan Border Crossing point to discuss current
operation and equipment conditions while coordinating upcoming
training event in March (see training events below).

-- February 12: EXBS Maritime Officer met with Professor Fatos Ylli
at the University of Tirana, Centre of Applied Nuclear Physics
(a.k.a. Nuclear Physics Institute).
All documented radioactive waste in Albania is stored in the Tirana
facility where the meeting was held. Radioactive materials in
Albania primarily involve, medical, petroleum, geological and other
industrial applications. There are four portal monitor locations in
Albania. No portal monitors have been functional in over a year.
Standard government downsizing and reduction in resources are
impacting the Nuclear Institute/Applied Physics Centre which now
falls under the Ministry of Education via University of Tirana.
Professor Yilli explained that on 28 December 2007, the MoI local
police guards left their positions as directed and the facility was
unguarded. Professor Ylli stated he wrote letters on two separate
occasions addressed to the Ministers of Interior, Health, and
Education, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
and the General Secretary of the Council of Ministers "strongly
stating" the interest in maintaining a security presence around the
facility. The General Secretary of the Council of Ministers,
Gjergji Leshja, a former deputy Minister of Interior, directed
security to be reinstated, which happened in January 2008. The
local police station now provides security to the nuclear waste
facility but there is no designated budget or resources for the
future.

-- February 15: Maritime Officer informally met with the Director
of the Radiation Protection Office, the Chief Professor from the
Centre of Applied Nuclear Physics and General Director of Custo*ms at
the conclusion o the EXBS-hosted DTRA sponsored training. Specifi
portal monitor locations, origins and capabilitis were addressed.
A follow-on more formal meetin to address details and recommended
courses of ation has been set for the morning of 20 March. Th
EXBS Maritime office continues to engage all coccerned entities and
provide appropriate assistance if possible.


4. (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING HQE REPORTING PERIOD

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-- February 11-15: Eight Albanian agencies participated in
DTRA-sponsored WMD Threat Management course, resulting in over $445K
worth of interdiction/detection equipment and operational training
for Albanian law enforcement and emergency response organizations.


5. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD

-- February 29: EXBS Maritime Advisor observed internet contract
workers installing functional internet service plan for the Naval
Department training center in Vlore, including networking of the
existing computer lab and establishing wireless access for the
instructor's office hallway. EXBS Maritime Office delivered ten
Wi-Fi laptops, laser printers, uninterruptible power supplies, two
large screen TVs, and DVD/VCR players which will be used in
conjunction with two EXBS-granted generators. Installation and
delivery will support EXBS-sponsored and coordinated USCG training
in March and serve as an instructor and student resource at the
training center for at least the next year.


6. (SBU) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT:

ALBANIA:

-- Operational and communications equipment grant for Customs
Maritime anti-contraband units delivery anticipated week of 17 March

2008.

-- March 17 - March 22: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement
Instructor Training and Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding
Course at Naval Department training center in Vlore. Original
schedule adjusted due to five ship NATO visit to Durres 01-05
March.

-- March 24-28: The CBP Cross Border Exercise for Macedonia,
Albania and Greece will focus on the Kafasan (Macedonia)/Qafe Thana
(Albania) area BCP's.

-- April 21-25: DTRA International Counterproliferation Program
Advanced Training Course, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina -
invitations will include Croatia, Macedonia and Albania.

-- May 8-18: USCG Incident Command System training for
Inter-Ministerial Maritime Operations Center members.

-- May 11: International Visitor Leadership Program - participants
scheduled travel.

-- May 19-23: DOE End Use-End User Training, Tirana

-- June 2-6: CBP Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana and
BCP's TBD.

-- July 14-18: DTRA Targeting and Risk Management Training, Tirana

-- Summer 2008: Anticipated delivery of the first DAMEN 42-meter
patrol boat to Albanian Naval Forces.

-- September 8-19: CBP Inspection/Detection Equipment Training,
BCP's TBD

-- September 11-28: USCG Seaport Security and Anti-terrorism course
focused on newly hired Albanian Port Security Forces personnel in
Durres.

-- October 20-24: CBP International Border Interdiction II, Tirana
and BCP's TBD

-- November TBD: CBP International Seaport Interdiction
Training, Durres, focused on Customs, Border police/MoI, Naval
Forces and IMOC participant agencies. Schedule shifted to

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accommodate USCG MTT in September.

-- FY 2009 TBD: USCG Coastal Search and Rescue

-- January 2009: CBP Undercover Ops, Controlled Delivery Training

SERBIA:
-- July 10-27: USCG Basic Small Boat Operations Course

MONTENEGREO:
-- September 4-13: USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer
Course

BOSNIA:
-- June TBD: Undercover Operations, Controlled Delivery Training


7. (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS,
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY

-- None to report.


8. (U) PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS
-- None.


9. (U) RED FLAG ISSUES
-- None.


10. (U) POC: LCDR Timothy Conroy, email: conroyTC@state.gov, and
Xhoana Kovaci, email: kovaciX@state.gov.

WITHERS