ALBANIA'S DECAYING MUNITIONS - SO MUCH TO DO, SO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000211

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, ISN, PM/WRA
DOD FOR OSD/A/WINTERNITZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2018
TAGS: MASS PARM PREL NATO AL
SUBJECT: ALBANIA'S DECAYING MUNITIONS - SO MUCH TO DO, SO
LITTLE TIME

REF: A) TIRANA 200 B) 07 TIRANA 446 C) 07 TIRANA 1064
D) TIRANA 202 E) TIRANA 199

Classified By: Amb. J.L. Withers II, reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The March 15 fireball over Gerdec shown on
international news programs reminded the world of Albania's
enormous overhang of dangerous, decaying weapons. Over
100,000 tons of munitions, from small caliber to 160 mm
artillery shells, are disintegrating in 44 poorly maintained
and guarded depots throughout Albania, some near population
centers. Since most of the munitions are more than 40 years
old, they have become increasingly unstable and sensitive to
heat and shock. A recent analysis has shown that Albania
could destroy its entire stockpile by 2012 at a cost of about
$20.5 million. End Summary.


2. (U) The tragic accident in Gerdec on March 15 (Ref A) was
yet another wake-up call to the GOA -- and its partners --
that ridding the country of decaying, dangerous munitions
must be a top priority. The GOA can be proud of its record
so far in eliminating chemical agents (the first country to
do so under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Ref B),over
800,000 anti-personnel land mines, and the most serious
threat to the population, massive seamines and torpedoes (Ref
C). In addition, the MOD's EOD specialists have eliminated
some 72,000 tons of munitions of various kinds on their own
with some foreign funding.


3. (U) However, by many estimates, about 100,000 tons remain
in poorly guarded and maintained depots throughout the
country, literally a ticking time bomb. Stored munitions
range from 7.62 mm small arms rounds to massive 160 mm (over
six inches in diameter) artillery shells. Explosive material
in these munitions usually contains a stabilizer which
extends the storage life of the munitions preventing
auto-ignition. However, the stabilizer is slowly consumed
until, after some number of years, it no longer functions.
Chemical analyses of Albanian munitions have shown that many
of them are over 40 years old and are approaching that point,
making the munitions extremely sensitive to shock and heat.


4. (C) According to a recent survey done by DOD's Defense
Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA),the MOD currently stores
munitions in 44 sites throughout the country. (Note: It is
likely there are munitions stored in additional, unofficial
sites.) Most of the sites contain small quantities of
munitions, up to a few tons, collocated at military bases.
Seven sites contain the bulk of the stores: Qafe Molle,
Noje, Qafe Schtame, Mengel, Mirake, Mbbreshtan, and Grize.
Besides conventional munitions, the MOD is storing 273
shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS - Chinese
HN-5) and 30 tons of highly toxic SA-2 rocket fuel oxidizer.
As with officially registered sites, this may not be a
complete listing of Albanian munitions. The MOD has likely
not been able to track all of the weapons inherited after the
fall of the Hoxha regime. Most of the conventional munitions
are of Chinese origin manufactured between 1961 and 1974.
(Note: Gerdec was NOT listed as an MOD munitions storage
facility because it was used by MOD's Military Export Import
Company - MEICO - to store munitions it had contracted for
sale. The investigation into responsibility for the Gerdec
accident is ongoing. Please see Ref D.) Albania has no
further known chemical agents/weapons or nuclear weapons.


5. (C) DTRA has proposed to the MOD that all usable
ammunition be stored in Qafe Molle, Noje, and Mbreshtan when
those facilities are upgraded to meet NATO standards. The
unusable munitions need to be destroyed as soon as possible
using two methodologies. DTRA has ruled out the 1.8 million
euro rotary kiln installed and operated by NAMSA in Mjekes as
being too costly to operate. DTRA recommends open-pit
demolition for small-caliber ammunition and "reverse
engineering" (dismantling the weapon and extracting the
explosive, usually with steam) for larger munitions. Using
Albania's three ammunition factories (Polican, Gramsh, and
Mjekes) for dismantling and two EOD teams for open pit
demolition, DTRA believes Albania's entire stockpile could be
destroyed by mid-2012 at a cost of about $20.5 million.

(Note: Finding a site for open pit demolition is not
necessarily an easy task.)


6. (C) The Commander of the Support Command, Brigadier
General Zija Bahja, has been active in trying to get the
international community to increase demil funding to
accelerate Albania's munitions destruction process. At their
current rate, according to Bahja, it will take over 20 years
to destroy the entire stockpile, a serious concern since some
of it may well start self-destructing (i.e., spontaneous
combustion) long before that. PM Berisha has made it clear
that the surplus munitions need to be destroyed as soon as
possible. The Ambassador and other high-level State and DOD
interlocutors have applied continuing pressure to get the MOD
(working through former Minister Mediu) to formally appeal
for USG help to destroy the HN-5s. (Note: Mediu resigned
March 17 - please see Ref E. A successor has not yet been
named.)


6. (C) COMMENT: Whether the accident at Gerdec was caused by
human error, spontaneous ignition of unstable munitions, or
some other trigger has yet to be determined. What is

certain, though, is that munitions should never be stored
near populated areas. Throughout its territory, including
near large populated areas, Albania faces a ticking time bomb
of decaying munitions inherited from the former communist
regime. The GOA has a proposal from the USG to build
NATO-standard ammo storage facilities for usable munitions in
remote, safe areas, and to destroy the unusable ammunition as
quickly as possible. A commitment of $5 million per year for
the next four years by NATO Allies would do the job and free
this determined country from its final deadly legacy of the
Cold War.
WITHERS