Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TIRANA775
2008-10-27 10:21:00
SECRET
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:  

REQUEST FOR DOD EOD SUPPORT TO ALBANIA

Tags:  MARR PREL MASS AL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #0775/01 3011021
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 271021Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7537
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUDKSR/EUCOM PLANS AND ANALYSES STUTTGART GE
RUFNPKB/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T TIRANA 000775 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE:JERRY ISMAIL, SECDEF FOR OSD:WADE
POPOVICH, EUCOM FOR CRAIG CROXTON AND CIEG:RUSSEL HANKS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: MARR PREL MASS AL
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR DOD EOD SUPPORT TO ALBANIA

Classified By: DCM Stephen Cristina for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

S E C R E T TIRANA 000775

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE:JERRY ISMAIL, SECDEF FOR OSD:WADE
POPOVICH, EUCOM FOR CRAIG CROXTON AND CIEG:RUSSEL HANKS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: MARR PREL MASS AL
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR DOD EOD SUPPORT TO ALBANIA

Classified By: DCM Stephen Cristina for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST - SEE ALSO PARAGRAPHS 7 AND

8. Post requests Department assistance in securing EOD
support from the Department of Defense to assist the
government of Albania in its efforts to eliminate 100,000
tons of destabilized unexploded conventional munitions
(DUCMs) that pose a critical threat to the civilian
population. This issue presents one of the greatest
challenges to the national security of Albania; resolving it
is one of the highest priorities of the USG in the region.
The Government of Albania is motivated to resolve this
problem, but lacks the expertise and the coordination
necessary. As a first step, we support the Albanian CHOD's
request for the one-year assignment of a US EOD officer to
the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in Albania to act as
an advisor to the Minister of Defense and as a focal point to
coordinate the demilitarization efforts of the MoD and U.S.
assistance. Because of the long-term nature of this problem,
we would like to discuss additional assistance the DoD could
offer through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA),
EUCOM or OSD. End Summary.

SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
--------------


2. (U) Excess stockpiles of destabilized unexploded
conventional munitions (DUCMs) dispersed throughout the
country represent the single most dangerous threat to
national security in Albania. The previous communist
government of Albania maintained a national security strategy
of "defense in place" based on their policy of "every citizen
a soldier." As a result, the government built up vast
stockpiles of munitions that it dispersed among 40 depots
scattered throughout the country. Most of these munitions
are now over 30 years old and in an extremely dangerous state
of decay, liable to self-explode. Furthermore, many of these
depots are placed adjacent to or even inside civilian
populations. In one instance, an elementary school abuts the
depot. DTRA recently completed a survey of 21 of these
depots (7 in October 2007 and 14 in July-August 2008). They

assessed Albania as the worst hazardous munitions site in the
world, both in terms of quantity and risk to civilian
population.


3. (C) Although the March 15 tragedy at Gerdec involved many
complicating factors, it proved an example of the real and
present danger posed by Albania's DUCMs. DTRA assessed that
it is not a question of "if" another explosion like Gerdec
will happen, but "when." Their assessment is that it could
likely occur within a year or sooner. Besides causing
serious human loss, such an event could topple the
government.


4. (U) While the MoD estimates excess munitions at 100,000
tons, DTRA's report discovered ample discrepancies in the
MoD inventories and speculated a much higher level of excess
munitions.

EFFORTS TO DATE
--------------


5. (S) The USG and international donors have been involved in
various demilitarization projects in Albania for several
years. From 2002 to 2007, NATO (through NAMSA with Canada as
lead nation and USG support among others) ran a 6 million
euro small arms and light weapons project which installed an
incinerator at the Mjekes explosives facility and destroyed
8,000 tons of mostly 7-14mm ammunitions and hand-grenades.
The OSCE is currently overseeing a project to remove melange
(rocket fuel) to Sweden. The USG has also run several
projects, including the elimination of sea and landmines and
most recently MANPADS (the last of 273 MANPADS were just
destroyed in-country on October 23). The Department of State
Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) is currently
providing USD 4.1 million for the clean-up of the Gerdec
explosion (which is estimated to take anywhere up to three
years). PM/WRA has also allotted USD 4.5 million for a
project to demilitarize 82mm mortars. Although this project
has been delayed by Albanian government bureaucracy, this
effort will represent the first concrete step toward
long-term stockpile reduction, to which PM/WRA has pledged
USD 2 million per year for ten years.

6. (U) Until this year, though, the GOA has had no
overarching demilitarization strategy. In spring of this
year, ODC helped the MoD develop a National Demilitarization
Plan which DefMin Oketa then presented to international
donors on July 18. The plan has subsequently been revised to
factor in the Gerdec tragedy and DTRA's recommendations.
According to the Plan, the MoD hopes to eliminate the most
dangerous category of excess munitions within three years and
all other excess munitions by 2015. The plan establishes two
industrial demil facilities at Mjekes and Polican. Each site
can operate two separate demil lines simultaneously. The
plan also calls for 5 detonation sites for the destruction of
the most dangerous category of munitions. The plan is
estimated to cost 4 billion lek (USD 380 million).


6. (U) Besides current US funding of the 82mm line and
Gerdec, the Danish have offered 150,000 euro for
demilitarization efforts. We have advised them to spend this
money on four saws to upgrade Polican and Mjekes. The Dutch
have also assigned an advisor to the MoD who is currently
working in our ODC office. He is helping to coordinate a
possible offer of training assistance from the Dutch. There
are currently no other concrete international offers of
assistance. This may be for lack of concrete suggestions.


7. (C) To date, actual demilitarization has not begun. The
MoD has been hampered by internal bureaucratic wrangling,
lack of internal coordination, and lack of expertise within
the GOA. Polican and Mjekes were originally scheduled to
begin work by the end of August. Neither have commenced work
yet. Likewise, six detonation sites for the most dangerous
munitions have just barely been approved. The MoD currently
has 143 million lek (USD 13.6 million) of its FY2008 budget
allotted for demil, but has spent almost none to date due to
lack of forward movement and will lose it all at the end of
the fiscal year. In an effort to alleviate these problems,
Oketa has appointed a "demilitarization czar" to coordinate
all the various GOA actors. However, the appointee - Fatmir
Bozdo - is a civilian munitions engineer with no management
experience, and has not been given authority to issue orders.
The ODC,s on-site contractor has stepped into this role in
the absence of Bozdo's leadership, but is hampered by its
status as a contractor.

ACTION REQUEST
--------------


7. (U) The Albanian CHOD has requested, and we support, the
one-year assignment of a US EOD officer to the Ministry of
Defense to act as an advisor to the Minister and a
coordinator of demilitarization activities in Albania.
First, as an EOD expert, he would be able to advise the
Minister on the details of issue. Second, as an officer, he
would command the respect necessary to work with the Albanian
Armed Forces (AAF). We are aware of the scarcity of such
officers in the active duty military and as an alternative,
would suggest the assignment of a reservist. We can work
with EUCOM to identify several reservists through Albania,s
State Partnership Program with the New Jersey National Guard.


8. (U) Given the long-term nature of the problem, we look
forward to discussing with State, DoD and EUCOM additional,
more long-term avenues of assistance to the GOA.
WITHERS