EXBS: TURKMENISTAN EXBS ADVISOR MONTHLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001226 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC JHARTSHORN, LSPRINGER, and JFRIEDMAN SCA/CEN FOR JGORKOWSKI SCA/RA FOR JMCCLELLAN DHS/CBP BMCCRAY DHS/ICE FOR AMEFFERD DOE/NNSA FOR JNOBLE, AND BPENTOLA DOC/BIS FOR DCREED USCG FOR SHABTEMICHAEL AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CBP ATTACHE AMEMBASSY MOSCOW FOR ICE ATTACHE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KG SUBJECT: EXBS: TURKMENISTAN EXBS ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE SEPTEMBER, 2009 ASHGABAT 00001226 001.2 OF 002 ¶A. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: EXBS continues to support the Department of Energy's (DOE) Second Line of Defense (SLD) Program. EXBS conducted XRF equipment training during August. Advisor continues the process of hiring a second assistant. Challenges with the GoTX continue to hamper efforts to develop the EXBS Program to its fullest. EXBS Advisor was in Uzbekistan as part of his regional responsibilities from 2 - 16 September, and 26 September until 19 October. End summary. ¶B. Completed Actions for Reporting Period. ¶1. Site Assessments and Meetings during this Reporting Period. a. EXBS was forced to withdraw the contract from Turkemngasgeophysics (TGG) for support of the DOE/SLD project due to continued problems. The contract officer with TGG continuously placed roadblocks in the way of a successful contract with TGG for the use of their radioactive sources for testing the portal monitors. First, she proposed that the Embassy pay the tax to her office for the contract. She also requested contract modifications, and when these were resolved, would create a new "necessary" modification. Last, she returned the contract unsigned to her parent organization, requesting they sign it. The parent organization, Turkmengaz, returned it to TGG. It was apparent that the contract was not going to be signed after months of negotiations, meetings and discussions. In the end, hundreds of man- hours were wasted on bureaucracy. EXBS still has hope that a subsequent dipnote requesting approval for importation of U.S. sources for testing will be approved. ¶2. Training Conducted During Reporting Period. a. EXBS facilitated the attendance of one technical export control specialist from the GoTX for the Department of Energy International Nonproliferation Export Control Program (INECP) Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG) for export control specialists and technical experts from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States from 15 - 18 September in Istanbul, Turkey. ¶3. Training Programs Pending. a. The Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection (DHS/CBP) Air Cargo Interdiction Training (IACIT) postponed from 3 - 7 August until 2 - 6 November is further postponed until 29 Mar - 2 Apr due to instructor shortfalls in the DHS/CBP-INA Office. b. EXBS will conduct training for local Customs officials on Radiation Isotope Identification Devices (RIIDS) and the VaporTracer2 to include the donation of 15 detectors at the completion of training. The RIIDs and VaporTracer2 training schedule for 24 - 28 August, was postponed until later this fall. The RIIDs require calibration, which will require the importation of small dose radioactive sources. EXBS is in the process of importing radioactive ASHGABAT 00001226 002.2 OF 002 sources in support of the SLD Program and will build on the success of that importation in order to obtain the calibration sources for the RIIDs. c. EXBS is coordinating for eight Turkmen to participate in the DTRA and NATO Science for Peace and Security Program advanced training conference in Bucharest, Romania, 5 - 9 October 2009. The title of this course is "Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through enhanced border security." The purpose of the course is to enhance the ability of regional border security agencies to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the illegal cross-border trafficking of people and material related to international terrorism. EXBS Advisor and assistant will attend. d. Interdict/RADACAD (Interdiction of Materials and Radiation Academy) will be held 28 June - 2 July, 2010 at the DOE/PNNL HAMMER facility in Richland, Washington for 20-24 Turkmen from Customs and the Border Service. RADACAD trains and equips international border enforcement officers to detect, identify, interdict and investigate all aspects of smuggling related to the proliferation and diversion of material, commodities and components associated with the development and deployment of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD - Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological weapons and their Missile delivery systems). e. An exchange between the GoTX and the Federal Law Enforcement Academy (FLETC) is being coordinated by ISN/ECC for FY2010. ¶4. Equipment Delivered During Reporting Period. XRF: Delayed. ¶5. Equipment Status Update. a. CT-30 kits. EXBS is awaiting the delivery of 4-5 CT-30 Kits from WASHDC. Delivery is expected within FY2009. ¶6. Red Flag Issues. ¶7. CONTACT INFORMATION. Barry A. Johnson is the Regional EXBS Advisor for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and can be reached at johnsonba8@state.gov, or +993-66-30-85-84. EXBS Advisor will be in Tashkent from 24 September until 3 October and 11 - 19 October, and will be in Bucharest for a conference from 3 - 11 October. CURRAN