REQUEST FOR FY09 USCENTCOM/SOCCENT COUNTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000759 SIPDIS CENTCOM FOR CCJ5, SOCCENT FOR J33, DIA FOR DHO-2 STATE FOR SCA/CEN MOSCOW FOR DEA OFFICE E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2029 TAGS: PGOV PREL MASS SNAR KZ SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR FY09 USCENTCOM/SOCCENT COUNTER NARCOTERRORISM TRAINING EVENT CKZ2009CNT021N WITH KAZAKHSTANI SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES REF: A. CJCSI 3710.01 CJCS 28 MAY 93 ¶B. GENDAMIN JOINT STAFF 071300Z JUN 04 ¶C. ASTANA 00525 DTG 240940Z MAR 09 ¶D. SECSTATE 33993 DTG 071853Z APR 09 Classified By: CDA Kevin Milas, Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFS A AND B, THIS MESSAGE IS AN EMBASSY ASTANA REQUEST FOR FY09 DOD OPERATIONAL SUPPORT UNDER 1004, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT 1991, AS AMENDED, FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTER NARCO TERRORISM (CNT) TRAINING DEPLOYMENT (CKZ2009CNT021N) WITH THE KAZAKHSTAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOF) DURING 4TH QUARTER FY09. ¶2. (SBU) U.S. AGENCY REQUESTING CNT EVENT. THIS REQUEST IS MADE AND COORDINATED BY DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (DEA) MOSCOW REGIONAL OFFICE DIRECTOR MR. TIMOTHY JONES, AND HAS RECEIVED THE APPROVAL OF AMEMBASSY ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN. ¶3. (C) PARTNER NATION (PN) ORGANIZATIONS REQUESTING THIS EVENT. DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, UNDER MR TILEGEN, HAS REQUESTED THAT THE KAZ SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT 41433 RECEIVE THIS PROPOSED TRAINING. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CNT TRAINING -------------- ¶4. (C) NARCOTICS ULTIMATELY DESTINED FOR THE U.S. AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS ARE TRANSSHIPPED FROM AFGHANISTAN THROUGH KAZAKHSTAN. EMBASSY ASTANA REPORTING CONCERNING TRANSIT/TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA INDICATES THAT PAST AND CURRENT LEVELS OF NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING ACTIVITY IN KAZAKHSTAN ARE SIGNIFICANT AND ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS YEAR'S POPPY HARVEST IN AFGHANISTAN. THE FUNDS GENERATED FROM THE SALE OF NARCOTICS ARE LIKELY USED TO SUPPORT TERRORIST ACTIVITY AND ORGANIZED CRIME. THESE ARE DESTABILIZING FACTORS IN THE USCENTCOM AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. ¶5. (C) THE KAZAKHSTAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES REQUESTED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DEA MOSCOW REGIONAL OFFICE IN COORDINATING THE FOLLOWING TRAINING: CLOSE-QUARTER COMBAT (CQC),BASIC AND ADVANCED MARKSMANSHIP, VISIT BOARD SEARCH AND SEIZURE (VBSS), MISSION BRIEFING, SMALL BOAT OPERATIONS TO INCLUDE EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE TRAINING, WEAPONS TRAINING AT SEA, NAVIGATION, COXSWAIN SKILLS, HARBOR FAMILIARIZATION, AND COMMAND AND CONTROL. TRAINING WILL BE CONDUCTED AT WESTERN REGIONAL COMMAND SITES IN ATYRAU AND AKTAU, KAZAKHSTAN. OTHER TRAINING LOCATIONS WITHIN KAZAKHSTAN MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE HOST NATION. ¶6. (C) COUNTER-NARCOTIC JUSTIFICATION: A TACTICAL CNT PROGRAM PROMOTES GREATER REGIONAL STABILITY, AND DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS TRANSITING THROUGH KAZAKHSTAN AND CENTRAL ASIA TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS IN RUSSIA, EUROPE, AND THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS AN INDIRECT APPROACH FOR DEFEATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND INSURGENTS THAT THREATEN THE STABILITY OF THE CENTRAL ASIA REGION. IN THE POST 9/11 ENVIRONMENT, A KAZAKHSTAN CNT CAPABILITY HAS BECOME MORE CRITICAL IN COMBATING TERRORIST/NARCOTICS ACTIVITY AND SUPPORTS USCENTCOM THEATER OBJECTIVES FOR SECURITY COOPERATION AND BOTH CENTCOM'S AND THE U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND'S (USSOCCOM) REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM OBJECTIVES. ¶7. (C) THE KAZ MILITARY UNIT 41433, SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND, AMONG OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, IS THE PRIMARY COUNTER NARCO TERRORIST (CNT) SPECIAL OPERATIONS CAPABLE FORCE IN KAZAKHSTAN. THE CONTINUATION OF THE CENTCOM, SOCCENT, AND EMBASSY ASTANA CNT TRAINING PROGRAM, AS PART OF ASTANA 00000759 002 OF 002 THE OVERALL FOREIGN INTERNAL DEFENSE (FID) STRATEGY AND PROGRAM FOR KAZAKHSTAN, WOULD EXPAND AND INCREASE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG COMBINED AND UNIFIED U.S./KAZAKHSTAN EFFORT IN DISRUPTING THE ESCALATION OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS SMUGGLED THROUGH CENTRAL ASIA AND DENYING INSURGENTS AND TERRORISTS ACCESS TO A CRITICAL FUNDING SOURCE FOR CONTINUED TERRORIST AND INSURGENT OPERATIONS IN THE REGION. ¶8. (C) EMBASSY ASTANA REQUESTS THAT PRE-DEPLOYMENT SITE SURVEYS (PDSS) AND/OR ASSESSMENTS BE SCHEDULED FOR ALL EVENTS. TRAINING WILL BE CONDUCTED AT ATYRAU AND AKTAU, KAZAKHSTAN. OTHER TRAINING LOCATIONS WITHIN KAZAKHSTAN MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE HOST NATION. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: THE DEA MOSCOW REGIONAL OFFICE UNDERSTANDS THAT CJCS STANDING RULES OF ENGEMENT (ROE) ARE IN EFFECT. DEPLOYING FORCES WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ACCOMPANY U.S. DEA, OR PN COUNTER-PARTS ON ACTUAL CNT FIELD OPERATIONS OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITY IN WHICH HOSTILITIES ARE IMMINENT. EMBASSY ASTANA AND DEA MOSCOW REGIONAL OFFICE FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT UNITS AND INDIVIDUALS DEPLOYED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES, AND POSSESSIONS WILL NOT DEPLOY TO KAZAKHSTAN WITH ASSIGNED WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION. ¶10. (C) JUSTIFICATION. US SOF UNITS AND INDIVIDUALS MUST BE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THEIR OWN FORCE PROTECTION WHEN FORWARD DEPLOYED IN ALL THREAT ENVIRONMENTS. EMBASSY ASTANA RSO MR. LEROY BOWERS IS THE COORDINATING OFFICIAL FOR ALL WEAPONS, AMMUNITION, AND OTHER SENSITIVE ITEMS ISSUES. MR. BOWERS CAN BE CONTACTED AT THE EMBASSY ASTANA AT COMM: 7-7172-702396 OR 7-7172-702100 OR E-MAIL: BOWERSL@STATE.SGOV.GOV. HUMAN RIGHTS VERIFICATION -------------- ¶11. (SBU) REFTEL C IS EMBASSY ASTANA'S LEAHY HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUEST FOR THE KAZ SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT 41433. REFTEL D IS THE RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST STATING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POSSESSES NO CREDIBLE INFORMATION OF GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE IDENTIFIED UNIT AND COMMANDER. POINTS OF CONTACT FOR TRAINING -------------- ¶12. (SBU) THE OFFICE OF MILITARY COOPERATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING THE CNT TEAM WITH ISSUES WHILE IN KAZAKHSTAN. DEA MOSCOW REGIONAL DIRECTOR MR. TIMOTHY JONES WILL BE KEPT INFORMED OF ANY ISSUES SHOULD THEY ARISE. ¶13. (SBU) ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS CABLE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO DEA REGIONAL DIRECTOR MR. TIMOTHY JONES AT 7-495-728-5218, OR CHIEF, OFFICE OF MILITARY COOPERATION, AMEMB ASTANA LTC JAMES YENTZ AT 7-7172-702321. MILAS