EXBS ADVISOR September 12 to October 25, 2009 MONTH END

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003438 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC DFORBES, LSPRINGER, AND JFRIEDMAN SCA/RA FOR JSPILLSBURY SCA/A CBP/INATR GRISING AND JJEFFERS DHS/ICE FOR AMEFFERD DOE/NNSA FOR JCOLLINS DOC/BIS FOR DCREED USCG FOR SHABTEMICHAEL AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CBP ATTACHE AMEMBASSY MOSCOW FOR ICE ATTACHE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL KG AF SUBJECT: EXBS ADVISOR September 12 to October 25, 2009 MONTH END REPORT, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN ¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: EXBS activities during this reporting period included: ¶1. (U) EXBS staff and a Commonwealth Trading Partner (CTP) legislative Development Expert completed consultations on export control legislation with the GIRoA; EXBS approved two modifications to a contract for refurbishment to a server room for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; met with a Customs ICD contractor and the Embassy to complete warranty work for two large forklifts that will be delivered to Towrhkam and Island Qalah border crossing ports; met with Afghan Government officials to complete preparations for sending an Afghan delegation to the United States for training and meetings in Washington, DC from October 25 to November 14, 2009, and attended three border coordination meetings in Kabul. II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR REPORTING PERIOD (KABUL, AFGHANISTAN): ¶A. Site Assessments and Meetings held during this Reporting Period. ¶1. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff and the Senior Consultant and Project Manager for Commonwealth Trading Partners, Mr. Toomas Raba held a five-day consultation visit in Kabul with Afghan Government officials to discuss legislative development assistance with representatives from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Afghan Customs, Afghan Border Police, and Afghan Ministry of Justice. This consultation visit is the fifth in a series of consultations that will provide advice and guidance to the GIRiA leading to the completion of draft export control legislation that satisfies international standards including the requirements of UNSCR 1540. ¶2. (U) During this report period the EXBS Advisor met with the construction company contracted to refurbish two secure rooms at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The rooms will house some of the computers and servers for a computer based licensing systems EXBS will donate to the MoCI. MoCI requested that EXBS modify the contract to include a second window and rerouting the wiring under the new insulated flooring. The EXBS Advisor approved the modifications. A representative of the company installing the licensing system was supposed to install the hardware and software by November 19, 2009. However, all visitors staying over thirty days in Afghanistan per year must attend two one-week security awareness training programs prior to travel. This pushes back the project installation phase to January, 2010 ¶3. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff visited the Afghan Customs Inland Customs Depot (ICD) to meet with a contractor to discuss the completion of warranty work on two 13.5 ton forklifts prior to shipment to Islam Qalah and Towr Khan border crossing points. The warranty work is scheduled to be completed before November 1. ¶4. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff assisted six Afghan Government officials to obtain U.S. visas to attend a two-week export control workshop at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and a three-day consultation visit in Washington D.C from October 25 to November 14, 2009. Unfortunately three were unable to provide their documents and applications on time and were not granted visas. EXBS Program Coordinator, Roohullah Shekaib will accompany the delegation. ¶5. (U) During this report period the EXBS Advisor attended three Border Coordination Meetings and one Border Management Working Group KABUL 00003438 002 OF 002 meeting to discuss coordinating assistance among U.S. government agencies and other donors to the Afghan Government border agencies. ¶6. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff met with Dr. Abdul Malik, Head of the Radiation Protection and Radiation Safety Department of the Kabul Ministry of Health to discuss a training proposal submitted by Dr. Malik. EXBS requested that Dr.Malik submit a proposal for providing a nuclear, chemical, explosives and radiation safety train-the-trainer program to twenty Afghan Customs and Border Police. The proposal submitted by Dr. Malik was very comprehensive and expensive. EXBS will work with Dr. Malik to make the proposal more realistic. ¶B. Training Conducted During Report Period. ¶1. (U) From October 18 - 22, 2009 EXBS and Commonwealth Trading Partners (CTP),a Legislative Development Consultation company, held a Legislative Development Workshop at the Serena Hotel in Kabul. Eight Afghan Government officials participated in the five-day workshop. The visit Afghan Government requested CTP to follow-up on five export control workshops provide in 2008 and 2009. CTP will assist the Afghan Government in drafting an Export Control Law that conforms to international standards. The next visit will be scheduled in December. ¶C. Training Programs Pending. ¶1. None III. RED FLAG ISSUES: ¶1. (U) Three Afghan Government Officials scheduled to attend a two-week Export Control Workshop at the University of Georgia and a three-day consultative visit in WADC was denied visas. The visas were denied because, despite repeated request over a two-month period, the Afghans failed to complete their visa applications and submit their documents to the Embassy Consular section in a timely fashion. While the Embassy Consular section will work with us to its best ability, the average processing time for Afghan visas is 2 - 3 weeks. EIKENBERRY