GOR CLAIMS DIPLOMATIC COURIERS IN KABUL OBSTRUCTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002548 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL ADPM ASEC RS AF SUBJECT: GOR CLAIMS DIPLOMATIC COURIERS IN KABUL OBSTRUCTED Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On October 8, MFA North American Desk Second Secretary Sergey Kuznetsov passed us a nonpaper detailing GOR complaints that their diplomatic couriers in Kabul were stopped and searched by a private security firm at Kabul Arport on October 5. He added that FM Lavrov may raise this issue with the Secretary during their October 13 meeting. The GOR, he said, demanded a full investigation into this incident. ¶2. (SBU) Begin unofficial translation of nonpaper: Staff of the U.S. private security protection company Global, which, under agreement with the Afghan side, ensures security of freight and passenger air carriage, created obstacles to free access of diplomatic cargo to aircraft at the Kabul international airport on October 5, 2009, when diplomatic pouch was being carried from Kabul to Moscow via Ariana air carrier FG-707. In particular, R. Edwards, an employee of the company in question, demanded that the diplomatic cargo go through an X-ray check. Following a protest and lengthy arguing, consular officers managed to convince Mr. Edwards that his actions were unlawful and violated Article 27 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and prevent the checking of diplomatic freight. After that, however, Mr. Edwards, citing instructions from his superiors, which, in his opinion, override any requirements of international rules, demanded that personal examination of the diplomatic couriers be conducted in the general area of the airport, motivating that by the need to ensure flight safety. Because for conducting such a check the couriers had to leave the cargo in the baggage checking area, the possibility of dispatching the pouch was made questionable. The diplomatic couriers were accompanied in turns to the personal check area, after which Mr. Edwards gave his permission to continue delivering diplomatic cargo to the aircraft. In addition, when the diplomatic cargo was being placed in a container to be transported to the aircraft, the same Global representative ordered the diplomatic pouch to be checked by a dog. When consular officers and couriers protested categorically, he said that the dog should not be stopped when working or it would attack our officers. The incident happened in spite of the fact that earlier the Russian Embassy had held meetings with the top management of this security protection company. We express our serious concern over the improper conduct of Global staff members with respect to both diplomatic couriers and diplomatic personnel of the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan. Given that the incident is not the first instance and there have been similar precedents in the past, we demand that the U.S. side conduct a thorough investigation of this incident and ensure a generally accepted procedure for diplomatic pouch in accordance with norms of international law. End translation. Beyrle