(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING ON

S E C R E T STATE 071032 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2034 TAGS: PINR TI SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING ON TAJIKISTANI OFFICIALS DURING APRIL-JUNE 2009 REF: A. DUSHANBE 000489 ¶B. DUSHANBE 000508 ¶C. DUSHANBE 000618 ¶D. DUSHANBE 000702 ¶E. DUSHANBE 000704 ¶F. DUSHANBE 000786 ¶G. DUSHANBE 000406 ¶H. DUSHANBE 000575 Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND POST FOR ITS BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING ON TAJIKISTANI OFFICIALS. REFS A-H ARE EXAMPLES OF THE TYPE OF REPORTING ON WHICH INR/B RELIES IN PULLING TOGETHER BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS FOR USE BY US POLICYMAKERS. ¶A. (C) REF A (&BOUCHER FINDS COOPERATION ON AFGHANISTAN, BUT REFORM ON THE SLOW TRACK IN TAJIKISTAN8) PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON THE ATMOSPHERICS OF THE MEETING, INCLUDING PRESIDENT RAHMON,S &DISENGAGED8 DEMEANOR WHEN THE TOPIC OF ECONOMIC REFORM WAS RAISED. RAHMON,S &WEAK UNDERSTANDING OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATER SHARING ISSUES8 AND HIS TENDENCY TO BLAME IT ALL ON UZBEKISTAN FIT WELL INTO HIS OVERALL APPROACH TO GOVERNING. ¶B. (C) REF B (&ZARIFI BLOWS A GASKET OVER AUDIT OF NATIONAL BANK AND U.S. NON-SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND LOAN, WANTS TO REVIEW THE RELATIONSHIP8) NICELY CAPTURED TAJIKISTAN,S OVERLY DRAMATIC FOREIGN MINISTER &IN ANGER MODE.8 ¶C. (C) REF C (&GOVERNMENT TRIES TO TACKLE FINANCIAL CRISIS, BUT SHADOW OF BANK AUDIT LOOMS8) ALSO OFFERED GOOD DATA POINTS ON THE CAVALIER ATTITUDE OF TAJIKISTANI OFFICIALS, INCLUDING STATE ADVISOR MATLUBKHON DAVLATOV AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE MINISTER GULOMJON BOBOZODA, CONCERNING THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND TAJIKISTAN,S SCANDAL-PLAGUED RELATIONS WITH THE IMF. ¶D. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS GREATLY APPRECIATED THE PERSONAL NOTES ON RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO TAJIKISTAN YURI POPOV IN REF D (&NEW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR PROPOSES CLOSER COOPERATION8). ¶E. (C) REF E (&RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS OFFICIALS IN TAJIKISTAN: WHO,S RUNNING THE SHOW8) INCLUDED A DETAILED PORTRAIT OF MURODULLO DAVLATOV, THE HEAD OF THE ISLAMIC CENTER UNDER PRESIDENT RAHMON,S EXECUTIVE OFFICE. REF E PROVIDED HELPFUL LANGUAGE ON DAVLATOV,S DEMEANOR DURING THE MEETING, HIS UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM, HIS CAREER BACKGROUND, AND WHAT ROLE HE PLAYS IN FORMULATING THE GOVERNMENT OF TAJIKISTAN,S POLICIES ON RELIGION. ¶F. (S) REF F (&WHO KILLED FORMER TAJIK INTERIOR MINISTER SOLEHOV8) GAVE A NICE OVERVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING SOLEHOV,S DEATH AND WHAT IT REVEALS ABOUT RAHMON,S HOLD ON POWER. ¶G. (SBU) REFS G AND H (&IF I WERE A RICH MAN ) HASSAN ASADULLOZODA DONATES A SYNAGOGUE8) AND (&TAJIKISTAN,S NEW SYNAGOGUE: BUSINESS, CENTRAL ASIA STYLE8) PROVIDED AN AMUSING AND INFORMATIVE LOOK AT WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BUSINESS ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN RAHMON, BROTHER-IN-LAW ASADULLOZODA, AND SOVIET-BORN ISRAELI DIAMOND AND REAL ESTATE MOGUL LEV LEVIEV. ¶2. (SBU) THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OUTSTANDING REPORTING. WE WELCOME ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON TAJIKISTANI OFFICIALS. REGARDS FROM WASHINGTON. CLINTON