US embassy cable - 05ALMATY914

UNCLAS  ALMATY 000914 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR NP/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JGABRYSZEWSKI 
CBP/INA FOR PWALKER AND CDONOFRIO 
USDOE/NNSA FOR TPERRY 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DMARTIN 
DOC FOR PETERSON-BEARD 
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE 
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE FOR EXBS 
ADVISORS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, MNUC, PARM, PREL, KSTC, KNNP, KZ, EXBS 
SUBJECT:  EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN EXBS MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - 
22 JANUARY - 28 FEBRUARY, 2005 
 
1. Summary:  The EXBS staff: 
 
   On January 27 - 28, 2005, Commonwealth Trading Partners 
(CTP), contractors for State Department Export Control and 
Related Border Security Assistance Program (EXBS), 
presented an Industry Outreach Compliance Workshop at the 
Almaty Hyatt Hotel to seventeen participants from 
Kazakhstan Customs and Ministry of Internal Affairs. The 
workshop was to support and enhance Kazakhstan's efforts to 
solicit the assistance of industry and human sources of 
information relating to suspicious acquisition of 
controlled technologies, and munitions.  Instructors for 
this course were Douglas Evans and Kevin Cummings. 
 
   On February 1 - 2, 2005, CTP presented an Integrity 
Awareness Workshop at the Almaty Hyatt Hotel, to Kazakhstan 
Custom's supervisors, mid-level supervisors, and customs 
officers active in the field of detection, identification 
and investigation of illicit transit and transfer of 
weapons of mass destruction at Kazakhstan border ports of 
entry.  Instructors for this course were, Douglas Evans, 
and Dr. Neal Trauma. EXBS Program Manager, Gulnara 
Abildaeva, and EXBS Advisor Richard Morrissey attended both 
of these training workshops. 
 
   On January 30, 2005, EXBS Advisor Richard Morrissey met 
with Mr.Tim Harmon, ITC Technology, Almaty, Kazakhstan to 
discuss an RFQ, that Mr. Harmon's company submitted in 
fiscal year 2004, to build English language classrooms, 
equipped with computer equipment at Almaty and Astana for 
use by Border Guard and Custom officers.  Funding for this 
project is pending with DOS/NP and DHS/U.S. Customs. 
 
   Drafted two diplomatic notes, and prepared four country 
clearance requests for EXBS sponsored programs. 
 
End Summary 
 
MEETINGS AND VISITS 
 
1.  On January 27 - 28, 2005, Program Manager Abildaeva, 
and EXBS Advisor Morrissey, attended an Industry Outreach 
Compliance Workshop presented by Commonwealth Trading 
Partners (CTP), held at the Almaty Hyatt Hotel.  There were 
seventeen attendees from Kazakhstan Customs and Internal 
Affairs.  It should be noted that during this same time 
frame that DTRA and INL presented training to government of 
Kazakhstan employees. 
 
2.   On February 1 - 2, 2005, Program Manager Abildaeva, 
and EXBS Advisor Morrissey, attended an Integrity Awareness 
Workshop, presented by Commonwealth Trading Partners (CTP), 
held at the Almaty Hyatt Hotel.  There were twenty-five 
Kazakhstan Customs supervisors, mid-level supervisors, and 
Customs officers active in the field of detection, 
identification, and investigation of illicit transit and 
transfer of weapons of mass destruction. 
 
3.   It should be noted that participants in both training 
classes provided positive feedback on the professionalism 
and knowledge of the subject matter experts who presented 
these courses.  The attendees expressed interest in 
receiving additional training, including "train the 
trainer" classes in the near future. 
 
B. TRAINING STATUS 
 
Training dates are reported for two years. 
 
 
1. March 4 - 6, 2003. 
Radiation Survey Meter training for 22 Border Guard and 
Customs Officers in Almaty. 
Instructor:  SOLO Ltd. Co. Manufacture of the Meters. 
 
2. March 24 - 27, 2003. 
DOD/FBI Counter Proliferation Criminal Investigators 
Training Course for WMD. 
 
3. March 28 - April 2, 2003. 
Procurement training for EXBS LES employees. 
 
4. March 31 - April 2, 2003. 
DOE Commodity Identification Training. 
 
5. April 4 - May 9, 2003. 
Five U.S. Customs Service IBIT training programs with 12 
CITK deliveries. 
 
6. June 23 - 25, 2003. 
National Control List workshop for licensing officials from 
government and industry held in Astana. 
 
7. July 28 - August 1, 2003. 
National Control List workshop for licensing officials from 
government and industry held in Almaty. 
 
8. August 11 - 15, 2003. 
DTRA/US Customs WMD Investigators Analyst training held in 
Almaty for twenty-one investigators from Border Guard and 
Customs. 
 
9. September 16 - 19, 2003. 
DTRA/FBI Counter-Proliferation WMD Criminal Investigations 
Program held in Almaty for thirty-five investigators from 
police and emergency situation services. 
 
10. October 12- 14, 2003. 
DOE-X-Ray van operation and maintenance training held for 
20 Customs and Border Guards at Koradji. 
 
11. January 8 - 27, 2004. 
Advanced IBIT Training for seventeen English-speaking 
border guard and customs officers held in Hidalgo, Texas. 
 
12. June 23 -24, 2004. 
DOE Industry Outreach Seminar on Export Controls and 
establishing an effective internal compliance program held 
in Astana. 
 
13. December 6 - 9, 2004. 
Targeting and Risk Management Workshop held in Astana, 
Kazakhstan for 30 Customs inspectors and Customs 
specialists. 
 
14.  January 27 - 28, 2005. 
Industry Outreach Compliance Workshop held at Almaty Hyatt 
Hotel for seventeen Kazakhstan Customs and Internal Affairs 
officers. 
 
15.  February 1 - 2, 2005. 
Integrity Awareness Workshop held at the Almaty Hyatt Hotel 
for twenty-five Kazakhstan supervisors, mid-level 
supervisors and customs officers active in the field of 
detection, identification, and investigation of illicit 
transit and transfer of weapons of mass destruction. 
 
 
Proposed Training Programs: 
 
1. Proposal for a regional border guard "TRACKER" training 
program to be conducted by CBP Indian Tracker Program, to 
train border guards from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and 
Kyrgyzstan. Each country would send 15 border guard 
officers to the Almaty Kazakhstan border guard training 
facility for the two-week course. The EXBS program in each 
country would pay for participants from their respective 
countries. The program has been postponed until FY-05. 
C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD. 
 
1. No equipment was delivered during the reporting period. 
 
2. Total equipment delivered, plus funded and pending 
delivery is $7,535,960.83. 
 
F. OTHER SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS THAT AFFECT EXPORT 
CONTROLS AND BORDER SECURITY. 
 
III. RED FLAG ISSUES. 
 
1. The Kazakhstan EXBS Office continues to receive requests 
to conduct training within country with little or no lead 
time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has advised the 
EXBS Office that they require a minimum of 45-60 days from 
receipt of an action cable to properly prepare and handle 
the tasks required. 
 
   It takes a minimum of three to four days to properly 
prepare a Diplomatic Note in English and Russian, and have 
it vetted by appropriate Embassy officials.  Then, it must 
be forwarded to MFA in Astana, Kazakhstan. The MFA requests 
a three to four week time frame from the day they receive a 
diplomatic note for action.  Once MFA receives the 
Diplomatic Note, they then task the appropriate in country 
agencies. These agencies would also like a three to four 
week time span to prepare and respond to MFA. 
 
   Some of the tasking cable received for action within the 
EXBS Office does not allow sufficient time to make hotel 
and conference room reservations, obtain interpreters and 
specialized equipment for the proposed training. In 
addition, procurement regulations and Embassy policy 
require that we must obtain three separate bids from 
various vendors to meet GSO/B&F requirements.  Finally, by 
repeatedly sending Diplomatic Notes with a short turn 
around, we needlessly antagonize our host country 
officials.  For this reason, Embassy Almaty requests that 
any action cable be received no less than 45 days, 
preferably 60 days, before the event in question. 
 
Dushanbe minimize considered. 
 
 
Ordway 
 
 
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