US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1612

C O N F I D E N T I A L  DUSHANBE 001612 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/5/2015 
TAGS: MCAP, TI 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0003 06/ ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE GBAO (U) 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jonathan Edwards, DATT, USDAO Dushanbe, DIA. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SERIAL:  (U) IIR 6 947 0003 06. 
 
COUNTRIES:  (U) TAJIKISTAN (TI), RUSSIA (RS). 
 
IPSP:  (U)IFC2510; IFC2540; IFC2550; IFC2061; IFC2000; IFC1367; 
IFC1347. 
 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0003 06/ ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE GBAO (U) 
 
WARNING:  (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY 
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.  REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
DOI:  (U) 20050917. 
 
REQS: (U) DHCD081002, DHCD111053, DHCD111045, DHCD045062, 
DHCD045058, U-TCX-2060-005-04. 
 
SOURCE:  A. (C) //MEMBER DAO DUSHANBE// MEMBER OBSERVED REPORTED 
FACILITIES WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A JOINT EMBASSY/DAO VISIT TO 
THE REGION.  CONTEXT STATEMENT - MEMBER OBSERVED FACILITIES 
WHILE ENROUTE. 
 
B.  (C/NF) //OTS 6-947-0032-05// FOREIGN NGO WORKER WITH 
LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO THE REGION.  CONTEXT STATEMENT - RO MET 
SOURCE WHEN SOURCE REQUESTED CHANCE TO PITCH GRANT PROPOSAL TO 
STATE REP.  SOURCE WAS VERY FORTHCOMING ABOUT CONDITIONS IN THE 
REGION. 
 
C.  (C/NF)  //OTS 6-947-0033-05// HOST NATION CONSCRIPT BORDER 
GUARD WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.  CONTEXT STATEMENT 
- RO MET SOURCE WHILE AWAITING PERMISSION TO ENTER BORDER GUARD 
POST. 
 
D.  (C/NF)  //6 947 0024// RETIRED WESTERN MILITARY OFFICER 
CURRENTLY WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WITH DIRECT 
ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION.  USDAO HAS AN ESTABLISHED 
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOURCE.  CONTEXT STATEMENT - RO AND SOURCE MET 
IN AN INFORMAL DIPLOMATIC SETTING. SOURCE IS AWARE THAT 
INFORMATION WILL REACH U.S. GOVERNMENT. 
 
SUMMARY:  (C) INFO ON SUSPECTED RUSSIAN RADAR DOME, SUSPECTED 
DRUG BORDER CROSSING POINT, OBSERVED CROSS-RIVER TRAFFIC, AND 
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN GORNO-BADAKHSHAN. 
 
TEXT: 1.  (C) IN THE VILLAGE OF BASH GUMBEZ 
//GEOCOORD: 3746.499N/07332.626E// RO OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO 
BE A LARGE RADAR DOME.  ACCORDING TO SOURCE B THIS MIGHT HAVE 
BEEN A RUSSIAN RADAR SITE TO WHICH JOURNALISTS HAD BEEN DENIED 
ACCESS.  WHEN RO APPROACHED SITE, THE DOME WAS FOUND TO BE 
EMPTY.  LOCAL VILLAGERS CLAIMED THE SITE HAD BEEN A RUSSIAN 
METEOROLOGICAL STATION. 
 
2.  (C) WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE PYANJ RIVER RO STOPPED TO 
OBSERVE AFGHAN SIDE OF BORDER AT //GEOCOORD: 
3821.304N/07109.564E//.  A BORDER GUARD SOLDIER APPROACHED RO TO 
OFFER ASSISTANCE.  HE SAID HIS UNIT, AN 8 MAN TEAM, HAD 
ESTABLISHED AN OBSERVATION POINT TO COVER THIS POINT - STATING 
THAT IT WAS A KNOWN CROSSING POINT.  SOLDIER CLAIMED THAT ONCE 
DRUGS WERE BROUGHT ACROSS THE RIVER, VEHICLES PICKED THEM UP 
FROM THIS POINT FOR FURTHER TRANSPORTATION. 
 
3. (C) JUST SOUTH OF THE VILLAGE OF TOGMAY //GEOCOORD: 
3826N/07103E// RO OBSERVED A ZODIAC TYPE BOAT BEING LOADED WITH 
METAL ROOFING MATERIALS ON THE TAJIK SIDE OF THE RIVER.  RO ALSO 
OBSERVED LUMBER ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER.  APPROXIMATELY 8 
BORDER GUARDS, INCLUDING A CAPTAIN, WERE SUPERVISING THE 
OPERATION.  ACROSS THE RIVER WAS AN AFGHAN VILLAGE WITH NO OTHER 
ACCESS TO IT OTHER THAN A CLIFF-HUGGING DONKEY TRAIL.  THE 
BORDER GUARD CAPTAIN WAS ADAMANT ABOUT NO PICTURES OR QUESTIONS 
FROM RO AND ACCOMPANYING STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS.  WHEN ASKED 
ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS AN ILLEGAL OPERATION, A BORDER GUARD 
SOLDIER APPEARED TO SMILE KNOWINGLY.  (FIELD NOTE: RO OBSERVED 
ONLY CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL BEING TRANSPORTED, AND THERE IS A 
TAJIK PRESIDENTIAL ORDER THAT ALLOWS THESE TYPES OF CROSSINGS - 
SEE STATE DUSHANBE CABLE 00001503 FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE 
ORDER.  THAT SAID, RO'S IMPRESSION BASED ON BORDER GUARD 
CAPTAIN'S RESPONSE WAS THAT SOMETHING UN-KOSHER WAS OCCURRING. 
END NOTE.) 
 
4.  (C).  THERE IS A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PYANJ RIVER AT ISHKASHIM 
//GEOCOORD: 3644.948N/07134.803E//. 
 
 
5.  (C). THERE IS A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PYANJ RIVER AT 
KARA-I-KHUMB //GEOCOORD: 3827.276N/07049.705E//. 
 
6. (C) TURKISH COMPANY CONSTRUCTION SITE.  THIS SITE IS THE BASE 
OF OPERATIONS FOR A TURKISH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY UPGRADING THE 
MAIN ROAD BETWEEN KULYOB AND KHOROG ON THE PANJ RIVER.  THE SITE 
HAS A NUMBER OF PREFAB BUILDINGS, IS SURROUNDING BY A WIRE 
TOPPED CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND HAS A CONCRETE HELICOPTER PAD JUST 
OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER 
//GEOCOORD: 3759.478N/07018.151E//.  ACCORDING TO SOURCE D THIS 
SITE IS LOCATED IN WHAT WAS A HEAVILY MINED AREA - WITH OVER 70 
MINES RECOVERED FROM THE SITE.  IN ADDITION, SOURCE D STATED 
THAT WHEN FIRST OPENED THIS SITE REGULARLY CAME UNDER FIRE FROM 
THE AFGHAN SIDE, UNTIL THE TURKISH COMPANY PAID OFF THE AFGHANS. 
 
7. (C) DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHIC TITLING LOG.  ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC 
ENCLOSURES TO IIR 6 947 0003 06 ARE CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL. 
THEY WERE ACQUIRED IN THE GORNO-BADAKHSHAN AUTONOMOUS REGION ON 
20050912-0919 USING A SONY CYBERSHOT 7.2MP, SN 1411693, GROUND. 
 
FRAMES  DESCRIPTION 
01              KHOROG AIRFIELD. AIRFIELD SUPPORTS ONE CIVILIAN 
FLIGHT (TAJIK AIR YAK-40) PER DAY IN GOOD WEATHER. 
 
02-04   ZODIAK CROSSING THE PYANZ AND SUPPLIES ON AFGHAN SIDE. 
 
05-06   APPROX 180 DEGREES. INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE AT ISHKASHIM. 
 
07-09   INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE AT KARA-I-KHUMB. 
 
10      POST-BAZAAR GATHERING ON AFGHAN SIDE OF BRIDGE AT 
KARA-I-KHUMB, 20050918. 
 
11-12   WEST END OF ISHKASHIM AIRFIELD.  AIRFIELD IS NOT CURRENTLY 
USED FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CIVILIAN FLIGHTS. 
 
13-15   EMPTY GEODESIC DOME IN VILLAGE OF BASH GUMBEZ. 
 
 
COMMENTS: 1. (C) FIELD COMMENT: NONE. 
 
2.  (U) SOURCE IS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER CONTACT. 
 
3.  (U) DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS IIR TO DIA/DHO-2 AT 
STU III (202) 231-7299, OR DSN 428-7299. 
 
COLL: (U) AB. 
INSTR:  (U) U.S.  NO. 
 
PREP:  (U) 6-04797. 
ENCL: (U) NONE. 
ACQ:  (U)  DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (20050917) 
DISSEM:  (U)  FIELD:  EMBASSY AT DUSHANBE. 
WARNING:  (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN 
DRVD FM: DHS HUMINT SCG OCT 04 
DECL ON:  20150927 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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