US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1621

C O N F I D E N T I A L  DUSHANBE 001621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/7/2015 
TAGS: MCAP, TI 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0022 04/VISIT TO TURSUNZODA BORDER GUARD POST 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jonathan Edwards, DATT, USDAO Dushanbe, DIA. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
CONFIDENTIAL 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SERIAL:  (U) IIR 6 947 0022 04. 
 
COUNTRY:  (U) TAJIKISTAN (TI) 
 
IPSP:  (U) IFC1910; IFC1920. 
 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0022 04/VISIT TO TURSUNZODA BORDER GUARD POST 
TAJIKISTAN ALUMINUM FACTORY (TADAZ) (U). 
 
WARNING:  (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY 
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.  REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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                   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
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DOI:  (U) 20040622 
 
REQS: (U) DHCD111046 
 
SOURCE:  (C) //OTS 6-947-0014-05//A SENIOR HOST NATION CIVILIAN 
INDUSTRIAL LEADER WHO HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. 
FIRST TIME MEETING WITH RO.  CONTEXT STATEMENT: RO RECEIVED 
INFORMATION DURING AN U.S. DELEGATION VISIT TO TAJIK ALUMINUM 
FACTORY. 
 
SUMMARY:  (C) VISIT TO TURZONZODA BORDER GUARD OTRYAD 
HEADQUARTERS AND ALUMINUM FACTORY TAJIK ALUMINUM ZAVOD (TADAZ) 
WITH BASIC INFO ON SUPPLIERS AND OUTPUT.  INTERNAL SECURITY OF 
FACTORY IS 500 TAJIK GUARDS AND EXTERNAL SECURITY IS PROVIDED BY 
A DETACHMENT FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
TAJIKISTAN. 
 
TEXT: 1.  (C) ON DOI, RO VISITED THE TADZHIKSKII ALYUMINNII 
ZAVOD (TADAZ) //GEOCOORD:  38533N/068221E//. RO MET TURSUNZODA 
OTRYAD (UNIT NUMBER 2849COMMANDER, COLONEL ((ABDULKHAIROV)) 
LOCATED AT //GEOCOORD:  38551N/068220E//).  HE STATED THAT THE 
OTRYAD HAS TWO KOMMENDENTURA'S AND TEN ZASTAVS.  THE OTRYAD 
HEADQUARTERS IS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TAJIK ALUMNIUM FACTORY.  RO 
WAS DRIVEN TO ONE ZASTAV LOCATED AT THE UZBEK-TAJIK CROSSING 
POINT.  ZASTAV HAD APPROXIMATELY 35 PERSONNEL.  IT WAS BY FAR 
THE BEST MAINTAINED ZASTAV RO HAS SEEN IN TAJIKISTAN (FIELD 
COMMENT:  IT WAS EVEN BETTER MAINTAINED THAN ANY OF THE RUSSIAN 
ZASTAVS ON THE AFGHAN-TAJIK BORDER THAT RO HAS VISITED, BUT THIS 
ALSO UNDOUBTEDLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST 
WIDELY USED COMMERCIAL BORDER CROSSING POINTS IN TAJIKISTAN, 
WHICH INCREASES RENT SEEKING ACTIVITIES AND CORRUPTION AND HAS 
FOCUSED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM THE BORDER GUARD COMMAND TO 
THIS POST). THE TAJIK NATIONAL GUARD ALSO HAS AN ELEMENT THAT 
PROVIDES SECURITY FOR THE TADAZ.  (Field Comment: From the size 
of the barracks, RO believes this to be a company sized force.) 
 
2.  (C)  WITH REGARD TO THE FACTORY ITSELF, SOURCE STATED THAT 
THE TADAZ PRODUCES 970 TONS OF ALUMINUM PER DAY. THERE ARE 90 
FURNACES IN EACH PRODUCTION BUILDING. THERE ARE 13,000 WORKERS 
ON THREE SHIFTS, SUPPORTING 24 HOUR OPERATIONS. ACCORDING TO 
SOURCE THERE ARE 500 GUARDS. THE TADAZ SENDS 300 TONS TO US; 
OTHER MAJOR DESTINATIONS ARE EUROPE AND TURKEY.  AS OF 2000 
FACTORY DOES NOT SHIP TO RUSSIA DUE TO NEW VALUE ADDED TAX LAWS 
WHICH ADDED A 20% VAT TO ALL ALUMINUM SHIPPED TO RUSSIA. 100 
PERCENT OF ALL RAW MATERIAL AND 95-97% OF ALL ALUMINUM IS 
CONTROLLED BY A COMPANY CALLED HAMER.  WHEN ASKED WHO OWNED THE 
COMPANY AND WHERE THE COMPANY WAS REGISTERED, SOURCE STATED THAT 
IT WAS A COMMERCIAL SECRET. 
 
COMMENTS:  1. (C) FIELD COMMENTS. ACCORDING TO A 2001 STATE INR 
REPORT, TADAZ IS PRACTICALLY THE ONLY STATE ENTERPRISE 
 
GENERATING SIGNIFICANT REVENUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT (CITE INR 
INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT DATED 27 SEP 2001, "TAJIKISTAN: 
VULNERABLE ECONOMY"). THEREFORE, THE SECURITY OF THE PLANT WOULD 
CLEARLY BE A MAJOR CONCERN. 
 
2.  (C) EMBASSY COMMETS:  UNITL 2003, ANSOL LIMITED OUT OF THE 
UNITED KINGDOM, WAS TADAZ'S INTERMEDIARY COMPANY, DOING THE 
MAJORITY OF BUYING RAW MATERIAL FOR TADAZ, THEN SELLING THE 
ALUMINUM.  IN 2004, THIS CHANGED TO HAMER COMPANY.  RECENTLY, 
(NFI) IT BECAME A COMPANY CALLED CDH. 
 
3.  (U) SOURCE IS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER CONTACT. 
 
4. (U) DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS IIR TO DIA/DHO-2 AT 
STU III (703) 907-0235, OR DSN 283-0235. 
 
COLL: (U) AI 
 
INSTR:  (U) U.S.  NO. 
 
PREP:  (U) 6-02938; 6-04516. 
 
ENCL: (U) NONE. 
 
ACQ:  (U)  DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (20040622) 
DISSEM:  (U)  FIELD:  EMBASSY AT DUSHANBE. 
WARNING:  (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL 
DRVD FM: DHS HUMINT SCG SEP 03 
DECL ON:  20051004 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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