US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1650

C O N F I D E N T I A L  DUSHANBE 001650 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/10/2015 
TAGS: MCAP, TI, FR, UZ 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0007 06/ UZBEKS DENY FRENCH MILITARY 
OVERFLIGHT INDEFINITELY (C) 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jonathan Edwards, DATT, USDAO Dushanbe, DIA. 
REASON: 1.4 (a), (b) 
 
CONFIDENTIAL 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SERIAL:  (U) IIR 6 947 0007 06. 
 
COUNTRIES:  (U) TAJIKISTAN (TI), FRANCE (FR), UZBEKISTAN (UZ) 
 
IPSP:  (U) IFC1531, IFC1549, IFC1540, IFC1500, IFC2613, IFC1513, 
IFC1512, IFC1517 
 
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0007 06/ UZBEKS DENY FRENCH MILITARY 
OVERFLIGHT INDEFINITELY (C) 
 
WARNING:  (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY 
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.  REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL NO 
FOREIGN 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
DOI:  (U) 20051010 
 
REQS: (U) DHCD111052, DHCD111054, DHCD111051, DHCD111049, 
UTCX206000504 
 
SOURCE:  (C) //MEMBER USDAO DUSHANBE//MEMBER HAS A WORKING 
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRENCH MILITARY REPRESENTATIVE.  CONTEXT 
STATEMENT-MEETINGS WITH THE FRENCH MILITARY REPRESENTATIVE ARE 
NORMALLY CANDID AND OPEN. 
 
SUMMARY:  (C) ON 8 OCTOBER 2005 UZBEKISTAN CANCELLED ALL 
OVERFLIGHT CLEARANCES FOR FRENCH MILITARY AIRCRACT INDEFINITELY. 
 FRENCH-UZBEK MILITARY RELATIONS HAVE NEARLY CEASED. 
 
TEXT: 1.  (C) ON 10 OCTOBER 2005 DURING A ROUTINE MEETING, THE 
FRENCH MILITARY REPRESENTATIVE TO TAJIKISTAN TOLD RO THAT ON THE 
MORNING OF 8 OCTOBER 2005, THE UZBEKS DENIED OVERFLIGHT OF THE 
FRENCH MILITARY AIRBUS 300 DEPARTING FROM DUSHANBE TO FRANCE. 
THE AIRBUS 300 FLIES IN AND OUT OF DUSHANBE APPROXIMATELY ONCE A 
MONTH IN SUPPORT OF FRENCH PERSONNEL ROTATIONS IN DUSHANBE AND 
AFGHANISTAN.  THE FRENCH WERE THEN TOLD THAT ALL CLEARANCES FOR 
FRENCH MILITARY FLIGHTS ACROSS UZBEK AIRSPACE ARE INDEFINITELY 
DENIED.  THE FRENCH HAVE NOW REROUTED ALL FLIGHTS IN AND OUT OF 
DUSHANBE OVER KYRGYZSTAN, KAZAKHSTAN AND RUSSIA.  THE FRENCH 
MILREP TOLD RO THAT THE MOVE WAS LIKELY A RECIPROCAL ACTION 
FOLLOWING THE 7 OCTOBER EUROPEAN UNION'S SANCTION AGAINST 
UZBEKISTAN. 
 
2.  (C) THE FRENCH MILREP ALSO NOTED THAT FRENCH-UZBEK MILITARY 
TO MILITARY RELATIONS ARE NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.  HE EXPRESSED 
SURPRISE AT THE UZBEK ACTION.  HE ALSO EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT 
THAT THE RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT KARIMOV, WHICH HE VIEWED 
ONLY FURTHER EMBOLDENS KARIMOV. 
 
COMMENTS: 1. (C) FIELD COMMENT:  UZBEK ACTION LIKELY COMES AS A 
SURPRISE TO FRENCH MILITARY OPERATING OUT OF DUSHANBE IN SUPPORT 
OF ISAF.  THE FRENCH HAVE BEEN VERY CAUTIOUS TO NOTE THAT THEIR 
MILITARY PRESENCE IN DUSHANBE IS NOT PERMANENT AND ONLY IN 
SUPPORT OF ISAF AND ITS MISSION TO PROMOTE PEACE AND STABILITY 
IN AFGHANISTAN.  FRENCH-TAJIK MILITARY RELATIONS CONTINUE TO 
GROW AND IT IS UNLIKELY THE FRENCH WILL FIND ANY DIFFICULTIES 
HERE IN DUSHANBE. 
 
2.  (U) SOURCES ARE 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) 6-04708. 
ENCL: (U) NONE. 
ACQ:  (U)  MURGHAB, TAJIKISTAN (20051010) 
DISSEM:  (U)  FIELD:  EMBASSY AT DUSHANBE. 
WARNING:  (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL 
DRVD FM: DHS HUMINT SCG OCT 04 
DECL ON:  20151004 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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