VZCZCXRO5782
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #4317/01 2641158
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211158Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2696
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHMCSUU/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2848
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6310
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1659
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHFJUSC/US CUSTOMS SERVICE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 KABUL 004317 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, KCROUCH AND JLCOLLINS; 
CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO; DOE/NNSA FOR RSTUBBLEFIELD; DOC FOR 
ELOCKWOOD-SHABAT; DOT FOR APARAMESWARAN; SECDEF FOR 
MHOFFMANN, FLIGHT, AND RVIERKANT 
STATE PASS USTR FOR CKLEIN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL ETRD KSTC KNNP AF
 
SUBJECT: EXBS Afghanistan Advisor Monthly Reporting Cable - 
June 2006 
 
KABUL 00004317  001.2 OF 006 
 
 
¶I.   SUMMARY 
 
¶1.    (SBU) UNODC held a workshop with the Ministry of 
Interior (MoI) Afghan Border Police (ABP) to discuss ways of 
improving cross-border crime detection and interception with 
Afghanistan's neighboring countries Iran and Pakistan. 
 
¶2.    (SBU) The Ministry of Finance (MoF) Afghan Customs 
Department (ACD) was given permission by the USAF at the 
455th AEW in Bagram to provide several ACD inspectors to 
assess and collect duties of commercial goods entering 
Bagram.   Allegedly, commercial carriers are "piggy-backing" 
shipments of commercial goods destined for the Afghan open 
market onto shipments "exempted" from duties as determined 
by the ACD. 
 
¶3.    (SBU) A timeline of infrastructure projects has been 
provided by the Afghan Engineering District (AED) for 
construction projects at the Islam Qalah and Towraghundi 
Border Crossing Points (BCP) to provide better security, 
more efficient port operations, and increased revenue 
collection.  DynCorp also announced their planned 
construction of 2 Forward Operating Bases (FOB) at Islam 
Qalah in Herat Province and Spin Boldak in Kandahar 
Province.  These FOBs are needed to house DynCorp Mentors 
closer to the BCPs located in these cities. 
 
¶4.   (SBU) The USG Border Management Initiative (BMI) staff 
is progressing with the staffing of a 12-person Border 
Management Task Force (BMTF) consisting of civilian and 
military personnel and securing office space and housing. 
The $9.4 million awarded to the BMTF by DOD will also allow 
for the hiring of 12 mentors that will be assigned to 
selected BCPs.  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is 
assisting in recruiting customs and immigration subject- 
matter experts. BMI participants from the international 
donor community and international subject-matter experts 
will also help make up the task force. 
 
¶5.   (SBU) Meetings were held to discuss the various issues 
surrounding the Border Management Initiative including the 
Deputy Ministerial level working group meeting and the BMI 
Executive Steering Committee.  Topics discussed included 
training issues; employment of narcotic and explosive canine 
units; coordination of equipment purchases; MoI & MoF 
cooperation at the BCPs; and identifying illegal border 
crossings and possible solutions to control or close these 
crossings. 
 
END SUMMARY 
 
II. ITEMS OF BROAD INTEREST. 
 
¶6.   (SBU) On August 1 & 2, 2006 the EXBS Advisor attended 
an UNODC workshop with the ABP and GPPO to discuss issues 
relating to the Green Border (the zone between border 
crossing points).  The border observation posts along the 
Afghan and Iranian border were considered to be too few with 
a limited amount of mobile response teams inhibiting the 
Afghans from detecting illegal border crossings by 
insurgents and criminal elements.  A proposal was made to 
supply ABP with high-powered night vision equipment coupled 
with a satellite communications system and GPS technology 
shared by the ABP and Iranian border guards to effectively 
detect illegal crossers by relaying their location to the 
Iranians who are in a better position to intercept 
insurgents and cross-border criminals. 
 
 
KABUL 00004317  002.2 OF 006 
 
 
¶7.   (SBU) A meeting to establish an intelligence-gathering 
network with ABP, Iranian and Turkmenistan border guards is 
scheduled for September 2006 in an attempt to better secure 
the Western border of Afghanistan and establish compatible 
and effective ways of collecting and exchanging 
intelligence.  Because of an increase of insurgent and 
terrorist activities at the border the Pakistanis expressed 
concern with the lack of intelligence and the exchange of 
information between their country, the Afghans, and the 
Iranians.  Efforts to fill this gap are being discussed with 
the respective parties to establish a more formal exchange 
of information. 
 
¶8.    (SBU) On August 5, 2006 the EXBS Advisor accompanied 
the Director General of the Afghan Customs Department (ACD), 
members from CFC-A and an MPRI planning representative to 
the USAF at the 455th AEW in Bagram to finalize steps 
required by Commanding Brigadier General Miller allowing 3 
Afghan Customs inspectors to work on the base.  The 
inspectors will assess and collect duties from commercial 
carriers bringing in commercial goods destined for the 
Afghan open markets.  The inspectors are expected to be in 
place sometime in September 2006.  The ACD is also planning 
on duplicating this effort at the Kandahar AIR Field (KAF) 
where additional commercial goods enter the open market of 
Afghanistan. 
 
¶9.    (SBU) On several occasions during this reporting 
period, the EXBS attended meetings with the World Bank, 
USAID, the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), ministries of 
Interior, Commerce and Finance, UNOPS and the ACD.  Issues 
being addressed include a Bonded Carrier System Pilot 
Project on the Iranian border at the Islam Qalah Border 
Crossing Point (BCP) and the Herat Inland Container Depot 
(ICD); bonded warehouse system; additional efforts required 
to establish and train public and private Customs Brokers; 
purchase of BCP port operations equipment to be leased out 
by MoC to private contractors for port operators; 
establishment of Border Control Zones, Border Customs 
Clearance Zones, Bonded Warehouse Zones, and Commercial Free 
Zones as required at the 13 major Afghan BCPs; Customs seal 
system; trader bank guarantees; automated bank system for 
daily transfer of collected revenue into the GoA's Da Afghan 
Band (DAB); establishment of an official Afghan exchange 
rate; tariff policy established in the Trade & Investment 
Policy; establishment of stricter controls of 
imports/exports; stricter laws governing Non-Government 
Organizations (NGOs) and traders; and training 
infrastructure for the 3 major border elements, Afghan 
Border Police (ABP), Afghan Customs Police (ACP), and 
Customs authorities. 
 
 
¶10.   (SBU) On August 11, 2006 the EXBS Advisor participated 
in the BMI working group met to address the following main 
topics of discussion: 
 
     a)   Advanced and cross training the ACP and Customs 
       Officials is scheduled to begin in September upon the 
       completion of the Customs training facility in Kabul.  The 
       Guardia di Finanza will be allowed to teach border elements 
       in these courses at the DynCorp Regional Training Center 
       (RTC) in Herat Province.  The Iranians have also been 
       invited by the ACD to provide trainers and have shown an 
       interest in fulfilling previously agreed upon cross-border 
       cooperation. 
 
     b)   The German Police Project Office (GPPO) is constructing 
 
KABUL 00004317  003.2 OF 006 
 
 
       a facility to house 60 canines scheduled for delivery to 
       Kabul in December 2006.  Subsequently, 15 canines and their 
       handlers will be trained per class beginning in January 
       ¶2007.  The ABP will be responsible for the program and the 
       dispatch of the canine units to the 13 major BCPs and the 4 
       international airports for detection of narcotics and 
       explosives. 
 
     c)   The BMI has emphasized the importance of streamlining 
       donor procurements of equipment to ensure compatibility and 
       avoid duplication. The EXBS Advisor compiled a list of 
       equipment for BCPs, ABP, and Customs officials that are 
       either in place, previously funded to be procured, or 
       unfunded.  EXBS is in the process of procuring $1.3 million 
       of inspection and detection equipment for Islam Qalah and 
       the Towraghundi BCPs.  Other equipment has been procured or 
       funded by the EC; UNOPS; UNDP; UNODC; CSTC-A; GPPO; and 
       JIACG.  MoI and MoF are developing an inventory control 
       system. 
 
     d)   The EXBS Advisor worked with the ACD to established new 
       criteria for Customs duty exemption applicants after 
       learning that many of the applications were found to be 
       rubber stamped, forged, misrepresented, and containing false 
       statements.  World Bank CURE has assisted the ACD in 
       establishing new procedures to control the issuance of these 
       documents including a panel of several reviewers to 
       establish a better system of checks and balances. 
 
¶11.   (SBU) On August 14, 2006 the EXBS Advisor and the BMI 
Director met with a representative from the Japanese Embassy 
to discuss their willingness to provide $5 million to fund 
the Ai Khanem BCP in Takhar Province on the 
Afghan/Tajikistan border. The involved parties are currently 
reviewing this proposal.  The EC has taken on the 
responsibility and cost of constructing BCP infrastructure 
for the remaining BCPs in the Takhar Province, namely Nuzay, 
Shegnan, Eshkashem.  None of these BCPs are part of the 13 
major BCPs identified by the GoA but vital for cross-border 
travel and for promoting trade. 
 
¶12.   (SBU) Progress has been made by BMI on establishing a 
12-man Border Management Task Force (BMTF) comprised of US 
civilian and military personnel, international donors, and 
12 former DHS and international customs and immigration 
subject-matter experts to be employed as mentors at selected 
BCPs.  The EXBS Advisor will participate on this task force 
to ensure EXBS program requirements are incorporated in the 
border management initiatives.  This task force is expected 
to be in place no later than November 2006 for an 18-month 
period prior to the transfer of BMI related responsibility 
over to the GoA.   Efforts are also underway to establish a 
Border Management Commission comprised of ministerial 
representatives and chaired by an appointed Director.  The 
BMTF will vett their initiatives through the Commission 
rather than working through these issues with each Ministry 
separately. 
 
¶13.   (SBU) On August 16, 2006 the EXBS Advisor and the BMI 
staff met with representatives from JIACG to discuss the 
funding and recruiting requirements of the BMTF.  JIACG 
stated that they are taking steps to procure several x-ray 
and gamma scanners for use at the Islam Qalah, Towraghundi, 
and Shir Khan Bandar BCPs. 
 
¶14.   (SBU) On August 24, 2006 the EXBS Advisor and the BMI 
Director met with DynCorp mentors at the Kabul International 
Airport (KIA) to discuss the lack of perimeter security and 
 
KABUL 00004317  004.2 OF 006 
 
 
requested an assessment to identify the requirements needed 
to secure the airport grounds.  Although passengers are 
screened and baggage examined prior to entering the terminal 
and the recent installment of GPPO provided security 
features in the KIA terminal, there still exists windows of 
opportunity for the introduction of contraband and security 
threats into the airport environment.  The BMI has begun to 
explore ways to address these shortfalls and identify 
international donors capable of funding major improvements 
required for a secure civil aviation environment. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) In September 2006, a delegation from Italy of the 
Guardia di Finanza is scheduled to arrive in Herat at the 
Italian PRT to meet with Commanding Officer General Errico 
to discuss their role in Afghanistan as trainers for Afghan 
police and Customs officials.  The Italian Deputy Chief of 
Mission (DCM) has been adamant that the Guardia di Finanza 
trainers totaling as many as 10 will be required to reside 
at the Italian PRT in Herat and requested they be allowed to 
teach at DynCorp's Regional Training Center (RTC) located 
nearby.  As a result, the International Narcotics and Law 
Enforcement (INL) office has agreed to allow the Guardia di 
Finanza to train border elements at their RTC in Herat.  The 
ACD also agreed to allow the Guardia di Finanza to train 
Customs Police and Customs officials at the Herat 
Customhouse. 
 
 
¶16.  (SBU) On August 31, 2006 the BMI Executive Steering 
Committee met to discuss and address concerns of the 
following topics of discussion: 
 
 
     a)   The ACD have had successful talks with the Iranians who 
       will provide trainers for Customs officials in Kabul and are 
       reviewing their interest with constructing the 
       infrastructure at the BCP in Zaranj in the Nimroz Province. 
 
     b)   Reports of the Governor from Nimroz Province 
       interfering with proper Customs operations and revenue 
       collection at the BCP in Zaranj has prompted the MoF and MoI 
       to address this issue by speaking with the Governor and to 
       President Karzai to resolve any further inference. 
 
     c)   The BMI has submitted a draft of a presidential decree 
       to MoF for the establishment of the Border Management 
       Commission.  Upon review and approval, the decree will be 
       presented to President Karzai. 
 
     d)   USAID will be providing a strategic review team from 
       Washington DC to work with the BMI partners in drafting a 
       comprehensive border management strategic plan that can be 
       formally adopted by the GoA. 
 
     e)   The MoF Deputy Minister expressed concern over 
       continuing revenue leakage of commercial goods transiting 
       the BCPs for clearance at the Inland Container Depots 
       (ICDs).  Transition away from this system favoring the 
       clearance of all goods at the BCPs is underway with the 
       planned infrastructure, equipment, and training required at 
       the 13 major BCPs.  This transition is expected to be 
       completed sometime in 2008.  In the meantime, the ASYCUDA 
       transit reporting system will be in place at several BCPs 
       including the Islam Qalah BCP that is expected to reduce the 
       number of "no shows" at the ICDs. 
 
     f)   Illegal border crossings are being identified and a 
       list of these crossings and recommendations for closure or 
 
KABUL 00004317  005.2 OF 006 
 
 
       management is expected to be submitted and discussed at the 
       next BMI working group meeting in September. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) An $800,000 JIACG-funded project is scheduled to 
begin in September 2006 by the Afghanistan Engineering 
District (AED) to construct temporary infrastructure at the 
Islam Qalah BCP.  This infrastructure will include grading 
of the BCP property, traffic flow barriers, perimeter 
security fencing, access gates, guardhouses, and security 
lighting.  The JIACG is also funding a $15 million new BCP 
facility at Islam Qalah scheduled to begin in November. 
This facility will include facilities for the ABP and the 
Customs officials including a commercial terminal for the 
clearance, inspection and storage of commercial goods.  This 
project is scheduled to be completed in January 2008.  AED 
has begun construction of a new BCP at the Shir Khan Bandar 
BCP in Kunduz Province on the Tajikistan border scheduled 
for completion in February 2007.  AED is also scheduled to 
provide additional infrastructure to enhance ABP and Customs 
facilities previously constructed by GPPO and UNOPS at the 
Towraghundi BCP. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) The EXBS Advisor is working with the GoA to 
identify property where DynCorp can construct a 10,000 
square meter FOB at Spin Boldak in the Kandahar Province to 
relocate some of their mentors who have been residing in 
Kandahar.  As part of the Afghan National Police Program, a 
project was funded with 2004 Supplemental Funds from the 
Counter Narcotics Program to improve the infrastructure at 
the Spin Boldak BCP.  The facilities constructed included an 
immigration processing building, operations building, 
barracks and a DFAC.  The facilities were completed in 
May/June of 2006.   This has prompted DynCorp to return 
their mentors to the Spin Boldak BCP after departing the FOB 
earlier this year to make room for the Canadian forces.  The 
BMI and ACD are seeking donors that will improve the Customs 
facilities as well including similar measures being taken at 
the Islam Qalah BCP to better secure that location.  The 
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is also providing funding to 
the ACD that will include a gamma-ray scanner, computers 
with Internet connection, solar panels, and other office 
equipment for use at the Spin Boldak BCP. 
ISAF is increasing security measures in this volatile area 
and see the security of this BCP essential to assist in 
carrying out their mission in the surrounding areas. 
 
¶19.  (U) TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶20. (U) EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING PERIOD. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶21. (U) IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶22. (U) SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, 
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶23. (U) OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES/EVENTS. 
 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶24. (U) RED FLAG U ISSUES. 
 
KABUL 00004317  006.2 OF 006 
 
 
 
None to report. 
 
¶25. (U) Please direct any questions or comments to Barry F. 
Lory, EXBS Advisor to Afghanistan; +93-070-073-652, 
extension 4836; lorybf@state.gov or to Jimmie L. Collins, 
South Asia Regional Program Manager, Office of Export 
Control Cooperation, 202-647-1778, collinsjl2@state.gov. 
 
NEUMANN