VZCZCXRO0282
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU
DE RUEHTA #0333/01 0380813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070813Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8384
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS SERVICE WASHDC
RUEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0001
RUEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0405
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 7854
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 7804
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0746
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2005
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7108
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ASTANA 000333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK 
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSCHLOSSER 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA 
CBP/INA FOR CDONOFRIO AND RWATT 
USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER 
DOC FOR DCREED AND GPETERSEN-BEARD 
USCG FOR BGOLDEN 
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE 
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT FOR EXBS 
ADVISORS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT:  EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE 
(JANUARY 2007) 
 
¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: 
 
      ¶1. Aktau Safe-Boat meeting.  EXBS, INL, and OMC will meet with 
the Kazakhstani Border Guard leadership in Aktau February 4-7.  The 
meeting is to establish a clear way-forward on a number of ongoing 
issues associated with the Spring 2006 EXBS donation of the three 
Safe-Boats.  Topics include maintenance and possible DoD monies for 
supporting the Border Guard's maritime mission.  While there, EXBS 
will inspect the state of the boats (including winterization and 
hull painting), assess mission performance, and conduct a Border 
Post Survey at Sagyndy - the site of an EXBS Border Guard shelter 
donated in 2003.  This meeting is essential, as it will not only 
address a number of open issues with all the key players present, 
but also provide an opportunity to deconflict multiple Kazakhstani 
Border Guard requests that have been received by EXBS, OMC, INL, and 
DTRA. 
 
 ¶2.  Department of Energy Software Upgrades.  Kazakhstani Customs 
has approved the dates of March 19-23 and April 9-13, 2006, for the 
Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct necessary software 
installation and upgrades to 3-each portable X-ray Florescence (XRF) 
metal analyzers.  DOE/INECP will send an NTSC representative to the 
three concerned border posts near China to update the software and 
operating system used to power the three x-ray analyzers that were 
provided to Kazakhstan Customs earlier in June of 2006.  EXBS, 
together with the NTSC representative, will also review how the 
units are being used at the ports of entry. 
 
 ¶3.  False kidnapping alert.  The EXBS office responded to a 
potential kidnapping report the week of January 8.  EXBS expended a 
tremendous amount of effort soliciting the Border Guard to alert all 
crossings for the suspected missing individual.  The report turned 
out to be based on a misunderstanding. 
 
 ¶4.  Annual EXBS Financial Plan for Kazakhstan. A tentative meeting 
has been scheduled for February 2 to settle the Plan and obtain 
guidance for Kazakhstan's EXBS 2006 engagement focus and spending 
concept.  This plan will allow the EXBS Advisor to meet with key 
Customs and Border Guard leadership with substantial and value-added 
joint activities and present the EXBS office's Border Survey 
Schedule for 2007, planned to resume in February. 
 
 ¶5. EXBS Presentation.  EXBS Advisor and staff continue to make 
progress in creating a generic EXBS presentation for Kazakhstan. 
This product is intended to be kept perpetually up to date with the 
history of the program in Kazakhstan, accomplishments, mission, and 
future direction.  It is intended to be used on those occasions when 
the EXBS Advisor is asked to speak at various events or when key 
visitors need to be briefed on program efforts. 
 
 ¶6. Award nomination.  EXBS Advisor nominated Gulnara Abildaeva for 
a Superior Honor Award for consistently high performance in her 
position with the EXBS program since its beginning in Kazakhstan. 
The award nomination must be evaluated by an Embassy committee 
before the nomination can ultimately be approved.  Simply put, 
Gulnara has done an excellent job for the EXBS program. 
 
 ¶7. Annual EXBS questionnaire.  The EXBS Advisor will contact the 
appropriate EXBS personnel in Washington to gauge the relevance of 
the perceived annual questionnaire given to the host government to 
gauge the state of Customs and Border Control efforts.  Prior to 
issuing the questionnaire on-hand, a number of questions were noted 
by the EXBS Advisor regarding the methodology associated with 
 
ASTANA 00000333  002 OF 005 
 
 
completing the questionnaire.  Guidance will be sought from 
Washington in February. 
 
II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED 
 
 ¶1. Volunteer Visitor Program.  On January 17, the EXBS Advisor, 
Mike Seguin, met with the Customs Chairman, Askar Shakirov, to 
discuss the proposed agenda for the upcoming Volunteer Visitor 
Program, tentatively planned for April or May.  Mr. Shakirov liked 
the proposed itinerary and asked that we meet in February to firm up 
dates and settle on the rest of the delegation representatives - 
tentatively set for February 8.  The basic plan is to visit 
operational posts on the U.S. Southern and Northern borders to give 
the Chairman and his staff some examples of how the U.S. conducts 
border operations and the challenges the U.S. faces. 
 
¶B.  TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
 ¶1.  Product Identification Training (PIT), January 16-19.  PIT was 
conducted in the City of Pavlodar January 16-19.  Representatives of 
the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as various other 
government and non-government organizations, attended training 
designed to improve Kazakhstan's licensing programs, which control 
the movement of dual-use and other sensitive materials in and out of 
Kazakhstan.  This training focuses on the identification of nuclear, 
biological, and chemical materials, the use of Kazakhstan's software 
and licensing systems to identify materials, what to do if 
questionable materials are suspected at Border Crossings, as well as 
methods of processing licensing applications.  Kazakhstani Customs 
officials requested that two more trainings like this one be 
conducted in the Western and Northern Kazakhstan Oblasts. 
 
¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
      ¶1. No equipment delivered during this reporting period. 
 
¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE 
 
 ¶1. Joint Table-Top Exercise. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency 
(DTRA) is conducting a table top exercise the week of February 12 in 
Aktau.  This exercise involves the Border Guard and the MoD working 
together on several different interdiction scenarios that represent 
the type of border security work that these organizations do in the 
Caspian region.  This exercise is significant as the various U.S. 
agencies attempt to bring the Border Guard and MoD together to 
harmonize all their Caspian security missions - EXBS, INL, DoD, and 
DTRA.  It cannot be overstated how difficult it is getting the 
Kazakhstani Border Guard and MoD to nest their missions within one 
another.  Increased cooperation between the Border Guard and the MoD 
would enhance the both organizations' non-proliferation missions, 
thus advancing EXBS interests.   Collective reinforcement of this 
effort by U.S. agencies (EXBS, DTRA, OMC, DoD) is important to 
achieving jointness within Kazakhstani agencies that have Caspian 
non-proliferation security missions. 
 
 ¶2. Administrative Enforcement training postponed.  Administrative 
Enforcement training planned in January has been rescheduled for the 
week of February 28.  This training, in Astana, will be followed by 
Product Identification Training (PIT) on March 5-7.  The training 
was moved from January to February because Kazakhstani Customs did 
not prepare the course materials in time to accommodate the 
 
ASTANA 00000333  003 OF 005 
 
 
training.  Commonwealth Trading Partners (CTP), a Department of 
Commerce contractor, will execute this training, which is highly 
regarded and relevant to enhancing Custom's capacity to support the 
EXBS goal of non-proliferation. 
 
 ¶3. International Seaport Interdiction Training February 9-18. 
Eighteen representatives of the Kazakhstani Border Guard and Customs 
agencies will participate in International Seaport Interdiction 
Training (ISIT) in South Carolina February 9-18 (including travel). 
This training is key to training junior and mid-level officers on 
systems and methods associated with identifying and interdicting 
suspected WMD movement in the vicinity of Kazakhstan's seaports on 
the Caspian Sea.  Gulnara Abildaeva, EXBS Program Manager, will 
accompany the group and report the degree of event success upon her 
return.  The coordination for an event of this magnitude is massive 
and time consuming.  Vetting, visas, and logistics required for an 
event of this size take least two months of preparation before 
execution.  At this time, all preparations have been made and the 
event is scheduled to commence as planned. 
 
 ¶4. Bucharest Export Control Conference.  The EXBS Office sent a Dip 
Note to the Ministry of Foreign affairs inviting a delegation to the 
annual Export Control Conference in Bucharest, Romania, March 6-8. 
EXBS is presently waiting for the names candidate attendees in order 
to make the logistical arrangements and process visas. 
 
 ¶5. Night Vision Goggles.  In support of the U.S. Government's Blue 
Lantern Program, the EXBS office conducted an administrative 
inventory of all Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) previously donated to 
the Kazakhstani Border Guard and Customs Agencies.  Since the NVGs 
are deployed throughout Kazakhstan, a physical inventory was not 
practical.  However, all NVGs were accounted for by serial number 
and reported in accordance with Blue Lantern regulations.  Note that 
this was reported completed in December; however, EXBS subsequently 
received and forwarded an additional request for an official 
front-channel cable. 
 
 ¶6. Task Order 79 Donation.  Task Order 79 for the EXBS donation of 
Ural Trucks and Border Guard Shelters is nearing fruition.  It is 
expected that these donations will occur in March or April; however, 
definite delivery dates have not yet been determined.  The 
Ambassador will be asked to participate in a dedication ceremony at 
an appropriate time.  Additionally, EXBS-DC is investigating the 
possibility of modifying the Task Order to include "complete" 
shelter installation rather than "partial" installation.  Also, EXBS 
has requested the supplying contractor to change the ship point of 
the Ural trucks.  These changes are considered very desirable and 
are recommended by the EXBS office in Kazakhstan. 
 
 ¶7. X-Ray Van Repairs.  A message was sent and reply received from 
Kazahstani Customs for the repair of two Kazakhstani and one 
Uzbekistan-donated X-Ray vans.  EXBS plans to support and conduct 
repairs for the last time in April.  It is important that the EXBS 
Advisor in Kazakhstan not coordinate the government-to-government 
approvals necessary to get the Uzbekistan van into Kazakhstani 
territory.  This should be coordinated at the D.C. EXBS level. 
 
 ¶8.  Preliminary Second Line of Defense (SLD) site survey.  Mr. Erik 
Deschler (DOE) expressed a desire to establish a schedule to conduct 
preliminary site surveys for the SLD program's installation of 
Portal Monitors.  It is expected that this schedule will be approved 
by the Kazakhstani government after the contract has been signed for 
the purchase and installation of the equipment.  Though not 
 
ASTANA 00000333  004 OF 005 
 
 
confirmed at this moment, the EXBS Advisor believes the required 
contracts have in fact been signed and Kazakhstan Customs can now be 
approached for the desired schedule. 
 
 ¶9.  Fiber Scope Repairs.  Carla D'Onofrio of DHS/CBP has funding to 
repair various EXBS donated equipment, such as the previously 
donated fiber scopes.  The EXBS Office will contact Carla to gauge 
her capacity to support repairs which Kazakhstani Customs requested 
be conducted in February. 
 
¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR 
RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
      ¶1. World Customs Conference, January 16-19.  Kazakhstan hosted 
the World Customs Organization (WCO) for Central Asian countries 
January 16-19.  This event was hosted by the Kazakhstani Customs 
Chairman Askar Shakirov.  All Central Asian countries were present, 
as well as special guests, including the Ambassador of Japan, the 
General Secretary of the WCO, as well as delegations from the rest 
of the world customs community.  Many Kazakhstani officials spoke 
from every corner of Kazakhstan's Customs Organization.  The most 
important outcome of the event was Kazakhstan's pronouncements 
regarding corruption.  The Customs speakers uniformly acknowledged 
that Kazakhstan has much work to do on this issue, and stated their 
commitment to adhere to internationally accepted conventions and 
procedures to fight corruption.  The speakers also communicated 
clearly why corruption is counter-productive to Kazakhstan's 
interests.  The underlying message of the conference was that 
Kazakhstan understands why corruption needs to be attacked.  A very 
good event.  Kazakhstan wants to be seen as a leader and model in 
Central Asia in managing regional customs affairs. 
 
      ¶2.  UNSCR 1718.  William Tobey, Deputy Administrator, National 
Nuclear Security Administration, and accompanying delegation, 
visited with the Kazakhstani Customs leadership January 24 to 
discuss UNSCR 1718 and reinforce the urgency of interdicting North 
Korean attempts to proliferate WMDs.  The meeting was set up with 
very little lead-time and, unfortunately, the Customs Chairman, 
Askar Shakirov, was unable to attend the meeting.  However, the 
Chairman's Deputy, Baurzhan Abdishev, and the rest of his staff 
attended the meeting.  Since Mr. Shakirov was unable to attend this 
meeting, the EXBS office will reinforce Mr. Tobey's message to Mr. 
Shakirov during a February 8 meeting regarding the Volunteer 
Visitors Program for Customs officials. 
 
      ¶3.  Article about Georgian seizure of suspect carrying Highly 
Enriched Uranium (HEU).  An associated press story, released January 
24, described a Summer 2006 Georgian sting operation which, using 
intelligence and law enforcement officials from the U.S. and 
Georgia, captured a Russian man carrying a small amount of HEU. 
According to the Associated Press, the story was released publicly 
because of the Minister's frustration with the Russian government 
and their lack of cooperation in identifying where the suspect 
obtained the HEU.  This story underscores the many facets of the 
international threat that continues to exist and why programs such 
as EXBS are important to global security interests. 
 
      ¶4. Ms. Gulnara Elegabayeva's visit to Washington D.C. EXBS is 
awaiting a trip report and debrief from Chris Walker (DOE) on the 
workshop's success.  Ms. Elegabayeva is a nuclear export control 
specialist with the Atomic Energy Committee of Kazakhstan. The 
purpose of her visit with the DOE was to discuss nuclear export 
control systems with U.S., Russian, and other Kazakhstani 
 
ASTANA 00000333  005 OF 005 
 
 
counterparts. 
 
¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION 
 
      ¶1. None. 
 
III. RED FLAG ISSUES. 
 
      ¶1. None. 
 
ORDWAY