VZCZCXRO4166
RR RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #4142 3520724
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180724Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1940
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4317
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS KABUL 004142 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR HARRIMAN 
OSD FOR KIMMITT 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD AF
SUBJECT: Afghans and Tajiks agree to Double Opening Hours of Bridge 
as Afghan Customs revenue also doubles 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: At a USG hosted meeting on December 17, Afghan and 
Tajik officials  discussed current operations of, and ways forward 
for, the US-built and financed Afghan-Tajik bridge.  Participants 
agreed to extend opening hours, consider pedestrian traffic and 
identify a common frequency for radio communications.  The USG 
representatives ensured that both governments were informed about 
the timeline for the upcoming handover of the soon-to-be-completed 
border crossing points (Jan/Feb 2008) and associated personnel and 
training requirements.  Since the bridge's opening, Afghan monthly 
customs revenue has increased from $80,000 to $150,000.  Facilitated 
by US leadership, the two parties are productively engaging one 
another to maximize their utilization from the bridge.   End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Afghan and Tajik local and regional border police and 
customs officials, along with Afghan representatives from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and the intelligence service 
met on Dec 17, 2007 at the US Army Corps of Engineers office on the 
Tajik side of the Afghan-Tajik Bridge.  Embassy Kabul's PRT Officer 
in Kunduz, coordinating with Embassy Dushanbe, organized and chaired 
the meeting. 
 
Opening Hours Doubled - Pedestrian Traffic Considered 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Afghans and Tajiks agreed to extend the current 
operating hours of the bridge from four to eight hours a day for 
vehicle traffic beginning immediately after the upcoming Eid 
holiday.  Although the Afghans would prefer otherwise, the border 
will remain closed on Sundays and will not be open to pedestrian 
traffic.  The Tajiks agreed, however, to raise these two items for 
discussion within their respective ministries.  A representative 
from the Tajik border guard commented that the original bilateral 
border agreement needed to be amended to reference the new bridge. 
 
 
Security - Communications, Barbed Wire and Video Cameras 
 
¶4.  (SBU) While neither Afghans nor Tajiks reported any hostile 
activity directed at the bridge, both parties were interested in 
improving the perimeter security and their incident response 
ability.  The Afghan border police will prepare an internal Ministry 
of Interior request for barbed wire for perimeter security. 
Participants noted their reliance on commercial cellular 
communications and agreed to work through their governments to 
identify a common frequency for radio communications. 
 
Who's Dorm?  Yours or Mine? 
 
¶5.  (U) With the exception of inspection halls equipped with truck 
scanners, the Afghan and Tajik border crossing points will be 
completed by February 2008.  The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) 
will conduct facility walk-through with future occupants to ensure 
that adequate personnel have been identified for staffing and 
training purposes.  One outstanding Afghan question is whether the 
dormitory facility is intended for the Border or Customs Police. 
The Afghan representatives will sit separately to consider a 
temporary egress from the border crossing point to the Commercial 
Customs Facility until the EU-funded connector road is completed in 
Aug/Sept 2008. 
 
Comment 
 
¶6. (SBU) With six weeks of bridge-operating experience under their 
belts, Afghans and Tajiks are eager to expand operations, albeit 
cautiously and with deferene to their ministries.  Afghan monthly 
customs revenue has increased from $80,000 to $150,00.  Facilitated 
by US leadership, the two parties are productively engaging one 
another to maximize their utilization from the bridge.  With the 
departure of a permanent USG ACE presence at the bridge this month, 
an international customs or border advisor for either the Afghan or 
Tajik side may be needed to ensure that the forward momentum 
continues.  All told, the bridge has been a success and traffic has 
increased.  As the head of Afghan customs privately remarked, it is 
only a matter of time before the sheep start making their own 
journey across the bridge.  End Comment.