VZCZCXRO8478
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHTA #0888/01 1291146
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081146Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2387
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0104
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC 0042
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0472
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 8272
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 8154
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0045
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2354
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7320
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 0425

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC YWONG, ACHURCH, JHARTSHORN, SROBINSON 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE DFISCHER 
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSPILSBURY 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MO'MARA 
CBP/INA FOR KCHAISSON AND RWATT 
USDOE/NNSA CWALKER, TPERRY AND EDESCHLER 
DOC FOR DCREED 
USCG FOR SHABETIMICHAEL 
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 (APRIL 
2008) 
 
¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: 
 
¶1.  Gulnara Abildaeva, Program Coordinator/Manager for the EXBS 
program in Kazakhstan has been named the "Astana Foreign Service 
National (FSN) of the Year for 2008".  This award is given in 
recognition of the high standards of performance and value to the 
U.S. Government through special contributions made by a Department 
of State FSN.  Ms. Abildaeva will represent Astana in competition 
for the Department-wide FSN of the Year award. 
 
 
II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED 
 
¶1.   On April 15, 2008, the EXBS program team attended a meeting 
between the Kazakhstan Customs Control Committee 
of the Ministry of Finance and a delegation from the U.S. Department 
of Energy's Second Line of Defense (SLD) program, lead by the Bruce 
Pentola.  The purpose of this meeting was to discuss a broad range 
of matters concerning the SLD program, including training, 
acceptance testing, and equipment delivery issues. 
 
¶2. On April 15, 2008, the EXBS team was given a tour of the 
Kazakhstani Customs Control Committee's Communication Command Center 
in Astana.  From this Communication Command Center, representatives 
of the Customs Control Committee can monitor the activities at 13 
ports of entry throughout Kazakhstan.  Customs Entry/Exit Documents 
and Customs Declarations are scanned into the system at the border 
crossing and can be viewed by specialists in Astana.  These 
specialists can conduct further research in data bases from other 
Kazakhstani government agencies that are not available to the 
officers at the border crossings. The center also has a video feed 
that can monitor vehicles arriving and departing the ports of entry. 
 Future plans call for expanding coverage to additional border 
crossings, and for the participation of other Kazakhstani 
governmental agencies in the Communication Command Center, making it 
a one stop information clearance house for Kazakhstan 
government-wide assistance to front line Customs officers. 
 
¶3.  On April 17, 2008, the EXBS advisor attended a Security 
Assistance Working Group (SAWG) meeting held in Astana, Kazakhstan. 
Among the topics discussed was the status of the Second Line of 
Defense efforts in installing radiation portal monitors in 
Kazakhstan and the proposed U.S. Department of Energy's AirConOps 
program. 
 
¶4. On April 21, 2008, the EXBS team conducted interviews of seven 
candidates for the EXBS Program Assistant position in Astana.  As a 
result of these interviews, Elina Akhtiyarova was selected for the 
position and will start her employment with EXBS on May 25, 2008. 
 
 
¶5. On April 22, 2008, the EXBS team attended a meeting between 
Kazakhstani representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 
Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Customs Control 
Committee, and the Border Guard Service and a U.S. Delegation lead 
by Dexter Ingram, State Department ISN/WMD, and Allison Johnson, 
U.S. Department of Energy.  The purpose of this meeting was to 
present to the Government of Kazakhstan a proposal to use Kazakhstan 
as a regional pilot of AirConOps, which is a new direction for the 
Second Line of Defense program.  Under this pilot program, U.S. 
Department of Energy would provide the Government of Kazakhstan with 
detection equipment that will provide the capability to detect 
 
ASTANA 00000888  002 OF 002 
 
 
nuclear/radiological material within aircraft after they have 
landed.  This proposal pilot program would bring the detection 
capability to the aircraft itself and the equipment could be used to 
search both full and empty aircraft. On April 28, the Embassy 
received a copy of a letter from the Customs Control Committee to 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which the Customs Committee 
recommended that Kazakhstan participate in the program. 
 
¶B.  TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶1.  From April 7-11, 2008, an International Counterproliferation 
Program (ICP) course, "WMD Crime Scene Skills Recertification 
Course" was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  The purpose of this course 
was to provide continuing education for 29 students that attended 
prior ICP courses. The students represented the following 
Kazakhstani organizations:  The Committee for National Security; The 
General Prosecutor's Office; The Agency for Economic Crime and 
Corruption Prevention; The Ministry of Internal Affairs; The Customs 
Control Committee; and The Ministry of Emergency Situations. 
 
¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶1.  None 
 
¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE 
 
¶1.  None 
 
¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR 
RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
¶1.  None 
 
¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION 
 
¶1. On April 23-24, 2008, the EXBS program manager assisted Lt. 
Michael Fisher, EXBS Regional Maritime Advisor, during meetings with 
Rear Admiral Abikeev and his staff in Aktau and Bautino, Kazakhstan. 
 The purpose of these meetings was to discuss SAFE boat maintenance, 
conduct an inventory of EXBS and U.S. Coast Guard purchased supplies 
and spare parts for the donated SAFE boats, and to discuss the SAFE 
Boat Operations Course to be conducted in Bautino, Kazakhstan from 
July 7 to 
August 1, 2008. 
 
 
III. RED FLAG ISSUES. 
 
¶1. None 
 
 
 
ORDWAY