VZCZCXRO3550
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHTA #2181/01 3101130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051130Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3743
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0256
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC 0058
RUCQAAA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0489
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 8334
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 8214
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0057
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2398
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7356
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 0873

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 002181 
 
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 SBAKER AND BPICKETT 
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: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  EXBS ADVISOR'S REPORTING CABLE 
(SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008) 
 
¶I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: 
 
¶1.  On September 22-23, the EXBS Advisor to Kazakhstan traveled to 
Washington, DC, for consultations with personnel from the Department 
of State's Office of Export Control Cooperation, the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction Policy and 
Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Department of Energy's Second 
Line of Defense and International Nonproliferation Export Control 
Program, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of 
International Affairs and Trade Relations.  Discussions were held on 
a wide range of topics which clarified plans for the coming year and 
set a framework for the EXBS Advisor's second tour.  High on the 
list of priorities for this year's EXBS program is assisting in the 
modernization of Kazakhstani Customs, indigenizing U.S. training 
courses into the national training academies, and implementing the 
Green Border Project. 
 
¶2.  On October 5, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a 
brief visit to Astana to discuss a wide range of issues pertaining 
to bilateral and regional cooperation with President Nursultan 
Nazarbaev, Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Foreign Minister Marat 
Tazhin, and other government officials. 
 
¶3.  On October 15, the Embassy's Office of Military Cooperation 
successfully completed a project of upgrading three MI-8MT 
helicopters for the Border Guards Service at a cost of $7.9 million. 
 These helicopters, now equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Radar 
systems, emergency landing-on-water systems, weather radar, and 
modernized navigational systems, will be used for Green Border 
security. 
 
II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED 
 
¶1. On September 8, the EXBS advisor met with the new chief of the 
Office of Military Cooperation, LTC James Yentz, to discuss 
coordination of assistance to the Border Guard Service and future 
plans in the area of border security. 
 
¶2. On September 9, the EXBS advisor met with Sarah Prescott, from 
the Department of State's Bureau of International Security and 
Nonproliferation, and gave a presentation on EXBS activities in 
Kazakhstan. 
 
¶3. On September 15, the EXBS advisor met with an Assessments, 
Reviews and Evaluation team from the State Department's Bureau of 
Diplomatic Security, Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance, and 
discussed training for Kazakhstani Customs and Border Guards 
personnel and border security issues relating to nonproliferation 
and counter-terrorism. 
 
¶4. During September 22-23, the EXBS advisor conducted consultations 
in Washington at the Office of Export Control Cooperation of the 
State Department's Bureau of International Security and 
Nonproliferation.  During these consultations, the EXBS advisor 
reviewed progress made over the last year and discussed EXBS Astana 
plans for FY2009 and beyond. 
 
¶B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶1. During October 27-31, the U.S. Department of Energy's Second Line 
of Defense program sponsored 20 Customs Officers at the Hazardous 
Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training and 
Education Center in Richland, Washington.  This comprehensive course 
trains customs officers in the detection, identification, and 
 
ASTANA 00002181  002 OF 002 
 
 
interdiction of illicit transfers of material, commodities, and 
components used in the development, production, or deployment of 
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass effect, and their 
delivery systems. 
 
¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶1.  On October 31, an equipment turnover ceremony was held at the 
Border Guard Service headquarters. Thirty video cameras, 46 digital 
cameras, two Contraband Team Inspection (CT-30) kits, and parts for 
safe boats procured by the EXBS program were transferred to Major 
General Abdyrzak Iliyasov. 
 
¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE 
 
¶1.  During November 3-7, EXBS, in cooperation with the U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection's Office of International Affairs and Trade 
Relations, is sponsoring five Kazakhstan Border Guards and six 
Kazakhstan Customs Officers for participation at an "International 
Air Cargo Interdiction Training" (IACIT) workshop at JFK 
International Airport in Jamaica, New York. 
 
¶2.  During November 10-14, the EXBS Advisor and the EXBS 
Administrative Assistant will attend an Export Control Policy and 
Regimes seminar at the University of Georgia's Export Control 
Academy in Athens, Georgia. 
 
¶3.  During November 18-21, EXBS, in cooperation with the U.S. 
Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration's 
(DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation Export Control Program 
(INECP), is sponsoring 26 Kazakhstani officials from the Border 
Guard Service, the National Security Committee's Military Institute, 
the Financial Police Academy, and the Customs Control Committee for 
participating in a "Weapons of Mass Destruction - Commodity 
Identification Training" (WMD/CIT) workshop in Almaty. 
 
¶4. During November 17-21, the Department of Energy's Second Line of 
Defense program will sponsor training for customs officers on the 
use of radiation portal monitors and related equipment at the 
Customs Canine Training Center in Almaty.  Subject matter experts 
from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and ASPECT Company will 
conduct this training course. 
 
¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR 
RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
¶1.  None 
 
¶F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION 
 
¶1. None 
 
III. RED FLAG ISSUES. 
 
¶1. None 
 
HOAGLAND