VZCZCXRO3045 
RR RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG 
DE RUEHDBU #1557 3580434 
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 
R 230434Z DEC 08 
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1281 
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 
RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC 0002

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001557 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT (RHONDA SHORE) AND NCTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL ASEC TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 
 
REF: STATE 120019 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Following is the text of Dushanbe's 2008 Country Report on 
Terrorism: 
 
As the poorest of the former Soviet countries, the Tajik 
governmentQs main impediment to counterterrorism remained its lack 
of resources. The government, particularly the Border Guards, lacked 
appropriate technical equipment, personnel, and training to 
effectively interdict illegal border crossings and to detect and 
analyze hazardous substances. Individual border guards and other law 
enforcement personnel were not motivated to interdict smugglers or 
traffickers due to systematic corruption, low income, conscripted 
service, and lack of support from senior Tajik government officials. 
As a result, Tajikistan served as a transit country for extremists 
and terrorists traveling to and from Afghanistan and Pakistan. To 
address this issue, the United States and other donors assisted the 
government of Tajikistan to secure its 1400 kilometer porous border 
with Afghanistan. Assistance included the rehabilitation and 
equipping of three border outposts on the border with Afghanistan, 
the creation of an Analytical Center to process counternarcotics 
information, and a $5 million U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) radio 
program to improve Border Guard communications capability. DOD held 
four Counter Narcoterrorism Training (CNT) (formerly Joint Combined 
Exchange Training (JCET)) events with Tajik security forces to 
improve their capacity to conduct counterterrorism operations. 
 
The U.S. Embassy administered training on chemical weapons response 
and detection of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Defense 
Institute for Legal Studies conducted a Response to Terrorism course 
in Dushanbe that representatives from several ministries attended. 
Tajikistan also participated in exercise Regional Cooperation 08, 
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and hosted by 
Kyrgyzstan. This exercise focused on dealing with terrorism, and 
strengthened cooperation between the Central Asian countries. The 
Counter Narcotics program continued to assist Tajikistan with 
facilities construction, communications equipment, and training, 
totaling nearly $10 million. This effort helped stabilize the 
border regions and combat terrorism by stopping potential terrorists 
attempting to cross the Tajik border, and enabling Tajikistan to 
better control its borders. Tajikistan endorsed the joint 
U.S.-Russia co-chaired Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear 
Terrorism. The Tajik government also participated in regional 
security alliances, including the Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization. 
 
Since September 11, 2001, the Government of Tajikistan has allowed 
its airspace to be used for counterterrorist actions in support of 
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Tajikistan prohibited 
extremist-oriented activities and closely monitored groups it listed 
as terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic Movement of 
Uzbekistan (IMU) and Hizbut-Tahrir (HT). The Government of 
Tajikistan believed that HT, in particular, was active in the 
northern part of the country. U.S. government analysts believed 
that supporters of terrorist groups such as al-QaQida, the Islamic 
Jihad Union (IJU) and the IMU were active in the region this year. 
The Government of Tajikistan did not provide safe haven for 
terrorists or terrorist organizations. However, the countryQs poor 
economic climate and government policies to restrict Islamic 
religious practice provided conditions that religious extremists 
could exploit. Under the guise of fighting extremism, the 
government of Tajikistan has taken increased measures against 
Qgovernment of Tajikistan has taken increased measures against 
opposition parties in the country, particularly the Islamic 
Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), the only legal Islamic 
political party in Central Asia. Tajik law enforcement and security 
officials viewed the Salafi religious movement as a serious threat 
to national security, comparing Salafists to the IMU. Security 
organizations have diverted significant resources used to fight 
terrorism in the country to investigate Salafists. 
 
¶2. (U) Point of contact on this issue is William von Zagorski, 
vonzagorskiwf@state.gov. 
 
JACOBSON