VZCZCXRO2091
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHDBU #0228/01 0561351
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251351Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0072
INFO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0005
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0105

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000228 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK), DS/IP/SCA, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA/ITA, 
INL/AAE (BUHLER) 
JUSTICE FOR (DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR ASEC KCRM EAID KJUS PINR TI
SUBJECT: NEW INTERIOR MINISTER AND THE AMBASSADOR ARE ON THE SAME 
PAGE - BUT HOW DOES THE CHAPTER END? 
 
REF: DUSHANBE 130 
 
DUSHANBE 00000228  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary: The Ambassador's introductory meeting with 
new Minister of Internal Affairs Abdurahim Kaharov revealed 
Tajikistan's new chief policeman wrestling with, but undaunted 
by, enormous challenges.  Kaharov was trying to retain SWAT 
forces who were leaving for better paying jobs, train quality 
and not quantity police officers, take down drug rings rather 
than just arrest low-level couriers, and solve personnel issues 
(so difficult he claimed that they made him wish he was 
investigating a simple murder case).  The Ambassador stressed 
that the Ministry must improve arrests and prosecutions of human 
traffickers or face potential assistance restrictions; suggested 
closer partnership with DEA to improve the police 
counter-narcotics efforts; described plans for cooperation with 
the Ministry in training and community policing; and requested 
the Minister's assistance in resolving a nettlesome vehicle 
registration issue.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Giving Minister of Interior Kaharov a month to get 
settled, the Ambassador, accompanied by Regional Security 
Officer and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
officers, met with Tajikistan's new chief policeman on February 
¶24.  He comes to the job with strong accolades in the local 
press and a good street reputation as a competent, professional 
policeman (reftel).  He noted he was "in the regions" for the 
last two years, referring to his work as Chief of the Ministry's 
northern Soghd region based out of Khujand.  Previously he had 
served as First Deputy Minister in Dushanbe, but like many 
senior officers, was removed from Headquarters when former 
Minister Solihev "cleaned house".  He said he was from Dushanbe 
but his parents had come from Sughd.  He complimented the 
Ambassador on her Tajik language skills, noting his own skills 
were poor, since all of his education in Tajikistan and in 
Moscow was in Russian. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Kaharov took a couple pages out of our playbook. He led 
off by saying his focus would be on counter-terrorism and 
counter-narcotics.  Touching on the first, he acknowledged that 
he was having trouble retaining personnel in the elite Militia 
Detachment for Special Purposes (OMON) forces--similar to our 
SWAT teams--because of low pay.  The Ambassador highlighted the 
opportunities for police special teams to work with Diplomatic 
Security and Special Operations Command (SOCCENT) and urged 
continued close embassy contact in this critical area.  He 
agreed with the Ambassador about the importance of the OMON 
teams for embassy protection and countering terrorism but said 
that he had lost 78 officers-- 50% of the staff-- in the last 
year so retention was definitely a challenge.  He added that he 
intended to address the issue both with additional pay and 
stronger leadership. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Kaharov appeared sobered by the Ambassador's clear 
message that Tajikistan must improve its record in trafficking 
arrests, prosecutions, and convictions or face potential 
sanctions on overall assistance in the future in accordance with 
TIP laws in the United States.  He also hoped for improved 
performance drawing on expertise of the former head of 
Tajikistan's inter-ministerial commission on trafficking and now 
First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Ramazon Rahimov. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On counter-narcotics, Kaharov acknowledged the biggest 
criticism of the police was valid; the Interior Ministry 
officers only arrest low-level couriers but must take aim at big 
smuggling rings if the effort was to have any impact on the 
problem.  The Ambassador pointed to the readiness of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration agents at post to collaborate on 
counter-drug cases. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Regarding INL issues, the Ambassador listed the 
construction work at the Ministry of Interior Academy and the 
embedded Training Manager as prime examples of U.S. willingness 
to invest in institutional change to improve policing.  Kaharov, 
showing his understanding of his challenges and his previous 
work as Academy head, forthrightly stated that the Ministry 
needed to train better quality officers, not just push quantity. 
 He spoke appreciatively of the INL-funded renovation projects 
on-going at the Academy.  He noted that improving training for 
firefighters and emergency response officers were two of his two 
key priorities.  (Note: INL's training manager is actively 
developing a curriculum for the firefighters and the embassy's 
1207 project will train emergency response teams.  End note.) 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00000228  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Vehicle registration is a nettlesome issue in 
Tajikistan and was complicated by a recent presidential decree 
banning vehicles with tinted windows.  When the decree was 
issued five personal vehicles of embassy staff were in-country 
or enroute but the decree contained no grandfather provision. 
Kaharov told the Ambassador that when the issue was discussed in 
the Tajik inter-agency process he recommended registering the 
cars as an exception, especially given they were diplomatic 
vehicles.  He suggested the embassy send another Diplomatic Note 
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and provide him a copy and he 
would try to weigh in on the issue again. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment:  At this meeting Kaharov lived up to his 
reputation.  He spoke crisply and clearly without notes or 
hesitation. He demonstrated a quick sense of humor, as when he 
said he preferred investigating a murder case to dealing with 
pesky personnel issues, and that the budgetary process was a 
black hole.  He has a tough job trying to raise the standard of 
the police and his success is uncertain.  We expect continued 
close cooperation and see opportunities to strengthen our 
engagement. 
JACOBSON