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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK
RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHROV
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DE RUEHTA #0711/01 1141018
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241018Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5252
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 1526
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0904
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1607
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0591
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2288
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2618
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1089
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 1003
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000711 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/CT, SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC EFIN PTER KCRM KPAO PTER KHLS AEMR
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN:  U.S. AMBASSADOR'S FUND FOR COUNTERTERRORISM 
PROPOSAL 
 
¶1.      (SBU)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public 
Internet. 
 PROPOSED PROJECT:  COUNTERING YOUTH EXTREMISM 
 ¶2.     (SBU)  SUMMARY:   Embassy Astana requests $100,000 to 
counter youth extremism in Kazakhstan through English-language 
training and sustained exposure to the best of American culture. 
Modeled on the successful English Access Microscholarship Program, 
this project will counter extremist ideology and recruitment in 
southern and western Kazakhstan.  One hundred disadvantaged youth 
(50 in each of two regions) will be selected to participate in an 
intensive, two-year English language program that will help them 
improve their language ability, expand their job prospects, increase 
their possibility of being selected for exchange programs or study 
abroad opportunities, and offer them a positive vision of the future 
with an emphasis on common values.  END SUMMARY. 
 
EXPLANATION OF HOW THE PROPOSAL WILL ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF LAW 
ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO DETER TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST GROUPS 
¶3.     (SBU)  Kazakhstan, with a population of 16.7 million, is a 
Muslim-majority country.  Ethnic Kazakhs, who constitute just over 
half the population, and ethnic Uzbeks, Uighurs, and Tatars, who 
collectively comprise less than 10 percent, are historically Sunni 
Muslims.  Other Islamic groups that account for less than one 
percent include Shafi'i Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, and Ahmadi.  There are 
approximately 2,200 registered mosques in Kazakhstan. 
 
¶4.     (SBU)  As noted in the 2008 International Religious Freedom 
Report for Kazakhstan, government officials have increasingly 
expressed concern about the potential spread of political and 
religious extremism. The Committee for National Security (KNB) has 
characterized the fight against "religious extremism" as a top 
priority of the internal intelligence service. 
 
¶5.     (SBU)  Embassy Astana proposes to prevent the spread of 
violent extremism among Kazakhstan's youth by offering 100 
disadvantaged teenagers an opportunity to participate in an 
intensive, two-year English-language and American cultural program. 
As southern Kazakhstan is one of the poorest regions in the country 
and also has the highest concentration of practicing Muslims, 50 
percent of the students will be selected from Shymkent, the 
principal city in that part of the country.  The other 50 percent 
will be selected from western Kazakhstan, near the city of Aktau, 
due to that region's poor economic conditions and history of 
religious problems, such as unregistered mosques, some of which are 
purportedly linked to Salafi groups. 
 
¶6.    (SBU)  Students from these two areas frequently come from 
disadvantaged backgrounds and do not hold out hope for a brighter 
future.   Learning English for two solid years will open their eyes 
to a wide range of alternative views and foster their critical 
thinking skills.  They will expand their employment options.  They 
will increase their prospects of being selected for a U.S. 
government-sponsored exchange program or one of the Kazakhstani 
government's presidential fellowships for study abroad (for which 
English is required).  They will aspire to new goals and succeed in 
reaching them, thus becoming less susceptible to extremist ideology 
or recruitment. 
 
PLANNED START DATE 
 
¶7.     (SBU)  September 15, 2009 through August 15, 2011 
 
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST 
 
¶8.     (SBU)  $100 K 
 
POTENTIAL SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING 
 
¶9.     (SBU)  0 
 
TARGET AUDIENCE 
 
¶10.     (SBU)  The audience is one hundred underprivileged, 
underrepresented Muslim youth, ages 12-14; 50 will come from 
Shymkent in the south and 50 from Mongistau Oblast in the west. 
Each area is extremely poor and youth have few options, leaving them 
 
ASTANA 00000711  002 OF 002 
 
 
vulnerable to religious extremism.  The focus will be on ethnic 
Uzbeks and other ethnic minorities who have been the most fertile 
ground for extremist recruiting in Kazakhstan. 
 
AUDIENCE PERCEPTIONS 
 
¶11.     (SBU)  Two years of English-language training and exposure 
to American culture will allow them access to other world views and 
sources of information, and improve their chances for participating 
in other USG exchange programs, such as FLEX.  Students' level of 
English will drastically improve, allowing them access to higher 
education and career options they otherwise would not have. 
Students will also develop positive feelings about the United States 
and become less vulnerable to religious extremism. 
 
TASKS AND ACTIVITIES 
 
¶12.     (SBU)  One hundred Kazakhstani Muslim youth will study 
English and American culture 
six hours a week for two years.  There will be English classes with 
modern materials and 
methods, American holiday parties, field trips, summer camps, and 
service-learning projects 
during the two-year program. The program will be delivered by two in 
country providers, one in 
Shymkent and one in the region of Aktau.  Each in-country provider 
will work closely with 
Embassy Astana to ensure high quality programming.  Embassy Astana 
will make regular site 
visits, bringing American officers to interact with the students and 
teachers in the program. 
Participation certificates and completion certificates will also be 
awarded to all the students. 
 
MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS 
 
¶13.     (SBU)  Students will be given a language and cultural 
knowledge pre-test and post-test. 
Students' attitudes towards English and the United States will be 
qualitatively checked during the program.  Students' grades in their 
regular English classes will also be monitored, demonstrating their 
quantitative improvement over the two-year period. 
 
BEST PRACTICES 
 
¶14.     (SBU)  Teachers will take the new materials, methods, and 
modern teaching techniques 
utilized in this program into their regular, government classrooms, 
ultimately 
improving the quality of language instruction in these two cities. 
In addition to having solid 
English language skills, these students will also have a more 
positive view of the United States, 
creating powerful pockets of goodwill. 
 
HOAGLAND