VZCZCXRO0036
PP RUEHDBU RUEHSL
DE RUEHAH #0954/01 2111033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301033Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3223
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RUCNEXC/EXRBS COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMCSUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ4/7/CCJ5/SSO/POLAD//
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-CI//
RHMFIUU/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC//OSAN//
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 5534
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0359
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0453
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0032
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0017
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 1094
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0103
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3066

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000954 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC JHARTSHORN, LSPRINGER, and YWONG 
SCA/CEN FOR JGORKOWSKI 
SCA/RA FOR JMCCLELLAN 
DHS/CBP SBAKER 
DHS/ICE FOR AMEFFERD 
DOE/NNSA FOR JNOBLE, AND BPENTOLA 
DOC/BIS FOR DCREED 
USCG FOR SHABTEMICHAEL 
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CBP ATTACHE 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW FOR ICE ATTACHE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KG
SUBJECT:  EXBS:  TURKMENISTAN EXBS ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING 
CABLE JULY, 2009 
 
ASHGABAT 00000954  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶A. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY 
MANAGERS:  The GoTX continues to offer significant 
challenges in engagement on EXBS initiatives. The Border 
Service through the MFA has rejected an EXBS offer to 
build modular shelters in remote border areas. Also, EXBS 
continues to support the Department of Energy's (DOE) 
Second Line of Defense (SLD) Program. End summary. 
 
¶B. Completed Actions for Reporting Period. 
 
¶1. Site Assessments and Meetings during this Reporting 
Period. 
 
a. On 6 July, EXBS Advisor and Assistant met with 
Gurbangeldi Temirov, Deputy Chief for Logistics of the 
State Border Service, Gurban Begliyev, Head of the State 
Immigration Service, and Hemra Amannazarov, MFA 
representative. The purpose of the meeting was 
introductory; the Deputy Chief for Logistics had missed 
the previous meetings between the advisor and the Border 
Service. During the meeting, when the advisor asked about 
progress with the acceptance of the border shelter 
project, Temirov told the advisor that the shelters would 
not be needed from the EXBS Program. Temirov said that he 
had not heard from EXBS for over two years, so the Border 
Service took the blueprints and designs for the shelters 
and contracted with construction companies and 
international donors to build the border posts with other 
funds. The designs Temirov showed the advisor were 
similar to the original EXBS designs, but were more 
extensive. 
 
The EXBS Advisor informed Temirov that the funding was 
about to expire, and renotification would reduce 
potential funding for Border Service projects by half and 
would take many more months to get approved both in WADC 
and Turkmenistan. Temirov said it was not a concern of 
his, and that they did not really need EXBS assistance 
with construction. Temirov did ask EXBS to purchase 
maritime night radar for the Service. 
 
Advisor Note: It is unclear as to the motivation for 
turning down assistance so long in the making. The 
previous advisor informed the current advisor that this 
project was approved by the Border Service and desired. 
The disgraced EXBS assistant Hommadov had repeatedly told 
the advisor that the MFA would be sending official 
approval at any time. Either the Border Service changed 
their mind, or there has been no contact for a long time. 
It is near impossible to adequately analyze this as 
access is severely limited and an MFA representative is 
always present. This does pose some serious concerns for 
the future of EXBS in Turkmenistan. If the Border Service 
does not need the limited funds EXBS is willing to 
provide, and if the process is so time-consuming for 
approval between the identification of a need and 
approval from WADC and the GoTX, then funds would be more 
productive in other venues, or countries. End Note. 
 
b. From 8 - 12 July EXBS Advisor traveled to Tashkent as 
part of his regional duties. 
 
ASHGABAT 00000954  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
c. From 19-31 July the EXBS Office supported the 
Department of Energy (DOE) Second Line of Defense (SLD) 
Portal Monitor Installation Project with site visits for 
equipment acceptance at Turkmenabad/Farab, Turkmenbashy, 
Artyk, Watan, Serakhs, Altyn Asyr, Imam-Nazar and 
Serhetabad. Anne Kohnen from PNNL (Pacific Northwest 
National Laboratories) and AHTNA Project Manager Travis 
Brown visited Turkmenistan to conduct the testing. 
 
d. On 28 July, Anne Kohnen of PNNL (DOE/SLD) as part of 
her acceptance visit to the ports of Turkmenistan 
attended a meeting with the Director of 
Turkmengasgeophysics (TGG), Mr. Sapar Kajarov. The 
purpose of the meeting was to finalize arrangements for 
the contract with TGG for the use of two radioactive 
sources, Californium-252 and Sodium-22 for use in testing 
the portal monitors. This contract will be executed in 
September/October and is the first stage in final 
acceptance of the monitors. The ultimate goal will be to 
import 2-3 radioactive sources from the U.S., in 
particular Cesium-137 and Cobalt-57. These sources will 
be given to TGG as the only licensed agency in 
Turkmenistan that can receive, store and transport 
radioactive sources. Once in country, a team from PNNL 
and DOE will return to Turkmenistan to test the monitors. 
The meeting was attended by MFA representative Hemra 
Amannazarov and Kajarov's assistant and POC for this 
project, Alla Savenkova. 
 
Advisor Note: The initial goal of the PNNL team was to 
import and utilize the correct sources (Cobalt-57, 
Cesium-137, and Californium-252). A dipnote was submitted 
to the GoTX requesting this and assistance with 
identifying the appropriate agency to work with on 12 
June as a follow-up to dipnotes of January and February. 
However, EXBS determined that Turkmengasgeophysics (TGG) 
possessed several alternate sources that were marginally 
acceptable to PNNL and therefore, a contract process was 
initiated with diplomatic notes on 30 June and was 
approved by the MFA on 14 July. The TGG sources will not 
fully test the RPMs, but will indicate problems with 
construction and installation of monitoring equipment. 
DCM Curran has been told by the MFA that they approve our 
importation, but TGG has requested approval in writing. 
Once written permission has been received from the MFA, 
EXBS will grant these sources to the GoTX/TGG, then 
contract to utilize these sources for the final testing. 
In addition, Advis, the subcontractor for the 
installation of the monitors and subsequent maintenance 
contractor for the monitors will be authorized by dipnote 
to administer future contracts with TGG. Post, in 
particular, the GSO and Contracting Officer Samuel 
Dykema, has been extremely supportive in the venture. 
 
¶2. Training Conducted During Reporting Period. 
 
a. CIT. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security 
Administration (DOE/NNSA) conducted a three-day workshop 
on Commodity Identification Training (CIT) from 14 - 16 
July, 2009, at the President Hotel for 19 Customs and 
 
ASHGABAT 00000954  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
Border Service Officers. The workshop was well-run and 
instructors Charles Willingham, Nataliya Shabarkina, 
Dmitry Bogomolov, and Tamara Tazhibayeva did a wonderful 
job training in the visual identification of materials 
and commodities that can be used in the production of 
WMD, and strengthening the role of export control 
enforcement in preventing the spread of WMD by 
encouraging a stronger relationship between enforcement, 
licensing, and technical organizations. 
 
b. NCL. From 21 ? 24 July, Commonwealth Trading Partners 
conducted an National Control List (NCL) licensing 
workshop for 11 technical experts and officials from the 
GOTX at the Grand Turkmen Hotel. Training and exercises 
were conducted by instructors Stephan Hall, Joseph 
Chuchla and Mario Dorigo. 
 
The goal of the training was to assist Turkmenistan's 
licensing officials and career managerial staff in the 
establishment of a functional licensing organization 
utilizing a multi-lateral based national control list 
(NCL) and an inter-agency process, and building a "one- 
stop-shop" for dual-use and military license processing. 
This four-day training workshop had a four-fold purpose. 
First, structuring and staffing the organization. Second, 
performing the basic functions in administering the NCL 
and of requiring and reviewing export licenses. Third, 
focusing on developing a model for interagency analysis 
and adjudication of dual-use and munitions export license 
applications utilizing the dual-use and Wassenaar 
International Military control lists, and UNSCR 1540 
guidelines. Fourth, developing the procedure and timeline 
for establishing a national control list and then a 
licensing organization. 
 
Unfortunately just after training began, four Customs 
Officers arrived at the hotel. Due to Leahy Vetting 
rules, these officers were turned away. The MFA expressed 
their apologies for the late arrival and failure to 
transmit their names to EXBS prior to the start of the 
course, and expressed understanding at the reasons for 
the turn-away. 
 
¶3. Training Programs Pending. 
 
a. The Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border 
Protection (DHS/CBP) Air Cargo Interdiction Training 
(IACIT) was postponed from 3 - 7 August until 2 - 6 
November. 
 
b. DOE/NNSA will also conduct a three-day workshop on X- 
Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Technology from 18 - 20 August, 
2009, to include donations of three XRF Metal Analyzers 
to the GOTX. EXBS Ashgabat will prepare diplomatic notes 
and handle administrative matters in support of this 
training. 
 
c. From 24 - 28 August, EXBS will conduct training for 
local Customs officials on Radiation Isotope 
Identification Devices (RIIDS) and the VaporTracer to 
include the donation of 15 detectors at the completion of 
 
ASHGABAT 00000954  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
training. 
 
¶4. Equipment Delivered During Reporting Period. No 
equipment was delivered during the reporting period. 
 
¶5. Equipment Status Update. 
 
a. CT-30 kits. EXBS is awaiting the delivery of 4-5 CT-30 
Kits from WASHDC. Delivery is expected within FY2009. 
 
¶6. Red Flag Issues. The difficulty in acquiring positive 
support for many EXBS programs and projects continues to 
frustrate efforts at export control and related border 
security in Turkmenistan. The modular shelter program is 
the prime example. This project is an integral part of 
the 2008 and 2009 Program Plans for Turkmenistan and if 
EXBS is not successful in getting the GoTX to support 
this program, a reduction of EXBS effort in the future 
may be required. In addition, most requests for 
participants from agencies other than Customs and the 
Border Service are ignored. 
 
¶7. CONTACT INFORMATION. Barry A. Johnson is the Regional 
EXBS Advisor for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and can be 
reached at johnsonba8@state.gov, or +993-66-30-85-84. 
 
CURRAN