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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDIR
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DE RUEHAH #1209/01 2670902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240902Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3504
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5702
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3945
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001209 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE BUHLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV KCRM SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: INL COUNTER-NARCOTICS EFFORTS EXTEND TO THE 
PROVINCES 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  At the invitation of Department's INL Bureau, 
Post hosted the visit of Travis Birney of DEA's International 
Training Division from 14-18 September.  The visit was arranged to 
prepare for two one-week Basic Drug Enforcement Seminars for 
Turkmenistan's State Counter-narcotics Service (SCNS) scheduled for 
March 2010.  During the visit, Birney met with the SCNS Deputy 
Director and the head of its training center, as well as the head of 
its office in Lebap province.  SCNS officials were enthusiastic 
about meeting with their American counterpart and openly discussed 
training issues.  They were unusually transparent in responding to 
questions about Turkmenistan's counter narcotics legislation and 
criminal procedures.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) BACKGROUND:  Early in 2009, INL concluded an interagency 
agreement (IAA) with DEA for the provision of two one-week Basic 
Drug Enforcement seminars for the Turkmenistan's new State 
Counter-Narcotics Service.  INL is funding the training sessions in 
the framework of the Letter of Agreement between the U.S. and 
Turkmen governments established in 2001.  Two consecutive one-week 
courses will be held in Ashgabat and Turkmenabat (the capital of 
Lebap Province) next March.  Each seminar will host 30 junior to 
mid-level SCNS officers.  Over the last two years, DEA's 
International Training Division has also participated in two 
NATO/Russian Council training courses that were held in Ashgabat, in 
August 2007 and September 2008. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) During the week of September 14-18, Travis Birney, Special 
Agent with DEA's International Training Division, visited 
Turkmenistan to conduct a site survey and meet with SCNS officials 
in preparation for the DEA seminars.  On September 15th, Birney, 
accompanied by Post's TDY DEA Special Agent and INL Assistant, met 
with the Deputy Chief of SCNS, Colonel Muhammed Orazov, and the Head 
of SCNS International Legal Department, Aman Muhammedkuliev, to 
discuss the proposed training seminars, classes and possibility of 
conducting one of the seminars away from Ashgabat. The SCNS 
officials welcomed the training proposal and stressed that learning 
from DEA's vast experience would be very helpful to their newly 
established agency. 
 
¶5. (U) The idea of holding one of the seminars in the provinces was 
also well received, as it was pointed out this would enable more 
provincial officers to participate in the seminar, as well 
facilitate their travel to the site.  Out of a list of 25 sessions 
proposed to them, the SCNS officials chose five, including informant 
handling, surveillance, undercover operations, 
interrogation/interview techniques, and operation planning.  They 
declined the MILO class (Multiple Interactive Learning and training 
Objectives) - Computer based scenarios pertaining to the use of 
deadly force, explaining that SCNS officers do not carry weapons 
either on or off duty.  Additionally, TDY DEA Agent asked several 
questions regarding Turkmenistan's laws and criminal procedures so 
as to tailor the seminars to local conditions.  The SCNS officials 
were uncharacteristically responsive in giving clear answers to all 
of the questions and discussing the issues openly. 
 
¶6.  (U) The following day, the DEA representatives visited the SCNS 
training facility located in the outskirts of Ashgabat.  Birney, at 
the request of SCNS, gave a presentation on DEA's history and 
mission to the group of students present at the training center, 
currently enrolled in a three-month training program for junior 
officers.  The students seemed appreciative of the opportunity to 
meet with the American officials and listened attentively to the 
presentation.  Afterwards, they asked a lot of questions on topics 
ranging from what the most common narcotics in the United States are 
to whether citizens are rewarded for informing on drug traffickers 
to how DEA conducts seizures.  After meeting with the students, the 
DEA officials met with the Head of the training center, Major Oraz 
 
ASHGABAT 00001209  002 OF 002 
 
 
Ataballyev.  Describing the training provided to new recruits, 
Ataballyev then proposed that DEA also hold their seminar at the 
training center.  He said that it would be very beneficial not only 
to their junior officers, but also to more senior officials.  He 
expressed thanks to DEA and the Embassy for supporting their work. 
 
 
¶7.  (U) On September 17th, the DEA representatives and INL assistant 
traveled to Turkmenabat to meet with the Chief of the SCNS 
Provincial Directorate, Major Kurban Bayramov. (NOTE: Bayramov is a 
career Ministry of National Security officer.  He was seconded to 
his current position in November 2008, immediately following his 
participation in a U.S. study tour funded by CENTCOM.  END NOTE.) 
Bayramov warmly welcomed the guests and said he fully supports 
holding a seminar in Turkmenabat, as this would enable his and 
neighboring provincial officers to participate.  He noted that his 
directorate is the largest in Turkmenistan, as he has three 
municipal and 13 district offices under his supervision.  He said 
that gathering officers from the provinces would not only help them 
to learn from experienced U.S. counterparts, but also help them to 
meet each other and exchange ideas among themselves.  He promised to 
provide any assistance needed to organize the Turkmenabat seminar 
and said that he would be glad to attend some of the classes as 
well. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The frankness of the discussion was a surprise. 
Perhaps, our interlocutors were more open because it would allow the 
Americans to customize the proposed seminars to meet SCNS needs. 
The meeting with the SCNS Deputy was perhaps the most important on 
the agenda.  It lasted for almost three hours and covered a wide 
range of issues.  It was the first time SCNS officials had openly 
answered questions about their operations and internal regulations. 
They further confirmed that the law on criminal conspiracies is in 
force and that undercover operations are legal.  However, reverse 
undercover operations (where the undercover agent sells drugs) are 
not.  SCNS also admitted that the use of confidential sources (CS) 
is permitted, and CS handlers can testify on the behalf of CS, as 
can undercover agents.  The officials said that seized funds go to 
the treasury and are distributed from there and sometimes can be 
given back to the SCNS.  Colonel Orazov also confirmed that SCNS 
officers do not carry firearms, although they receive formal 
training on the use of Makarov pistols and AK-47 rifles.  In the 
future, they plan to have weapons that could be checked out for 
special operations.  It was also revealed that SCNS does not conduct 
wiretaps.  However, they expressed an interest in obtaining a list 
of equipment used by DEA for this purpose as well as vendors, in the 
event they want to purchase some. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED:  The meeting with the Chief of the SCNS 
Lebap Directorate was also a positive step in counternarcotics 
cooperation as it was the first time that either the INL Assistant 
or DEA representatives had met an SCNS provincial official at his 
offices.  The atmospherics of that meeting were warm and friendly. 
Bayramov was anxious to demonstrate Turkmen hospitality and invited 
his guests to a restaurant for local kebab and beer.  It appeared 
that these provincial officials feel freer to socialize with foreign 
officials than their counterparts in Ashgabat do.  END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN