VZCZCXRO5710
PP RUEHDBU RUEHSL
DE RUEHAH #1226/01 2710903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280903Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3522
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 5547
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0372
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0466
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0046
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0030
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 1107
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0116
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3081

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC JHARTSHORN, LSPRINGER, and JFRIEDMAN 
SCA/CEN FOR JGORKOWSKI 
SCA/RA FOR JMCCLELLAN 
DHS/CBP BMCCRAY 
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 SEPTEMBER, 2009 
 
ASHGABAT 00001226  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶A. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY 
MANAGERS:  EXBS continues to support the Department of 
Energy's (DOE) Second Line of Defense (SLD) Program. EXBS 
conducted XRF equipment training during August. Advisor 
continues the process of hiring a second assistant. 
Challenges with the GoTX continue to hamper efforts to 
develop the EXBS Program to its fullest. EXBS Advisor was 
in Uzbekistan as part of his regional responsibilities 
from 2 - 16 September, and 26 September until 19 October. 
End summary. 
 
¶B. Completed Actions for Reporting Period. 
 
¶1. Site Assessments and Meetings during this Reporting 
Period. 
 
a. EXBS was forced to withdraw the contract from 
Turkemngasgeophysics (TGG) for support of the DOE/SLD 
project due to continued problems. The contract officer 
with TGG continuously placed roadblocks in the way of a 
successful contract with TGG for the use of their 
radioactive sources for testing the portal monitors. 
First, she proposed that the Embassy pay the tax to her 
office for the contract. She also requested contract 
modifications, and when these were resolved, would create 
a new "necessary" modification. Last, she returned the 
contract unsigned to her parent organization, requesting 
they sign it. The parent organization, Turkmengaz, 
returned it to TGG. It was apparent that the contract was 
not going to be signed after months of negotiations, 
meetings and discussions. In the end, hundreds of man- 
hours were wasted on bureaucracy. EXBS still has hope 
that a subsequent dipnote requesting approval for 
importation of U.S. sources for testing will be approved. 
 
¶2. Training Conducted During Reporting Period. 
 
a. EXBS facilitated the attendance of one technical 
export control specialist from the GoTX for the 
Department of Energy International Nonproliferation 
Export Control Program (INECP) Technical Expert Working 
Group (TEWG) for export control specialists and technical 
experts from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent 
States from 15 - 18 September in Istanbul, Turkey. 
 
¶3. Training Programs Pending. 
 
a. The Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border 
Protection (DHS/CBP) Air Cargo Interdiction Training 
(IACIT) postponed from 3 - 7 August until 2 - 6 November 
is further postponed until 29 Mar - 2 Apr due to 
instructor shortfalls in the DHS/CBP-INA Office. 
 
b. EXBS will conduct training for local Customs officials 
on Radiation Isotope Identification Devices (RIIDS) and 
the VaporTracer2 to include the donation of 15 detectors 
at the completion of training. The RIIDs and VaporTracer2 
training schedule for 24 - 28 August, was postponed until 
later this fall. The RIIDs require calibration, which 
will require the importation of small dose radioactive 
sources. EXBS is in the process of importing radioactive 
 
ASHGABAT 00001226  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
sources in support of the SLD Program and will build on 
the success of that importation in order to obtain the 
calibration sources for the RIIDs. 
 
c. EXBS is coordinating for eight Turkmen to participate 
in the DTRA and NATO Science for Peace and Security 
Program advanced training conference in Bucharest, 
Romania, 5 - 9 October 2009.  The title of this course is 
"Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction through enhanced border security."  The 
purpose of the course is to enhance the ability of 
regional border security agencies to combat the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the 
illegal cross-border trafficking of people and material 
related to international terrorism. EXBS Advisor and 
assistant will attend. 
 
d. Interdict/RADACAD (Interdiction of Materials and 
Radiation Academy) will be held 28 June - 2 July, 2010 at 
the DOE/PNNL HAMMER facility in Richland, Washington for 
20-24 Turkmen from Customs and the Border Service. 
RADACAD trains and equips international border 
enforcement officers to detect, identify, interdict and 
investigate all aspects of smuggling related to the 
proliferation and diversion of material, commodities and 
components associated with the development and deployment 
of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD - Nuclear, Chemical, 
and Biological weapons and their Missile delivery 
systems). 
 
e. An exchange between the GoTX and the Federal Law 
Enforcement Academy (FLETC) is being coordinated by 
ISN/ECC for FY2010. 
 
¶4. Equipment Delivered During Reporting Period. 
 
XRF: Delayed. 
 
¶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. 
 
¶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. 
EXBS Advisor will be in Tashkent from 24 September until 
3 October and 11 - 19 October, and will be in Bucharest 
for a conference from 3 - 11 October. 
 
CURRAN