id: 20441
date: 9/8/2004 14:36
refid: 04BRUSSELS3782
origin: Embassy Brussels
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BRUSSELS 003782
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR DAS LAURA KENNEDY, EUR/CACEN, EUR/ERA TOM
LERSTEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2014
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, EAID, GG, AM, AJ, KZ, KG, TI, TX, UZ, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: U.S.-EU CONSULTATIONS ON CAUCASUS, CENTRAL ASIA
(COEST)
REF: USEU TODAY 09/02/04
Classified By: USEU POLOFF TODD HUIZINGA, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: On September 1 EUR DAS Laura Kennedy held
semi-annual consultations with the EU on Caucasus and Central
Asia (COEST). Caucasus discussions concentrated on
establishing a political process to resolve the South Ossetia
conflict (Kennedy met separately on South Ossetia with Heikki
Talvitie, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus,
who had just returned from the region — see ref), and on
reviewing the issues in play in Nagorno-Karabakh with an eye
toward developing a comprehensive plan to move forward.
Regarding both conflicts, interlocutors focused on getting
the Russians to play a positive role and work with, rather
than seek to exclude, the OSCE. COEST participants
consistently emphasized the need for promoting regional
cooperation in both the Caucasus and Central Asia. On
Central Asia, both sides agreed on the importance of building
civil society and coordinating U.S. and EU promotion of
democratic reform and development assistance. Noting this
summer’s terrorist attacks in Uzbekistan, the EU said the
Uzbeks had asked them to designate Hizb-ut Tahrir as a
terrorist group (the U.S. has not designated Hizb-ut Tahrir).
END SUMMARY.
——————————————-
SOUTH OSSETIA: STARTING A POLITICAL PROCESS
——————————————-
2. (C) Jan Lucas Van Hoorn, Director of the Southeast and
Eastern Europe Department in the Dutch MFA (the Netherlands
is the current EU president), said the key in South Ossetia
was to keep hostilities from flaring up and introduce
confidence-building measures. He supported Tbilisi OSCE HOM
Roy Reeve’s idea of setting up confidence-building working
groups focused on key issues. After those groups had made
progress, added van Hoorn, then a higher-level process could
begin, either via the Joint Control Commission (JCC) or by
reviving the Baden process, as proposed by the U.S. Van
Hoorn noted that the EU would have its Cooperation Council
meetings with all three Caucasus countries on September 14.
On September 13, Dutch FM Bot and EU HighRep Solana would
have dinner with the three FM’s from Georgia, Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Van Hoorn implied that the EU intended to raise
and endorse Reeve’s CBM proposal at these meetings.
————————————-
MEANING OF SOUTH OSSETIAN «AUTONOMY?»
————————————-
3. (C) Van Hoorn lamented the lack of clarity on how the
Georgians planned to flesh out the concept of autonomy for
South Ossetia. He said Georgia should be encouraged to make
progress on defining the autonomy for Ajara; that would send
an important, positive signal to the South Ossetians and the
Russians. Kennedy noted the difference between the
situations but agreed that the definition of autonomy was a
crucial element for the future of South Ossetia. She
underlined the role of positive public signals; she said, for
example, that supportive statements such as Georgia had made
to the Russians regarding the recent hostage-taking in North
Ossetia could go a long way toward defusing the tensions with
Russia that were complicating the search for a solution in
South Ossetia. We had consistently urged Saakashvili to
cease inflammatory rhetoric. Now that he had disengaged
militarily, we need to push the Russians to engage
politically.
————————————
ABKHAZIA: PROGRESS AFTER ELECTIONS?
————————————
4. (C) On Abkhazia, Kennedy suggested that the U.S. and the
EU explore the possibilities for new movement after the
October Abkhaz elections, perhaps by revitalizing the
«Friends of Georgia» process. Van Hoorn agreed, but said the
Dutch experience as 2003 OSCE Chairman-in-Office (CiO) had
been that Abkhazia is «the hardest nut to crack» of all of
the conflicts in the region. He suggested that Georgian
public acceptance of the concept of dual Georgian/Russian
nationality for South Ossetians and Abkhazians could lead to
progress in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Kennedy
cautioned that such a move would reward the Russian policy of
liberally granting Russian citizenship in those regions, and
could be unacceptable to the Georgians.
——————————
IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMIC REFORM
——————————
5. (C) Both sides agreed that continued pursuit of economic
reform was a key factor in increasing political stability in
Georgia and the Caucasus in general. Aid channelled through
the Millenium Challenge Corporation — with its emphasis on
reform — was key in Georgia. Also, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
(BTC) oil pipeline would be vital to the future of Georgia
not only as an energy corridor, but also as an example to
other investors of the attractiveness of doing business
there. Kurt Juul, Head of Unit for South Caucasus and
Central Asia in the External Affairs Directorate of the
European Commission, said Commission President Romano Prodi
planned to underscore the importance of economic reform when
he visits the region on September 16. Both sides agreed on
the importance of sending a clear message to Georgian
President Saakashvili that he must not divert his focus from
the need to follow through on his economic reform
initiatives.
——————————————
NAGORNO-KARABAKH: STATE OF PLAY AND RUSSIA
——————————————
6. (C) Van Hoorn noted that the September 14 EU Cooperation
Council meeting with the three Caucasus countries would take
place just before the CIS Summit in Astana. Now that
Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev has been in office for a year,
the EU hopes to see a clear indication that he will make
progress, van Hoorn asserted. He added that Armenia was
concerned, with good reason, about being excluded from the
development of infrastructure in the region.
7. (C) Kennedy noted that the Azeri and Armenian foreign
ministers had met in Prague earlier in the week. U.S. Minsk
Group Co-Chair Steve Mann had reported on a positive meeting;
its focus on technical matters — access issues, for example
— was useful. Perhaps after another similar session, the
parties could consider an overall plan. The Azeri foreign
minister seemed to be growing into his role. Kennedy agreed
that the Astana meeting between the leaders was the next key
step.
8. (C) COEST participants discussed the need to watch
carefully Russian President Putin’s upcoming meeting with his
Armenian and Azeri counterparts in Astana. Putin had
essentially invited himself, possibly intending to cut the
OSCE and the Minsk Group out of future negotiations. Michael
Swann, South Caucasus and Central Asia Desk Officer in the EU
Council Secretariat, remarked that some — especially in
Azerbaijan — had «had it» with the Minsk Group, and might
thus be receptive to Putin’s efforts to sideline it. Van
Hoorn underscored that the EU would have to provide
Azerbaijan and Armenia with a clear message in support of the
Minsk Group at the upcoming Cooperation Council. Kennedy
added that we also needed to urge the Russians at all levels
to endorse the OSCE and the Minsk Group — of which Russia is
one of the co-chairs. Van Hoorn said he expected the EU
would take this up at the November 11 EU-Russia Summit in The
Hague.
——————————
CAUCASUS: A REGIONAL APPROACH
——————————
9. (C) COEST participants consistently emphasized the need
for a regional — vice country-by-country — approach to both
the Caucasus and Central Asia. As Juul portrayed the
Commission point of view, the U.S. and the EU have regional
assistance programs, but interactions with the recipients
tend to focus on individual countries — this provided each
with the opportunity to blame its problems and failings on
its neighbors. Taking a collective approach and working with
recipient countries as a unit could help break this pattern,
he suggested. On the Caucasus specifically, he commented
that Commission President Prodi’s September 16 meetings with
all three leaders (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia) would
provide the best near-term opportunity to reinforce messages.
He pointed to the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) as an
example of the EU — or at least Commission — interest in
addressing the region more broadly. Energy would be a
particularly important agenda item in EU discussions with
these three countries, he said. Armenia’s nuclear power
plant — now run by Russians — was unsafe; the EU had been
trying for years to get it closed. According to Juul, the
Commission was prepared to convene a donors’ conference to
raise funds for alternate energy sources; he had hoped the
Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) would be a source of
contributions, but it appeared that the MCA was focused on
poverty reduction instead.
————————————
CENTRAL ASIA: BUILDING CIVIL SOCIETY
————————————
10. (C) On Central Asia, both sides agreed on the difficulty
and importance of helping to build civil society. Swann
commented that the EU had to deal with «substandard
governments and substandard civil society» — the governments
were suspicious of efforts to reach out to NGOs and other
groups, while NGOs and the press tended to take irresponsible
actions that aroused further government suspicion. The U.S.
and EU, suggested van Hoorn, needed to call all parties on
their behavior — and to encourage further contact between
government and civil society representatives.
——————————————— ——-
CENTRAL ASIA: PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, COORDINATING AID
——————————————— ——-
11. (C) Kennedy solicited EU support for several assistance
projects in Central Asia. Money was still needed to complete
the bridge from Tajikistan into Afghanistan and the road
leading up to the bridge, she said, and an EU contribution
would be appreciated. The EU declined to respond directly,
but noted that the EU would sign its Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement with Tajikistan in October. Juul
pointed out that again, the key was a regional approach; and
Afghanistan is also a part of the region. He said the
Commission was trying to get the Central Asian countries to
work together wherever possible on poverty reduction,
fighting drugs and crime, and governance.
12. (C) Key to the regional approach, Kennedy pointed out,
was the OSCE. Kazakhstan’s desire for 2009 OSCE Chairmanship
offered the U.S. and EU the opportunity to press for
political reform and better respect for human rights. An
important near-term indicator would be how Kazakhstan
conducted its September elections. Van Hoorn agreed, saying
Kazakhstan today was a poor candidate, but the decision
doesn’t need to be made until 2008. In the meantime, the EU
has not reached a «common position» on Kazakhstan’s bid but
will wait and see how it evolves. Given Russia’s concerns
with the OSCE, he said, it would be «interesting» to have a
CIS country as chairman. However, he noted that Kazakhstan
had signed the CIS statement critical of the OSCE; he added
that the EU had pointed out to the Kazakhs that this was
inconsistent with seeking the OSCE chairmanship. Van Hoorn
said Commissioner Patten had leaned heavily on Kazakhstan
during his March visit on issues such as the proposed media
law and elections. The media law has since been withdrawn,
and Van Hoorn concluded that U.S. and EU efforts can lead to
changes in Kazakhstan.
13. (C) It was also important that Turkmenistan, despite its
autocratic dictatorship, not be isolated. A central factor
in keeping engaged with Turkmenistan would be to find a
successor for the OSCE HOM in Ashgabat, Paraschiva Badescu,
who could be equally effective in pressing for human rights
and civil society. Kennedy urged U.S.-EU cooperation in the
search for the right successor; the worst signal that could
be sent to Ashgabat would be if no qualified candidate could
be found.
14. (C) Returning to the topic of civil society and
coordinating assistance, Kennedy urged the EU to support
independent media in Kyrgyzstan by funding the Freedom House
printing press there. Juul noted that the Commission’s TACIS
program was not structured for this type of assistance, but
Van Hoorn and the Council Secretariat were receptive to using
the EU’s COEST Working Group to identify possible EU member
states who could provide bilateral assistance. (USEU
subsequently provided the EU Council with a non-paper
outlining the need for donors to support independent media in
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and with details on the road spur
between the Afghan border and the Tajik town of Dusti.)
————————
UZBEKISTAN AND TERRORISM
————————
15. (C) EU representatives were very interested in how
Tashkent had reacted to the U.S. decision earlier this year
not to certify Uzbekistan, and sought U.S. views on the
likelihood of instability in a post-Karimov era. Kennedy
noted our hopes to continue to engage Uzbekistan on the
reform front; we hoped to send a senior official to discuss
economic reform. Noting this summer’s terrorist attacks on
US and Israeli embassies, Van Hoorn asked whether we had
added a group called Hizb-ut Tahrir to our list of terrorist
groups; he said that the EU would consider this soon but he
was not himself convinced that the group should be so
designated. Van der Togt opined that there are no legal
grounds for banning them in most other EU countries,
especially given the group’s vague message — it is hard, he
said, to determine exactly what the organization stands for
or intends to do. Van der Togt added that the Uzbeks raise
this group with the Dutch «all the time» in meetings. (NOTE:
Uzbekistan has also approached the U.S. repeatedly with the
same request, but the USG has not designated the group as a
terrorist organization. END NOTE.)
16. (C) COMMENT: In the course of discussions, Kennedy
suggested that the agenda for the next COEST meeting include
a more detailed discussion of coordination of development
assistance and offered to include a representative from
EUR/ACE on the U.S. delegation for that purpose. The EU
welcomed the proposal. END COMMENT.
17. (U) This message has been cleared by EUR DAS Laura
Kennedy.
SCHNABEL
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 27934
date: 3/2/2005 8:23
refid: 05AMMAN1725
origin: Embassy Amman
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 001725
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID, PREL, JO, IZ, TI
SUBJECT: ENGAGING JORDAN ON REDIRECTION OF IRAQI WMD
SCIENTISTS
Summary
———
1. (SBU) Anne Harrington, Deputy Director of the Office of
Proliferation Threat Reduction (NP/PTR), Richard Jarvis,
PTR’s Iraq Program Manager, and Amman’s ESTH Hub Director
visited several Amman-based NGOs to discuss their possible
collaboration with State’s program to redirect Iraqi WMD
scientists to civilian, non-weapons work. Accompanying the
State Department team was Dr. Esmail Shubber, an Iraqi
biologist who had previously worked on Iraqi bio-weapons
programs and is now an active participant in State’s
redirection program. End Summary.
Meeting Goals:
—————
2. (SBU) A primary goal of the Amman meetings was to
identify potential partners for projects currently being
proposed by former Iraqi WMD scientists which would employ
those and other scientists in tackling problems in the
areas of the environment, water, public health and
agriculture. With the relative ease of access to Amman
from both Iraq and the U.S., the Jordanian capital is a
convenient venue for the interaction of Iraqi scientists
and their western counterparts in the effort to utilize
Iraqi scientific and technical expertise on the many tasks
of national reconstruction. The team was also seeking to
identify possible venues to host redirection workshops and
training programs, including facilities that could support
laboratory-based training.
Meeting Highlights
——————
3. (SBU) The State team visited the Jordanian Royal
Scientific Society (RSS), the Cooperative Monitoring
Center (CMC), and the World Conservation Union
(aka IUCN) on January 31, and the Amman headquarters
of the U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) on February 1.
Royal Scientific Society (RSS) — www.rss.gov.jo
——————————————— —
4. (SBU) Royal Society President Dr. Sa’ad al-Hijazi,
and senior RSS staff received the State team on RSS’s
85-acre research campus in Amman. Hijazi has been
active in the Jordanian and regional scientific
community and was formerly a university president in
Jordan for 15 years. He offered to work with the
redirection program to help meet any Iraqi and
regional training needs.
5. (U) RSS is a non-profit NGO established in 1970.
Its income is derived from a number of
revenue-generating activities, including quality
assurance testing and other technical services,
studies, research projects and training. It also
receives some funds from the Jordanian government and
local governmental organizations, and by providing
technical services to other governments, and regional
and international organizations. The research staff
numbers just over 600 and at the end of 2003, RSS had
assets valued at USD 28 million, which includes a USD
2.8 million endowment. RSS has 38 laboratories, 18 of
which are internationally accredited, and works with
an extensive number of U.S., European and regional
universities, accreditation programs and scientific
centers.
6. (U) The Society’s chief fields of expertise include:
building technology; environmental assessment studies;
water harvesting; hazardous and solid waste management;
water quality assessment; air quality management and
control; information technology; chemical analysis;
testing and calibration; non-destructive assay; radiation
monitoring; physical, chemical and mechanical
characterization of metals, plastics, food materials and
products; quality control and product certification;
design and manufacture; and maintenance and repair of
medical equipment. Dr. al-Hijazi highlighted RSS’s role
in providing all quality assurance testing for the
government (quality assurance lab certified according to
ISO 9002:2000) and that RSS is responsible for maintenance
and repair of all Ministry of Health equipment. RSS has a
close working relationship with the Japanese and under
their assistance arrangement, the Japanese will be
upgrading the quality assurance labs in the next four
months. In addition to working with Japan, RSS also works
with Germany.
7. (U) RSS conducts a lot of training, particularly in
environment, building sector issues, information
technology, engineering, chemical analysis, and quality
assurance. The National Calibration center works with
technical centers on primary and secondary testing and
analysis equipment.
8. (SBU) Hijazi indicated his strong willingness to work
with the redirection program and agreed to meet with
State’s Baghdad-based Program Director, Dr. Peter
Smallwood in the near future to continue discussion and to
work out specific details of ways RSS could assist with
training programs, workshops and conferences.
Cooperative Monitoring Center, Amman (CMC) —
www.cmc-amman.gov.jo
——————————————— ————-
9. (SBU) CMC director General Mohamed Shiyyab was out of
town and the team was briefed by Head of Administration
Amani Abu Ruqa’a, system engineer Iyad Aldasouqi, and
assistant engineer Tareq Shridah, who explained the CMC
programs and gave a tour of the cooperative monitoring
technology demonstration area. The CMC is housed in the
RSS administration building and can draw on the RSS
expertise and facilities.
10. (U) CMC’s main activities include workshops, research
and analysis, and technology development and collaborations
for monitoring security situations. CMC also serves as a
data gathering center for several regional programs that
may be relevant to the redirection program. For example,
its Middle East Meteorological System (MEMS) could add
meteorological sentinel stations in Iraq to the existing
sub-regional system and share resulting MEMS regional data
with Iraq. CMC also does some sub-regional disease
reporting data collection that might be able to include
Iraqi inputs.
World Conservation Union, aka
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
——————————————— ———
11. (SBU) IUCN (www.iucn.org) is an international
organization devoted to biodiversity conservation. It
tries to enhance governance and civil society through
environmental conservation. The Amman office, IUCN
WESCANA, covers 26 countries in three regions: Central
Asia, West Asia, and North Africa. The team met with
Regional Director Dr. Odeh al-Jayyousi and Simon Anstey,
Senior Advisor responsible for the Central Asia region.
12. (U) IUCN programs in West Asia include working with
Yemen and Oman to develop National Biodiversity
Strategies and Action Plans; protected areas programs in
Saudi Arabia and Lebanon; biodiversity capacity building
in Kuwait; and water resources management in Jordan.
13. (U) Iraq was an IUCN member in the early ’80s with
the Academy of Sciences, University of Baghdad, and
government offices being involved. IUCN would like to
see Iraq involved again, but that would require some
official entity being able to assume responsibility
for paying annual dues. Dr. Shubber undertook to pass
materials to officials in Baghdad and encourage their
consideration of renewing Iraq’s membership. In the
meanwhile, IUCN would be happy to participate in
workshops and other activities that are consistent
with its mandate.
14. (U) Of particular interest to IUCN is its special
project for post-conflict countries that currently
covers Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Palestine and
Afghanistan. For obvious reasons, IUCN can’t do one
project for all and is planning several projects, but
would like to look at whether it is possible to have
a Kuwait-Iraq project. Kuwait already is working on
the issue and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific
Research (KISR) has already done some good work,
according to the IUCN representatives. IUCN was
sensitive to the political issues involved, but hoped
that a collaboration on the scientific level might be
possible. This would be a 4-year plan to study the
ecological impact of war on those two countries.
15. (U) IUCN also can help Iraq develop a national
biodiversity action plan, has knowledge-learning
modules (distance-based), and is interested in a
medium-term project on water governance focusing on
the Tigris-Euphrates, potentially involving also
Turkey and Syria.
A question on Tajikistan
————————
16. (SBU) Mr. Anstey brought to the U.S. team’s
attention a situation he came across during a
recent visit to the Tajik ‘handle,’ near Uzbekistan.
The town of Khojand was a center for uranium
extraction during the Soviet period. According to
Antsey there still are direct flights between
Khojand and Moscow. He heard rumors that there is
a massive underground uranium mining and processing
facility there, which is no longer managed by
anyone. The townspeople are very concerned about
the situation, including possible health effects,
and that there may be attempts by others to obtain
either material or expertise. Anstey asked if we
could look into whether the Science Centers program
(redirecting former Soviet scientists) was aware of
the situation and if anything might be done to
investigate and/or remediate the situation. (NOTE:
On consulting with NP/PTR, we established that there
is a recent Science Center proposal for uranium
contamination assessment in Tajikistan that may
relate to the reports IUCN brought to our attention.)
UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) —
http://postconflict.unep.ch
——————————————— ——
17. (SBU) Henrik Slotte, Head of the Post-Conflict
Assessment Unit in Geneva, flew to Amman to join
Koen Toonen, the Iraq Program Manager for the
meeting with the State team. After a brief
history of the post-conflict unit and description
of some of the environment work done in the Balkans,
Slotte and Toonen described Iraq as their largest
project to date, receiving support from Japan,
the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and others. The
Iraq activities are funded primarily through the
Iraq Trust Fund, which currently supports two
projects: USD 11 million for marsh rehabilitation
(Japan) and USD 2.7 million for capacity building.
The latter has supported a number of workshops to
support environmental law and governance,
environmental impact assessments, environmental
management, and environmental site assessment
training. Training has been done in Geneva,
Spiez (Switzerland), and other locations for small
groups of scientists who went back to Iraq to do
field collection work. The UNEP representative
gave no details on who the scientists were or
where they are working. They did clarify that
they work only with the Iraqi Ministry of
Environment, which is responsible for nominating
all candidates for UNEP’s training programs.
18. (SBU) The U.S. team described the Iraq
redirection efforts, emphasizing an interest in
steering project funding to environmental issues
and offering to work with UNEP to provide the
scientific and technical capability needed to
carry out field work. Dr. Shubber presented his
proposal on assaying health and environmental
risks in the Tuwaitha area. The UNEP response
was lukewarm at best. Slotte spoke at length
about a new project for which there is no funding
yet, but for which he indicated substantial
support, to look at the depleted uranium
situation in southern Iraq. He spoke of previous,
similar efforts in the Balkans and said that
Baghdad has asked UNEP to do this work and that
UNEP, while acknowledging that the seriousness of
the problem posed by depleted uranium has not yet
been determined, considers it a priority.
19. (SBU) The U.S. team asked if UNEP would be
interested in being involved in the Tuwaitha
project, noting its potential for addressing a
possibly important problem. Slotte responded
that he understood that Greenpeace had done a
study that might cover the issue. On the matter
of convening a workshop to look at the issue and
review the current status of assessments, UNEP
encouraged us to accelerate the timing and find
a date earlier than August for the workshop, but
was otherwise non-committal. (NOTE: Subsequent
to the visit, UNEP followed up with direct
contact with Drs. Shubber and Smallwood in
Baghdad, indicating interest in remaining in
contact. END NOTE)
20. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
HALE
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 41800
date: 10/3/2005 3:35
refid: 05DUSHANBE1596
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001596
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET USE.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR, PGOV, TI
SUBJECT: DOES EVERYONE LOVE A PARTY? TAJIKS ABOUT TO FIND OUT
1. (SBU) Three new political parties have recently started
the process of registering with Ministry of Justice. Whether
they will be successful depends less on their paperwork and more
on their support of or threat to existing power structures.
2. (U) Party of the Economic Reform of Tajikistan (PERT):
Chairman Olim Boboev, rector of the University of Transport,
former rector of the University of Trade, and 1994 International
Visitor Program alumnus, has gathered support from economists,
social scientists and businessmen, mainly from the Hisor Valley
and Sughd region. The 1119-member party wants to reduce the
power of the president by transferring some presidential
authority to the Prime Minister; it also aims to strengthen
Tajikistan’s market economy. The party has no headquarters; the
chairman is currently managing all day-to-day party business.
3. (SBU) Boboev is a pragmatic, strong economist, short on
charisma but long on economic and trade experience. Four years
ago, the government replaced him as rector for the University of
Trade with someone from the President’s home region. Boboev is
not particularly pro-government, and feels that existing
political parties cater too strongly to particular regions and
interests.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: The PERT represents a quiet movement of
people who want more than just stability from the government and
have become increasingly disenchanted with the Government’s slow
pace of reform. Chances of Registration: 1 in 10. (Our «books»
on the chances of registration are all in-house and the odds
purely speculative.) END COMMENT
5. (U) Progressive Youth Party of Tajikistan (PYPT): Not to
be deterred by conventional definitions of youth, 45-year old,
Saidja’far Ismonov founded the Party of the Progressive Youth of
Tajikistan (PYPT). A long-time Communist Youth (Komsomol)
worker, which he turned into the Youth Committee of Tajikistan,
Ismonov teaches at the Agrarian University of Tajikistan. The
party has more than 750 supporters from across the country who
have applied to be members, and convoked its first congress at
the Agrarian University September 12. However, according to
Tajikistan’s Law on Political Parties, an educational facility
cannot be used for political activities, so another congress is
planned for October 29 in the building of the State Publishing
House Sharqi Ozod.
6. (U) According to Ismonov, the PYPT goals include
assisting the Government to strengthen democratic institutions
and implement the rights fixed in the Constitution to protect
the peace, security and the public tranquility. The party also
aims to help young people better understand their rights and
improve their status in the society.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: The party is largely thought to be a
spin-off of the ruling PDPT. At the first PYPT meeting, Ismanov
let slip that he already belongs to the PDPT, which marred the
image of the Progressive Youth as a «new» party. Ismanov is
known for being loyal but not particularly articulate. His
platform essentially supports the existing power structure.
Some say government forces are behind the creation of the
Progressive Youth party so that the PDPT will not be the only
pro-government party in the next parliamentary elections.
However, the obvious connections between Ismanov and the
government may now hinder his party’s chances for registration
and popularity. Chances of Registration: 1 in 2. END COMMENT
8. (U) Party of Vahdat (Unity) of Tajikistan (PVT):
Chairman Hikmatullo Saidov, 47, is trying for the second year to
get his Vahdat (Unity) party registered. The government last
year denied the party registration after allegedly finding
several false signatures in applications of supporters/members
in the Jirgatol District. Most of the 2000 PVT members come
from the Rasht region, previously an opposition stronghold, and
now live in various districts in the south.
9. (U) Saidov is a former member of the presidium of the
Democratic Party of Tajikistan who broke off after differences
with party leaders. His party represents the interests of the
Gharmi popular people as well as Davlat Usmon, former member and
deputy chairman of the Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT), and
former Deputy PM and Minister of Economic and Trade. Usmon is
rumored to want to run in the November 2006 presidential
elections, but needs a political party to nominate and support
him during the election. (Note: In previous elections, Usmon
only reluctantly ran as an IRPT candidate.)
10. (SBU) COMMENT: The Government knows that the PVT will
nominate Usmon for the presidential election and may try to
block the party’s registration. On the other hand, the
President will need at least one opponent to make it a race.
Chances of registration: 1 in 40. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
NNNN
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 41923
date: 10/4/2005 10:20
refid: 05DUSHANBE1605
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001605
SIPDIS
ASHGABAT: PLEASE PASS TO U/S JOSEPH’S PARTY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP, PREL, TX, TI, PARM
SUBJECT: TAJIK SUPPORT FOR PSI
Please arrange transmission of the diplomatic note received
today.
Begin text:
#17-1(10610)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Dushanbe and has the honor to inform that the
Republic of Tajikistan welcomes and fully supports the
Proliferation Security Initiatives (PSI) and the Statement of
Intervention Principles (SOP) of September 4, 2003.
This step reflects the Republic of Tajikistan’s readiness to
cooperate in the issues of preventing the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, means of their delivery and related
materials. As far as possible, the Republic of Tajikistan is
ready to participate in future measures related to the
Initiative on ensuring security in the field of the
non-proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan
avails itself of this opportunity to express to the Embassy of
the United States of America the assurances of its highest
consideration.
Dushanbe, October 4, 2005
End text
SIGNATURE
HOAGLAND
NNNN
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 41924
date: 10/4/2005 10:22
refid: 05DUSHANBE1606
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001606
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS TO U/S JOSEPH’S PARTY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNNP, PREL, TX, TI, PARM
SUBJECT: TAJIK SUPPORT FOR PSI
Please arrange transmission of the diplomatic note received
today.
Begin Text:
#17-1(10610)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Dushanbe and has the honor to inform that the
Republic of Tajikistan welcomes and fully supports the
Proliferation Security Initiatives (PSI) and the Statement of
Intervention Principles (SOP) of September 4, 2003.
This step reflects the Republic of Tajikistan’s readiness to
cooperate in the issues of preventing the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, means of their delivery and related
materials. As far as possible, the Republic of Tajikistan is
ready to participate in future measures related to the
Initiative on ensuring security in the field of the
non-proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan
avails itself of this opportunity to express to the Embassy of
the United States of America the assurances of its highest
consideration.
Dushanbe, October 4, 2005
End text
SIGNATURE
HOAGLAND
NNNN
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 42051
date: 10/5/2005 11:31
refid: 05DUSHANBE1612
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
destination:
header:
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001612
SIPDIS
NOFORN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/5/2015
TAGS: MCAP, TI
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0003 06/ ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE GBAO (U)
CLASSIFIED BY: Jonathan Edwards, DATT, USDAO Dushanbe, DIA.
REASON: 1.4 (b)
CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN
SIPDIS
SERIAL: (U) IIR 6 947 0003 06.
COUNTRIES: (U) TAJIKISTAN (TI), RUSSIA (RS).
IPSP: (U)IFC2510; IFC2540; IFC2550; IFC2061; IFC2000; IFC1367;
IFC1347.
SUBJECT: IIR 6 947 0003 06/ ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE GBAO (U)
WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL
——————————————— ———
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
——————————————— ———
DOI: (U) 20050917.
REQS: (U) DHCD081002, DHCD111053, DHCD111045, DHCD045062,
DHCD045058, U-TCX-2060-005-04.
SOURCE: A. (C) //MEMBER DAO DUSHANBE// MEMBER OBSERVED REPORTED
FACILITIES WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A JOINT EMBASSY/DAO VISIT TO
THE REGION. CONTEXT STATEMENT — MEMBER OBSERVED FACILITIES
WHILE ENROUTE.
B. (C/NF) //OTS 6-947-0032-05// FOREIGN NGO WORKER WITH
LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO THE REGION. CONTEXT STATEMENT — RO MET
SOURCE WHEN SOURCE REQUESTED CHANCE TO PITCH GRANT PROPOSAL TO
STATE REP. SOURCE WAS VERY FORTHCOMING ABOUT CONDITIONS IN THE
REGION.
C. (C/NF) //OTS 6-947-0033-05// HOST NATION CONSCRIPT BORDER
GUARD WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. CONTEXT STATEMENT
— RO MET SOURCE WHILE AWAITING PERMISSION TO ENTER BORDER GUARD
POST.
D. (C/NF) //6 947 0024// RETIRED WESTERN MILITARY OFFICER
CURRENTLY WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WITH DIRECT
ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. USDAO HAS AN ESTABLISHED
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOURCE. CONTEXT STATEMENT — RO AND SOURCE MET
IN AN INFORMAL DIPLOMATIC SETTING. SOURCE IS AWARE THAT
INFORMATION WILL REACH U.S. GOVERNMENT.
SUMMARY: (C) INFO ON SUSPECTED RUSSIAN RADAR DOME, SUSPECTED
DRUG BORDER CROSSING POINT, OBSERVED CROSS-RIVER TRAFFIC, AND
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN GORNO-BADAKHSHAN.
TEXT: 1. (C) IN THE VILLAGE OF BASH GUMBEZ
//GEOCOORD: 3746.499N/07332.626E// RO OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO
BE A LARGE RADAR DOME. ACCORDING TO SOURCE B THIS MIGHT HAVE
BEEN A RUSSIAN RADAR SITE TO WHICH JOURNALISTS HAD BEEN DENIED
ACCESS. WHEN RO APPROACHED SITE, THE DOME WAS FOUND TO BE
EMPTY. LOCAL VILLAGERS CLAIMED THE SITE HAD BEEN A RUSSIAN
METEOROLOGICAL STATION.
2. (C) WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE PYANJ RIVER RO STOPPED TO
OBSERVE AFGHAN SIDE OF BORDER AT //GEOCOORD:
3821.304N/07109.564E//. A BORDER GUARD SOLDIER APPROACHED RO TO
OFFER ASSISTANCE. HE SAID HIS UNIT, AN 8 MAN TEAM, HAD
ESTABLISHED AN OBSERVATION POINT TO COVER THIS POINT — STATING
THAT IT WAS A KNOWN CROSSING POINT. SOLDIER CLAIMED THAT ONCE
DRUGS WERE BROUGHT ACROSS THE RIVER, VEHICLES PICKED THEM UP
FROM THIS POINT FOR FURTHER TRANSPORTATION.
3. (C) JUST SOUTH OF THE VILLAGE OF TOGMAY //GEOCOORD:
3826N/07103E// RO OBSERVED A ZODIAC TYPE BOAT BEING LOADED WITH
METAL ROOFING MATERIALS ON THE TAJIK SIDE OF THE RIVER. RO ALSO
OBSERVED LUMBER ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER. APPROXIMATELY 8
BORDER GUARDS, INCLUDING A CAPTAIN, WERE SUPERVISING THE
OPERATION. ACROSS THE RIVER WAS AN AFGHAN VILLAGE WITH NO OTHER
ACCESS TO IT OTHER THAN A CLIFF-HUGGING DONKEY TRAIL. THE
BORDER GUARD CAPTAIN WAS ADAMANT ABOUT NO PICTURES OR QUESTIONS
FROM RO AND ACCOMPANYING STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS. WHEN ASKED
ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS AN ILLEGAL OPERATION, A BORDER GUARD
SOLDIER APPEARED TO SMILE KNOWINGLY. (FIELD NOTE: RO OBSERVED
ONLY CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL BEING TRANSPORTED, AND THERE IS A
TAJIK PRESIDENTIAL ORDER THAT ALLOWS THESE TYPES OF CROSSINGS —
SEE STATE DUSHANBE CABLE 00001503 FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE
ORDER. THAT SAID, RO’S IMPRESSION BASED ON BORDER GUARD
CAPTAIN’S RESPONSE WAS THAT SOMETHING UN-KOSHER WAS OCCURRING.
END NOTE.)
4. (C). THERE IS A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PYANJ RIVER AT ISHKASHIM
//GEOCOORD: 3644.948N/07134.803E//.
5. (C). THERE IS A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PYANJ RIVER AT
KARA-I-KHUMB //GEOCOORD: 3827.276N/07049.705E//.
6. (C) TURKISH COMPANY CONSTRUCTION SITE. THIS SITE IS THE BASE
OF OPERATIONS FOR A TURKISH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY UPGRADING THE
MAIN ROAD BETWEEN KULYOB AND KHOROG ON THE PANJ RIVER. THE SITE
HAS A NUMBER OF PREFAB BUILDINGS, IS SURROUNDING BY A WIRE
TOPPED CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND HAS A CONCRETE HELICOPTER PAD JUST
OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER
//GEOCOORD: 3759.478N/07018.151E//. ACCORDING TO SOURCE D THIS
SITE IS LOCATED IN WHAT WAS A HEAVILY MINED AREA — WITH OVER 70
MINES RECOVERED FROM THE SITE. IN ADDITION, SOURCE D STATED
THAT WHEN FIRST OPENED THIS SITE REGULARLY CAME UNDER FIRE FROM
THE AFGHAN SIDE, UNTIL THE TURKISH COMPANY PAID OFF THE AFGHANS.
7. (C) DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHIC TITLING LOG. ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC
ENCLOSURES TO IIR 6 947 0003 06 ARE CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL.
THEY WERE ACQUIRED IN THE GORNO-BADAKHSHAN AUTONOMOUS REGION ON
20050912-0919 USING A SONY CYBERSHOT 7.2MP, SN 1411693, GROUND.
FRAMES DESCRIPTION
01 KHOROG AIRFIELD. AIRFIELD SUPPORTS ONE CIVILIAN
FLIGHT (TAJIK AIR YAK-40) PER DAY IN GOOD WEATHER.
02-04 ZODIAK CROSSING THE PYANZ AND SUPPLIES ON AFGHAN SIDE.
05-06 APPROX 180 DEGREES. INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE AT ISHKASHIM.
07-09 INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE AT KARA-I-KHUMB.
10 POST-BAZAAR GATHERING ON AFGHAN SIDE OF BRIDGE AT
KARA-I-KHUMB, 20050918.
11-12 WEST END OF ISHKASHIM AIRFIELD. AIRFIELD IS NOT CURRENTLY
USED FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CIVILIAN FLIGHTS.
13-15 EMPTY GEODESIC DOME IN VILLAGE OF BASH GUMBEZ.
COMMENTS: 1. (C) FIELD COMMENT: NONE.
2. (U) SOURCE IS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER CONTACT.
3. (U) DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS IIR TO DIA/DHO-2 AT
STU III (202) 231-7299, OR DSN 428-7299.
COLL: (U) AB.
INSTR: (U) U.S. NO.
PREP: (U) 6-04797.
ENCL: (U) NONE.
ACQ: (U) DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (20050917)
DISSEM: (U) FIELD: EMBASSY AT DUSHANBE.
WARNING: (U) REPORT CLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL NO FOREIGN
DRVD FM: DHS HUMINT SCG OCT 04
DECL ON: 20150927
HOAGLAND
