Переведено с использщованием AI
id: 120079
date: 8/27/2007 12:10
refid: 07NEWDELHI3905
origin: Embassy New Delhi
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 07NEWDELHI3692
header:
VZCZCXRO1040
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHCN RUEHDBU RUEHGH RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHVC
DE RUEHNE #3905/01 2391210
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271210Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7833
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6493
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4193
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2337
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5272
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 0097
RUEHDIR/IRAN RPO DUBAI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5296
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7210
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003905
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MOPS, ENRG, MARR, CH, KZ, KG, TX, TI, UZ,
IR, MG, IN
SUBJECT: SCO SUMMIT: INDIA
«WATCHING AND WAITING» ON THE
SIDELINES
REF: A. NEW DELHI 3692
B. IIR 6 844 0795 07
NEW DELHI 00003905 001.4 OF 002
Classified By: Acting PolCouns Atul Keshap for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)
1. (C) SUMMARY:
Following the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) Director for Eurasia Sandeep Arya and Under
Secretary L. Savithri told PolOff Aug. 23 that the Government
SIPDIS
of India (GOI) was not interested in seeking full membership
in the organization, but was keen to have a more defined role
for observers in the SCO. The GOI
was interested in
participating in SCO projects related to economic
cooperation, the financial sector, energy, transportation,
and infrastructure, according to Arya.
India was not invited
to participate in the joint military demonstration which
followed the SCO, asserted Arya, and the exercises had «no
bearing on our security,» he added.
Savithri, who attended
the summit along with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
(MPNG) Murli S. Deora and MEA Joint Secretary for Eurasia
Jaimini Bhagwati, observed that it had garnered no concrete
proposals, but gave Afghanistan the opportunity to present
itself as a «bridge state.»
Arya reiterated that India had
no plans to start a military base in Tajikistan, and said the
subject had not been raised at the summit. The GOI is eager
to appear uneager, keeping an eye on its neighbors —
especially China — via the vehicle of the SCO. END SUMMARY.
India Not Interested in SCO Membership…
——-
2. (C) Unlike Pakistan, which
stated publicly that it sought
membership status in the SCO, India was not interested in
obtaining membership in the organization, MEA Director for
Eurasia Sandeep Arya told PolOff Aug. 23. India’s
involvement in the SCO was driven by its desire to «know what
is happening in our neighborhood,» emphasized Arya. As
observers, India’s participation in the SCO summit was
minimal, restricted only to its statement at the plenary
session, a lunch and the closing reception, said Arya. Asked
if Iran had expressed an interest in becoming an SCO member,
Arya replied that it had not stated so publicly, and that he
was not aware of any private discussions with the Iranians on
the subject of membership.
…But Waits for Observer Role to Be Spelled Out
———
3. (C) India is «waiting and
watching» from the sidelines
for now as it waits for the observer role to be defined and
«spelled out,» stated MEA Under Secretary for Eurasia, L.
Savithri, who had attended the summit as part of India’s
delegation with MPNG Murli S. Deora and MEA Joint Secretary
for Eurasia Jaimini Bhagwati.
Arya indicated that India
would like to be more proactive in the organization,
lamenting that observers have only a ceremonial role in the
SCO at present, and underlining that observers had no input
in the Bishkek Declaration document.
India would consider
involvement in projects as observers, especially in the areas
of economic cooperation, the financial sector, energy,
transportation and infrastructure, suggested Arya.
SCO Joint Military Exercise «Has No Bearing On Our Security»
——-
4. (C) No observers had been
invited to participate in the
joint military demonstration which SCO forces conducted
following the summit, asserted Arya, maintaining that there
had been no question of Indian participation. Asked what the
GOI’s reaction to the military exercises was, Arya responded
that they had no bearing on Indian security, and therefore
the Indian government had no reaction to them.
NEW DELHI 00003905 002.4 OF 002
«Big Show,» But No Concrete Proposals
——-
5. (C) Turning to deliverables
from the Bishkek summit,
Savithri indicated that the so-called «energy club» had
discussed energy issues, but had made no headway in terms of
concrete proposals nor modalities to effectively tap into
Central Asia’s energy resources.
She described the summit
as «a big show,» and expressed frustration that the entire
summit was conducted in Chinese and/or Russian, complaining
that translations took a long time to be produced and were
low in quality.
Afghanistan Presenting Itself as a «Bridge State»
——-
6. (C) Arya noted that President
Karzai, in his second
appearance at an SCO summit, had done his best to present
Afghanistan as a «bridge state,» linking Eastern and Central
Asia to Pakistan and India. Arya
compared Afghanistan’s role
in the SCO to its newfound role in SAARC, pointing out that
all members and observers of the SCO have a keen interest in
a stable Afghanistan, especially India.
Summit speakers had
been careful to avoid the word «extremism» in their speeches,
but themes such as security cooperation, counterterrorism,
anti-narcotics, and terrorism had figured heavily in the
opening statements, Arya observed.
MEA Reiterates — No Military Base in Tajikistan
——-
7. (C) When PolOff raised
persistent rumors in the media
that the Indian government was planning to operate a military
base of operations in Ayni, Tajikistan, Arya dismissed the
concept, reiterating what the MEA has repeatedly maintained —
that such statements had no basis in reality, and that the
Indians had only been involved in runway repair work in Ayni.
The subject was not raised at the
summit, he said.
Comment: Eager to Appear Uneager
——-
8. (C) India wants to keep its
foot firmly in the door of
SCO without sending signals to the rest of the world
(especially China) that it has more than a «friendly»
interest in the goings-on of its neighbors. While content to
maintain its status as «observer only» in the organization,
India wants to see more progress in real regional
cooperation, particularly those with an economic emphasis.
New Delhi continues to see the SCO as China’s Central Asia
club. Therefore, it will publicly
pay lip service to the
group’s value, while using its observership to keep a
watchful eye on China. End
comment.
WHITE
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 120841
date: 9/4/2007 3:57
refid: 07DUSHANBE1253
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO6983
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHDBU #1253/01 2470357
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 040357Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0882
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0181
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2243
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2232
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 0050
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2193
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1974
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2027
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2742
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 001253
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/31/2017
TAGS: PREL, ECON, EAID, ECIN, ELTN, TI, AF
SUBJECT: BRIDGE OPENING SPURS DISCUSSION OF FURTHER COOPERATION
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Ann Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (SBU) Summary: «This new bridge is as important for us
as
oxygen,» Tajik President Emomali Rahmon told Commerce Secretary
Carlos Gutierrez, who led the U.S. presidential delegation to
the opening of the new U.S.-funded bridge linking Tajikistan and
Afghanistan across the Pyanj River.
Rahmon used the remainder
of a ninety-minute U.S.-Tajik bilateral meeting to elicit U.S.
assistance and investment for additional infrastructure
projects, expound on Tajikistan’s favorable foreign policy and
business climate, and rant about Uzbekistan. A separate
trilateral meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai was more
scripted and concluded the business portion of the festive
weekend (August 25-26). End
summary.
2. (U) President Rahmon hosted an
official bridge opening
ceremony August 26 to inaugurate the newly constructed
Tajik-Afghan bridge spanning the Pyanj River from Nizhniy Pyanj,
Tajikistan to Sher Khan Bander, Afghanistan. Afghan President
Karzai and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez, as the head of
a presidential delegation, attended the ceremony, arriving on
August 25 for a round of bilateral and trilateral meetings. The
U.S. delegation also included Assistant Secretary Richard
Boucher, and U.S. Ambassadors Jacobson and Wood.
With Neighbors Like This…
=====================
3. (SBU) In his bilateral meeting
with Secretary Gutierrez,
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Jacobson, Rahmon
commented on the importance of the bridge, saying, «Real
sovereignty in Tajikistan requires real stabilization in
Afghanistan.» In order for
Tajikistan to thrive, he explained,
it needs export outlets for its goods, including
hydroelectricity, and import routes for construction materials.
Improved security conditions in Afghanistan, coupled with the
new bridge, will allow Tajikistan access to the south, including
to the Iranian port of Bander Abbas.
«Some countries» he said
are not interested in stability coming to Afghanistan. Among
these, as Rahmon has told us before, is Uzbekistan. Citing an
old Tajik proverb, Rahmon said, «You can choose your friends,
but God chooses your neighbors.»
4. (C) Rahmon boasted of having
good relations with all
countries in the world except Uzbekistan, and used a good part
of the bilateral meeting to complain openly about the government
in Tashkent. He said Uzbek
president Karimov made his
intentions clear at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization
summit in Bishkek, and predicted Karimov would get much worse
after his re-election. He
recounted for Secretary Gutierrez how
Uzbekistan blocked sales of Turkmen gas to Tajikistan last
winter, leading to «five months without electricity,» and
prevents export of Tajik hydropower during the summer months
when Tajikistan has a surplus.
Rahmon said that Karimov blocks
every attempt at regional integration and reported that in
Bishkek Karimov proposed to close the former Soviet Central
Asian borders with Afghanistan and, in Karzai’s presence, ranted
about Afghanistan being a land of extremists. Rahmon took
credit for intervening to smooth things out between Karimov and
Karzai. (Note: Tajik diplomats and security officials have
expressed similarly negative views about Afghan extremism. End
note.)
Rahmon’s Wish List
===============
5. (SBU) In both the bilateral
and the trilateral meeting,
which included Karzai’s team, as well as in his speech at the
bridge opening itself, Rahmon recited a long wish list of
projects where he hoped for U.S. assistance. He appreciated the
«more than $1 billion in U.S. assistance» since Tajikistan’s
independence, and considerably more aid to Afghanistan. («This
is not a criticism; maybe some poor countries need more than
others.»). Here’s Rahmon’s
list, some of which seemed prepared
in advance, and other items added ad hoc:
DUSHANBE 00001253 002 OF 003
— Another Bridge: Rahmon asked for assistance to move the
temporary construction bridge at Nizhniy Pyanj to a new location
on the Afghan border at Kokul/Farkhor.
Ambassador Jacobson
noted that the temporary bridge materials were not of a
sufficiently high quality to justify the cost of relocating the
construction bridge to the new locale.
Rahmon made sure Karzai
raised this same request at the trilateral.
— Free Economic Zone: In order to take full advantage of the
new bridge at Nizhniy Pyanj, Rahmon envisions creating a Free
Economic Zone and asked for U.S. expertise to make that happen.
— Hydropower: Noting that Tajikistan uses only 5% of its water
resources, Rahmon called for U.S. technology and investment in
the hydropower sector.
Specifically, Tajikistan wants the U.S.
to build a major hydro-generating project on the Afghan border
at Dastijhum. The dam would
produce electricity for export to
Afghanistan and South Asia and provide irrigation for
Afghanistan’s northern plains.
— Railways: To break the Uzbek
monopoly on Tajikistan’s export
trade, Rahmon proposed building a railroad to Afghanistan. His
vision includes extending the line north and east to Osh,
Kyrgyzstan and on to China, and south through Mazar-i Sharif and
Herat to Mashhad and Bander Abbas in Iran. Assistant Secretary
Boucher explained that the Afghan government has no plans for
big railroad projects at this time.
— World Trade Organization: Rahmon asked for U.S. assistance to
join the organization.
— Narcotics: Rahmon asked for construction of border
infrastructure and technology to fight narcotics trafficking.
(Note: already a major part of our assistance effort here. End
note.)
— Debt: Rahmon asked the United States to forgive the $17
million official debt Tajikistan owes, dating to 1992-93 loans
from the U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation. Tajikistan accepted
these loans in the «difficult first days» after independence
and
beginning of the civil war.
Rahmon did not understand the
principle of keeping this $17 million debt on the books while
the United States has since provided $1 billion in other
assistance. It’s not the money,
Rahmon opined, explaining that
Tajikistan had already paid $300 million of debt to Russia and
will settle that account entirely next year. Gutierrez
explained that the United States has no debt relief mechanism in
place that would allow us to eliminate this $17 million.
Investment Climate Before Investment
=============================
6. (SBU) Secretary Gutierrez used
the formal bilateral and
trilateral meetings as well as remarks at the bridge opening to
underscore the need for Tajiks and Afghans to work together to
properly secure the border and operate the new bridge
effectively. Gutierrez told
Rahmon directly that if Tajikistan
wants to attract more investment for major infrastructure
projects, it must take the necessary steps to improve the
business climate and improve investor confidence. «The U.S.
Government doesn’t do business, but we can help you create the
proper climate,» he explained.
We could talk to potential
investors in hydroelectric energy, but they will ask, «Will my
investment be safe?»
Investors need to know the rules of the
game regarding taxes corruption.
Assistant Secretary Boucher
addressed Rahmon’s specific request for the United States to
invest in a hydroelectric generation project, encouraging the
Tajik Government to finalize a viable Power Purchase Agreement
with the Afghans.
7. (SBU) Responding to these
points, Rahmon avoided getting
into too much detail. On business
climate: «Tajikistan upholds
all international standards.»
On corruption: «I’ve already done
reform,» and have reduced the number of government agencies from
28 to 17. On Tajik banks: The
financial sector now handles
transfers of $2 billion, up from $9 million. On the Power
Purchase Agreement: We just signed an agreement with
Afghanistan. (Note: Rahmon was
referring to the agreements
signed with Afghan Energy Minister Ismail Khan during his recent
DUSHANBE 00001253 003 OF 003
trip. Rahmon seemed to be briefed
that those general agreements
were in fact sufficient to spur investment in Tajikistan’s
hydroelectric sector. End
note.) Our messages were persistent
enough, however, that after the bridge ceremony, Rahmon and
Assistant Secretary Boucher agreed that Foreign Minister Zarifi
would work with Ambassador Jacobson to «fix the investment
climate.»
8. (C) Comment: Rahmon portrayed the bridge opening as a
historic event — and his rhetoric matched that of the U.S. and
Afghan delegations in exploiting the rich symbolism of the
bridge. However, his
conversations with us were more
superficial, and nothing Rahmon told us broke new ground. We
have heard these themes before: Uzbekistan/Karimov as the source
of Tajikistan’s woes; hydropower as Tajikistan’s economic
salvation. However, he offered no
vision of a way forward for
Tajikistan, except to ask the United States for more assistance
— to develop hydropower and other infrastructure in Tajikistan,
and to rein in Karimov in Uzbekistan.
He glossed over Secretary
Gutierrez’s suggestions that Tajikistan must first takes steps
to improve its investment climate before the private sector will
invest here. Rahmon would prefer
to leave those details to his
various ministers, but it’s unclear those ministers have the
capacity or the authority to take any real action. Rahmon
genuinely understands that stability and recovery in Afghanistan
are important to Tajikistan’s own sovereignty; although he was
rather dismissive about the trade route through Afghanistan to
Pakistan and focused more on the route to Iran. End comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 120864
date: 9/4/2007 9:02
refid: 07DUSHANBE1254
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 07STATE107857
header:
VZCZCXRO7220
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1254 2470902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040902Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0885
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1977
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2246
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2235
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2196
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2745
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001254
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV, PGOV, PREL, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: PEACE PARK DEMARCHE DELIVERED
REF: STATE 107857
1. PolOff discussed the creation
of a Transboundary Peace Park
with Deputy Minister Rustam Latipov at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Environmental Protection (reftel). Latipov
fully supports the creation of the Park and conservation of the
Pamirs. Tajikistan will host a
multi-national conference
December 3-5 aimed at bringing the four countries together to
sign a framework agreement that will create the Transboundary
Protected Area Commission and four technical working groups.
The Tajik government will send senior-level government officials
to lead its delegation, including Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov and
Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi.
2. PolOff also met with
representatives from the embassies of
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan in Dushanbe August 7-14 to
notify them of the conference and solicit high-level attendance.
Without senior government
officials who are able to make
decisions, the Peace Park is in jeopardy of stagnating. None of
the embassy representatives had heard of the Transboundary Peace
Park prior to PolOff’s meetings.
Representatives of the
Pakistan and Afghanistan embassies expressed strong support for
the Peace Park and said they would discuss sending high level
delegations to the conference with their capitals. The Chinese
representative was intrigued by the idea but appeared more
cautious. (Note: In the 2006
meeting in Xinjiang, China all
countries were prepared to sign the framework agreement except
China.) The Chinese Embassy said
that it would relay the
message to Beijing.
3. Russian-translated talking
points were delivered to the
government of Tajikistan and the Chinese embassy August 17.
Post will continue to follow up with the Tajik government and
various resident embassies.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 120888
date: 9/4/2007 11:04
refid: 07DUSHANBE1255
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 07DUSHANBE1253
header:
VZCZCXRO7345
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1255/01 2471104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041104Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0886
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0184
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2247
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2236
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 0053
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2197
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1978
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2030
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2746
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 001255
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL, ECON, EAID, ECIN, ELTN, TI, AF
SUBJECT: TAJIK-AFGHAN BRIDGE OPENS IN STYLE
REF: DUSHANBE 1253
DUSHANBE 00001255 001.2 OF 003
1. (U) On August 26, after 19
months of construction led by the
Afghan Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
$37 million in U.S. funding, 19,100 cubic meters of concrete,
and countless demarches and interventions by the Embassy to
secure building materials and licenses, Tajik President Emomali
Rahmon, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and U.S. Secretary of
Commerce Carlos Gutierrez officially opened the new bridge
linking Nizhniy Pyanj, Tajikistan and Sher Khan Bander,
Afghanistan. The 673 meter span
across the Pyanj River is
designed to handle 1000 trucks a day and withstand the largest
floods and strongest earthquakes known to occur in this
seismically active region.
A Little bit of Vision…
=============
2. (U) Each of the three
principals at the opening recognized
the historic importance of this bridge, linking not just
Tajikistan and Afghanistan, but Central and South Asia. Both
Karzai and Rahmon spoke about their nations’ historic role as
«places in between» the great trading empires and evoked the
image of the Great Silk Road to describe their future role in a
revived transcontinental trade route, criss-crossed by caravans
of Kamaz trucks instead of camels.
Such trade links had been
all but severed for centuries during the «Great Game» and
subsequent Soviet domination of Central Asia. The bridge almost
halves the distance from Dushanbe to a seaport. A renovated
spur road links Sher Khan Bander to Kunduz and to Afghanistan’s
quickly developing network of newly constructed roads. On the
Tajik side, the Japanese government has already initiated road
repairs from the bridge north to Qurghon-Teppa, Chinese loans
and Asian Development Bank grants are financing construction of
roads north from Dushanbe, and Iran continues work on a tunnel
through the Anzob pass.
… and a Big Dose of Reality
==================
3. (U) Lofty aspirations
notwithstanding, the three principals
also recognized the daunting tasks remaining to make the new
Silk Road a reality. President
Rahmon’s speech at the ribbon
cutting called for joint efforts by Tajikistan, Afghanistan and
the international community to ensure the bridge will not be
used for evil purposes, such as drug trafficking or movement of
terrorists, and President Karzai noted that much work remains in
order to develop the full potential of the bridge. Secretary
Gutierrez was more specific, echoing points he raised in private
meetings with the Tajik and Afghan leaders: customs officials
and border guards from the two sides need to collaborate more
closely. Press covering the event
also raised the specter of a
poorly managed bridge facilitating illicit trade in Afghan
narcotics.
4. (SBU) Tajik and Afghan
officials recognize this danger too,
and in the weeks leading up to the opening ceremony, we observed
a few promising signs that the Tajiks might overcome their
predisposition not to deal with their Afghan counterparts.
Embassy staff were instrumental in prodding local border
officials on either side of the still incomplete bridge to sit
down together and begin discussing standard operating procedures
for the bridge. A week prior to
the ceremony during a
reconnaissance trip to the bridge, the Ambassador met with the
Tajik Governor of Khatlon and the Afghan Governor of Kunduz
literally at the center of the 673-meter span, where the
governors informed her that they would be ready to operate on
the Monday following the ceremony, allowing 50 cars to pass in
either direction. Comment: This
is a small start, but not
unreasonable given the fact that the border facilities on either
side of the bridge are still several weeks from completion. We
plan to use President Rahmon’s «promise» to cooperate with the
Afghans to press the Tajik border guards to conduct joint
training programs with their neighbors to the south, and to
obtain better treatment from Tajik consuls for Afghan
businessmen applying for visas.
End comment.
What’s in a Name?
DUSHANBE 00001255 002.2 OF 003
===============
5. (SBU) After two years of work
on the bridge and a gala
opening ceremony, there is still no consensus on what to call
the bridge. People on the Tajik
side of the river tend to refer
to it as the Nizhniy Pyanj bridge (or Panji Payon in Tajiki)
after the small village nearest the Tajik bridgehead. People on
the Afghan side usually refer to it as the Sher Khan Bander
bridge for similar reasons. In
his opening speech, President
Rahmon settled on the name «Friendship Bridge» (Puli Dusti),
which resonates well with Tajiks who are used to such Soviet-era
formulations and because the larger town an hour from the bridge
is called Dusti (friendship). As
he read out his speech,
however, the large banner unfurled below the podium read simply
«Puli Panji Payon» (Nizhniy Pyanj Bridge). Nor did President
Karzai take up Rahmon’s suggested moniker, although he said the
bridge symbolized the connections and friendship between the
Afghan and Tajik people. Karzai
may also be more sensitive to
the fact that a different bridge downstream, built by the
Soviets at Termez, Uzbekistan was named the «Friendship
Bridge»
and was later used to invade Afghanistan. In addition, the name
«Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge» is already in use elsewhere
(and has its own Wikipedia entry), referring to one of the
smaller bridges across the Pyanj built by the Aga Khan
Development Network.
6. (U) Naming the river is also a
bit confusing. The Pyanj (a
Russianized variant of the Persian Panj) is the main tributary
to the Amu Darya. Most maps use
the label Amu Darya once the
Pyanj meets the Vakhsh River, just downstream from the new
bridge and before it flows to Uzbekistan. Some Afghans tend to
include the entire Pyanj as part of the Amu Darya. Since
Alexander’s armies came this way, Westerners have called the
river the Oxus. And some ancient
texts and many current
residents still refer to it as the Jayhun — one of the four
rivers which watered the Garden of Eden.
Of Palaces, Palates, and Pilates
=========================
7. (SBU) President Rahmon
relished his role as host of the
bridge opening ceremonies. He
presided over lavish multi-course
meals, including a dinner at a new presidential «dacha»
complex
which is being expanded to accommodate the Commonwealth of
Independent States summit in October.
The new dacha overlooks
the Palace of the Nation also in the last stages of construction
— by the same Italian contractor who built the bridge — and
reputed to cost close to $90 million so far. The grandeur
continued after the dinner with a presidentially guided tour of
the government dacha compound where the Afghan and American
delegations spent the night. The
dacha compound continues to
grow, with whole neighborhoods displaced to make room for
additional conference halls and guest houses. The tour included
a look inside the new sports complex built just for Rahmon. It
includes an indoor tennis court, Olympic sized pool, multiple
work-out rooms, sauna complex, and billiard hall, where Karzai
successfully tried his hand at Rahmon’s favorite game. The
crowning achievement of the complex is an imposing domed edifice
with five stories and room after room of over-the-top opulence.
The building can house four heads of state at the same time.
Standing on the roof and looking out at the lights of the city
(note: much of the city was without lights for five months last
winter due to electricity shortages), Secretary of Commerce
Gutierrez asked the Ambassador what she was thinking. The
Ambassador replied that she was thinking about the half of the
Tajik population living below the poverty line.
8. (SBU) Rahmon appears to be enjoying
the trappings of royalty
more and more. After a beautiful
recitation of Persian poetry
set to music at the dinner in Dushanbe, Rahmon summoned his
favorite singer to the bridge opening ceremony the next day,
where he displaced some of the locally arranged musical groups
and sang for almost 10 minutes about the virtues of the
president. (Rahmon’s other
favorite singer also came to the
bridge where she delivered a kitschy but climate-appropriate
rendition of Gershwin’s Summertime in accented English.) Rahmon
is too young and healthy to stir speculation about an heir, but
we did spot his young son accompanying him down the bridge
toward the ribbon cutting.
Slightly more troubling, official
DUSHANBE 00001255 003.2 OF 003
state-owned Tajik press covering the event omitted the
information about the bridge being funded by the United States.
The credit all goes to Rahmon.
9. (SBU) Despite their
differences in style, Rahmon genuinely
enjoyed his time with Karzai.
Rahmon personally drove Karzai 40
minutes outside Dushanbe to visit the historic sites of Hissor
and enjoy a picnic at the central bank chief’s private dacha.
Later Rahmon joked to the American delegation that because of
the Afghans’ presence, we would have to settle for a
«traditional cup of tea» at the dinner — meaning we would
have
to keep the vodka hidden in tea-cups.
An hour later in the
Tajik-Afghan-U.S. trilateral, Rahmon repeated the joke to Karzai
himself, who decided to interpret it literally. At one point
during the dinner, Rahmon’s foreign policy advisor, Erkin
Rahmatulloev, poured some vodka into Afghan Foreign Minster
Spanta’s juice, but overall surprisingly little vodka was
consumed. Perhaps the early
morning start to the bridge was on
everyone’s mind.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 121206
date: 9/6/2007 14:13
refid: 07DUSHANBE1270
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 07STATE124641
header:
VZCZCXRO9927
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1270 2491413
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061413Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0904
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 2015
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1981
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1256
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2765
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2242
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2251
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1826
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0166
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2200
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1619
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2033
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK NY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0187
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001270
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KBCT, USTR, ETRD, ECON, EFIN
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN RESPONSE ON 2008 NTE CHAPTER ON THE ARAB LEAGUE
REF: STATE 124641
In response to Reftel, Post reports that the Government of
Tajikistan has adopted no policies and has taken no actions
regarding boycotts of U.S. goods and services in connection with
U.S. association with Israel or in any other regard.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 121411
date: 9/7/2007 15:38
refid: 07DUSHANBE1285
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO1280
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1285 2501538
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071538Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0917
INFO RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0167
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1620
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0188
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1982
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2788
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2243
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2252
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001285
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN DGEHRENBECK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON, EFIN, PGOV, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK COMPLACENCY WORRIES INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
1. Summary. The Tajik government’s relaxation of monetary
and
fiscal policy worried International Monetary Fund Mission Chief
Carlos Pinerua at a quarterly briefing for donors on the Tajik
economy Sept 4. Locally, the real
estate, construction, and
consumer markets continue to expand rapidly. However, the
government’s expansionary 2008 budget plans and unchecked
inflation weigh negatively against the country’s strong economic
growth. End
Summary.
2. Pinerua reported that a 60%
growth in remittances from
migrant workers channeled through the banking system fed an
impressive 7.5% annualized growth rate in the first half of
2007. Some of this remittance
growth represents increased use
of the banking system for money transfers, but the booming local
economy and import growth bears out strong remittance growth as
well. Government revenue also
increased largely from increased
Value Added Tax collection, and the government is expecting a
major budget surplus this year.
However, the government has
done little to contain inflationary pressures, and the draft
budget [Note: which the government does not release to the
public. End Note.] is highly
expansionary with 40% budget
growth in 2008 in nominal terms.
This includes a 40% increase
in government salaries and increases in social sector spending.
The International Monetary Fund estimates annual inflation at
9.4% for 2007, but the Commonwealth of Independent States
Statistical Committee puts inflation much higher at 18.3%, and
the increased prices of foodstuffs and other products bear out
this higher figure.
3. Pinerua told donors to keep
pushing the government to
relinquish control over the economy.
De facto government quotas
particularly in the agricultural sector hamper growth and
efforts to reduce poverty.
Government-directed lending by the
National Bank could also prove hazardous, damaging the
credibility of the banking sector.
Pinerua believes that Tajik
banks are well capitalized, however, and are generally able to
withstand shocks. The banks may
be tested by a proposed $80
million bailout of the agricultural sector by the Asian
Development Bank.
4. Tajikistan still does not
record the nearly $1 billion in
Chinese loans on its books and has taken few steps to measure
the actual value of these loans.
China recently backed out of a
deal to build a dam on the Zarafshan River due to Uzbek
pressure, and it is not known if they will find another
investment project or will simply recant this part of the loan.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Bishkek,
China was rumored to be considering an additional $10 billion in
loans for Central Asia, which could further weaken the Tajik
economy should the government decide to take on more debt.
5. Comment. Consumer inflation is a growing concern among
average Tajiks, and local government officials have attempted to
artificially put a lid on price increases. Despite planned
increases, Tajikistan still lags far behind on social sector
spending. Meanwhile, the
government continues its irresponsible
spending on palaces and, potentially, a new presidential Boeing
aircraft. Tajikistan’s dependence
on remittance income and on
unconditioned foreign lending and investment, including from the
Chinese Government, tends to undermine fiscal responsibility and
dampen real economic reform. End
Comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 121479
date: 9/9/2007 22:33
refid: 07BEIJING5898
origin: Embassy Beijing
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 07BEIJING188
header:
VZCZCXRO1366
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #5898/01 2522233
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 092233Z SEP 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1638
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0342
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0020
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 1305
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6595
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0353
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0138
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 0018
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 1127
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 005898
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2022
TAGS: PTER, OREP, SNAR, PREL, PRGOV, TI, PK, KG, AF, CH
SUBJECT: XINJIANG POLICE: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM THREATENS
CHINA’S WEST
REF: BEIJING 00188
BEIJING 00005898 001.6 OF 003
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carlson.
Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Summary
——-
1. (C) Representatives Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Mark
Kirk (R-IL) visited Urumqi, Kashi and China’s border
with Kyrgyzstan during an August 29-31 trip to the
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
Public Security
Bureau officials simultaneously touted the success of
anti-terrorism efforts in Xinjiang while claiming that
Uighur terror groups are still training recruits and
building links overseas. Xinjiang
officials said
Chinese public security forces are enjoying a higher
level of cooperation from the Uighur community, a
reflection of greater economic prosperity and
increasing distaste for violent extremism among
Xinjiang Muslims. In addition to
terrorism, Xinjiang
PSB officials said they face growing smuggling of
Southwest Asian heroin via the border with Pakistan.
At the border, customs officials indicated that the
interdiction of guns and explosives remains the top
priority. End summary.
PSB Exhibit on Uighur Terror/Separatist Groups
——————————————— —
2. (SBU) Representatives Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Mark
Kirk
(R-IL), accompanied by Poloff and DEA Attache, visited
the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (PSB) headquarters
in Urumqi August 29. The trip was
sponsored by the
National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. At the
start of the visit, PSB officials showed
Representatives Larsen and Kirk an exhibit presenting
the PRC view of the history of Xinjiang
terrorist/separatist movements.
The exhibit focused
on a series of violent attacks, demonstrations and
assassinations carried out by Uighur groups from 1990
to 1997. At the end of the tour,
Xinjiang PSB
officers showed the delegation a room full of
confiscated literature and weapons.
The weapons
displayed included handguns, homemade rifles, homemade
grenades, crossbows and improvised explosives.
Officers giving the tour said most of the weapons
confiscated in Xinjiang come from Russia, though some
exported Chinese land mines and other weapons have
been smuggled into Xinjiang from third countries.
Uighur Terror Groups Still Active
———————————
3. (C) Following the exhibit, the Vice Director
General of the Xinjiang PSB, Hashim Aji (Chinese name:
Aximu Aji), said that despite a lack of violent
incidents in Xinjiang since 2000, Uighur terror groups
are still active and have numerous links to extremist
organizations abroad. Aji said
Uighur terrorists
continue to receive training in Afghanistan and
Chechnya and have ties to extremists in Kashmir. Aji
said the detention of 20 (sic) Uighurs in Guantanamo
Bay demonstrates that Uighur separatists are a part of
the international terrorist movement.
To bolster his
case that Uighur terrorists remain a present threat,
Aji described in detail a January 5, 2007 raid by
Xinjiang police on an alleged terrorist training camp
(reftel). One police officer and
17 terrorists were
killed in the raid, which took place in an area close
to the Tajikistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan borders.
Aji said the camp was connected to the East Turkistan
Liberation Organization (ETLO).
The PSB reportedly
learned of the camp thanks to an informant. The ETLO
members present at the camp were planning to carry out
bus bombings and attacks on bridges, according to Aji.
4. (C) (NOTE: Aji’s claim of ETLO involvement
contradicts January statements from both the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Xinjiang PSB that stated the
camp was operated by the East Turkistan Islamic
BEIJING 00005898 002.4 OF 003
Movement (ETIM), not ETLO. In
Chinese, Aji frequently
used the term «dong tu,» a more vague term that could
denote any East Turkistan organization.
The
interpreter, however, used the term ETLO.)
ETLO, Uighur Youth Congress Deserve Designation
——————————————— —
5. (C) Aji said he was happy the United Nations
designated ETIM a terror group in 2002, but he argued
that other Uighur organizations, such as ETLO and the
World Uighur Youth Congress, also deserve official
designation as terrorist organizations.
Representative Kirk urged Aji to provide more specific
information regarding recent activity by suspected
Uighur terrorists. Only with
better and more recent
information, Rep. Kirk said, could the United States
support additional designations.
When asked about the
activities of Uighur groups in neighboring countries,
Aji said he is still concerned with training
activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Xinjiang
PSB is also concerned Uighur terror groups are
targeting Chinese businesspeople in Pakistan. Aji
positively described counterterrorism cooperation with
neighboring countries. When asked
about the presence
of direct, cross-border communications channels
between the Xinjiang PSB and neighboring police
forces, Aji said all cooperation was conducted through
Interpol.
Golden Crescent Heroin Entering Xinjiang
—————————————-
6. (C) Jin Peng, head of the counternarcotics division
of the Xinjiang PSB, told Representatives Larsen and
Kirk that heroin entering from Afghanistan and
Pakistan is a growing problem.
Previously, most of
the heroin consumed in Xinjiang, as in the rest of
China, came from the Burma/Golden Triangle region.
Xinjiang police seized just 8.2 kilograms of Southwest
Asian heroin between 1991 and 2004.
Since 2005, Jin
said, Xinjiang police and border authorities are
increasingly interdicting Southwest Asian heroin,
which accounted for 67 of the 123 kilograms seized in
Xinjiang in 2006. Jin
acknowledged these seizures are
just the «tip of the iceberg» with respect to the
actual amount entering Xinjiang.
While most of the
heroin entering Xinjiang is destined for China’s
coastal regions, local consumption is on the rise.
Jin said Xinjiang has an estimated 70,000 to 80,000
heroin users out of a total population of 20 million.
Jin said drug smuggling primarily involves third-
country nationals, particularly Africans. The
extensive use of these «mules,» Jin said, means the
Xinjiang PSB is often unable to prosecute the
ringleaders of these smuggling organizations. While
not offering specifics, Aji commented that Xinjiang
authorities are worried drug money, along with
donations from overseas Uighurs, is helping to fund
terror/separatist groups.
Lunch with Xinjiang People’s Congress Chairman
——————————————— —
7. (SBU) Over lunch, Xinjiang People’s Congress
Chairman Abdurehim Amet told the delegation that
Central Government budget subsidies and support for
Xinjiang’s economic development was winning hearts and
minds, and ordinary citizens are increasingly willing
to cooperate with authorities to prevent terrorism.
Asked about Uighur attitudes toward the migration of
Han Chinese into Xinjiang, Amet claimed most of the
Han arriving are skilled workers who help boost the
economy. Amet criticized exiled
Uighur activist
Rebiya Kadeer, describing her as a «criminal» who most
Uighurs condemn.
Kashi PSB on Explosives, Drug Interdiction
——————————————
8. (C) In Kashi (Kashgar), Representatives Larsen and
Kirk met PSB Deputy Director Yan Weiguo.
Echoing
BEIJING 00005898 003.4 OF 003
Abdurehim Amet’s comments, Yan attributed the lack of
violent terror attacks since 2000 to the increasing
willingness of the Uighur community to report illegal
activity. The Kashi area is
experiencing 12 percent
annual GDP growth, Yan said, which is increasing
support for the government. That
Xinjiang had not
experienced any recent car bombings reflects the PSB’s
success at controlling explosives.
Yan said the PSB
had recently uncovered a case of would-be terrorists
attempting to acquire explosive material used by oil
companies.
9. (C) Regarding anti-narcotics efforts, Yan said in
2006 Kashi police arrested 17 drug smugglers and
seized 38 kilograms of heroin.
These cases involved
individuals from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria and
Lesotho smuggling heroin to Xinjiang from Pakistan and
then on to coastal cities, particularly Guangzhou.
Yan said Chinese police arrested one third-country
national who had made three drug runs within 20 days,
each time traveling from Central Asia to Kashi and
then to Guangzhou.
Trip to the Kyrgyzstan Border
——————————
10. (SBU) Representatives Larsen and Kirk visited the
Tuergate (Turugart) border crossing near Kashi August
30, which is guarded by a People’s Liberation Army
detachment. Poloff observed about
15 soldiers (all
Han Chinese) both at the border itself and at a
barracks approximately one mile downhill from the
crossing. A PLA officer told
Poloff that soldiers
typically are assigned to one-month shifts at the
crossing and are rotated between other border stations
and posts further inland. Trucks
and buses cross the
border from Kyrgyzstan into China, undergo an initial
document inspection at the PLA garrison and then
proceed by gravel road approximately 130 kilometers
into China to an immigration and customs inspections
station. During a one-hour stay
at the border, Poloff
observed 20 large trucks (half with Chinese plates,
half with Kyrgyzstan plates) and one Bishkek-Kashi
passenger bus crossing from the Kyrgyz side. (Note:
Normal traffic had been restricted to facilitate the
delegation’s travel.) Customs
officials at the inland
station told the Codel that the Tuergate border
handles 30,000 vehicle crossings (both ways) in one
year. The border is open
year-round Monday through
Friday, weather permitting, and closes every evening
at eight o’clock.
11. (SBU) At the inland customs station, all cargo is
off-loaded, inspected, and, if arriving on a Krygyz
vehicle, transferred to Chinese-plated trucks.
Customs agents told the delegation that every item of
cargo is examined. The delegation
observed customs
officials running bales of Kyrgyz wool through x-ray
machines. Customs officials said
their primary goal
is to interdict weapons and explosives.
A customs
officer told Poloff that they had not uncovered any
illegal drug shipments at the port.
The previous
year, he said, inspectors had found a false bottom in
one truck that was used for smuggling alcohol.
Customs authorities regularly find rocks, scrap metal,
old tools and other items inserted into bales of
Kyrgyzstani wool to make them heavier.
This
«contraband» was stacked on shelves next to the x-ray
machine.
12. (U) The CODEL did not have an opportunity to clear
this cable.
Randt
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 121755
date: 9/11/2007 13:17
refid: 07DUSHANBE1289
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO3989
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #1289 2541317
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 111317Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0920
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2201
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2253
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2244
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1257
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1503
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2792
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001289
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/11/2017
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, ASEC, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RECENT
ACTIVITIES AGAINST NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
INSTITUTE
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (c)
1. (C) A September 6 cyber attack
and brief encounter on
September 7 with State Committee for National Security officials
indicate that change is in store for the National Democratic
Institute. PolOff met with
National Democratic Institute Harry
Bader on September 7 to discuss the recent events.
2. (C) According to Bader, on
September 7, two State Committee
for National Security officials approached National Democratic
Institute’s local program manager, Parviz Kamoliddinov, and
requested a meeting for Tuesday, September 11. Since the
beginning of the year, the same two security officials
approached Kamoliddinov three times in March, June and July in a
similar fashion and treated him to dinner. They asked him
questions about National Democratic Institute’s activities and
Bader himself, including about his Quaker affiliations and
whether he proselytizes. After
each meeting, Bader received a
visa extension. It is unclear
whether the upcoming meeting will
be a harbinger of good news.
Security officials attempted to
bribe Kamoliddinov, promising to pay off the construction costs
for the new house he is building, an amount that is
approximately $10,000. He
declined. Bader is confident that
Kamoliddinov is loyal to the National Democratic Institute. He
also is concerned for Kamoliddinov’s safety and thinks the State
Committee for National Security does not know that Kamoliddinov
debriefs Bader after every such meeting.
3. (C) On September 6, Bader
called PolOff, upset that the
National Democratic Institute’s local office computer systems
had crashed. National Democratic
Institute’s computer systems
also crashed July 4. He suspected
it was foul play. Prior to
the more recent systems crash, Bader received two emails from
young females in Estonia and Germany on his personal email
address. The writers claimed that
their brothers are in prison
and wanted to know what the National Democratic Institute could
do to help. They both asked
questions about the organization’s
activities and shared the same misspellings. Both emails had
pictures attached and most likely viruses too. The computers
had Norton Anti-virus installed, but did not catch the virus.
4. (C) National Democratic
Institute’s Washington offices
helped restore and analyze the information technology systems.
The information technology analyst in Washington strongly
suspects that all of National Democratic Institute’s local
office’s internet correspondence is being streamed through a
protocol analy
