Переведено с использщованием AI
id: 191826
date: 2/12/2009 18:25
refid: 09DUSHANBE174
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO2284
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0174 0431825
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121825Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0015
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0018
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0003
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0003
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0003
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0003
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000174
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP, KDEM, PHUM, KPAO, TI
SUBJECT: RFE/RL TAX TRIAL BEGINS
1. (U) Summary: EmbOff attended the first hearing Feb. 11 in the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty tax trial. Representatives of
the State Tax Committee and the station presented their main
arguments. The judge asked both sides to provide more
information and set a date for the next hearing. After the
session, the tax committee representative approached EmbOff and
asked for the Embassy’s help in collecting payment from the
station. End summary.
2. (U) RFE/RL’s legal problems stem from the alleged failure of
the station’s contract employees to pay taxes, as discovered in
a 2008 tax inspection of the station. In the hearing, the
committee representatives said that the station’s employees owe
1 million Tajik somoni (about $270,000) in taxes dating back to
1998. RFE/RL filed a complaint against the tax committee that
resulted in this court process, in which the station is the
plaintiff.
3. (U) The tax committee’s attorney was not present, but two tax
inspectors argued their case before the judge. RFE/RL brought a
lawyer, who asked that the next hearing be delayed so the
station could «hire a professional lawyer.»
4. (U) The tax committee representatives said they never
received the written complaint that sparked this hearing from
RFE/RL. The local RFE/RL manager said he delivered it to the tax
committee and a recipient signed for it. He presented the
signature to the judge.
5. (U) The tax committee representatives indicated that they
would call as a witness an RFE/RL journalist whom they ordered
to pay taxes. They also said that RFE/RL was acting
duplicitously by paying reporters as stringers but accrediting
them as employees. The station’s lawyer responded that under
Tajik law, accreditation has nothing to do with full-time versus
contract employment, which is also Post’s understanding.
6. (U) RFE/RL’s lawyer said the station wrote to the tax
committee asking for guidance on how to pay taxes for stringers
and never heard back. The judge asked the station to provide
wording from the station’s charter that might affect the case,
and requested a written refutation of the charges from the tax
committee. The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
7. (U) During the hearing, the tax committee representative
asked EmbOff to explain what would happen in the United States
«if someone didn’t pay their taxes.» The judge moved on, but
the
representative approached EmbOff after the hearing and asked
again. EmbOff said it would be determined through a legal
process similar to this one. The representative then said «this
is not a political issue. They owe taxes. They need to pay. I’m
asking the Embassy to help get this resolved.» EmbOff replied
that we are strictly observers and that a judge will determine
RFE/RL’s responsibilities, if any.
8. (U) Comment: The wife of an LES staff member is an employee
at RFE/RL. She says that when the tax inspector came to the
station, he was insulted that the station didn’t buy him lunch
or gas for his car, as is customary when dealing with tax
inspectors. This information doesn’t explain the whole case, but
does some shed light on the way justice is perceived in
Tajikistan.
9. (U) Comment: It is unclear to EmbOffs why RFE/RL is being
held solely responsible for the failure of freelance employees
to pay their own taxes, while the employees themselves have not
been asked for the money. This may be due to the station’s
perceived wealth and connection to the U.S. Government. The tax
committee representative may have been implying that the Embassy
should assume the station’s tax responsibility. End comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 191825
date: 2/12/2009 18:25
refid: 09DUSHANBE167
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO2297
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0167 0431825
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121825Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0007
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0009
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0002
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0002
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0002
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0002
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000167
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP, KDEM, PHUM, KPAO, TI
SUBJECT: RFE/RL TAX TRIAL BEGINS
1. (U) Summary: EmbOff attended the first hearing Feb. 11 in the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty tax trial. Representatives of
the State Tax Committee and the station presented their main
arguments. The judge asked both sides to provide more
information and set a date for the next hearing. After the
session, the tax committee representative approached EmbOff and
asked for the Embassy’s help in collecting payment from the
station. End summary.
2. (U) RFE/RL’s legal problems stem from the alleged failure of
the station’s contract employees to pay taxes, as discovered in
a 2008 tax inspection of the station. In the hearing, the
committee representatives said that the station’s employees owe
1 million Tajik somoni (about $270,000) in taxes dating back to
1998. RFE/RL filed a complaint against the tax committee that
resulted in this court process, in which the station is the
plaintiff.
3. (U) The tax committee’s attorney was not present, but two tax
inspectors argued their case before the judge. RFE/RL brought a
lawyer, who asked that the next hearing be delayed so the
station could «hire a professional lawyer.»
4. (U) The tax committee representatives said they never
received the written complaint that sparked this hearing from
RFE/RL. The local RFE/RL manager said he delivered it to the tax
committee and a recipient signed for it. He presented the
signature to the judge.
5. (U) The tax committee representatives indicated that they
would call as a witness an RFE/RL journalist whom they ordered
to pay taxes. They also said that RFE/RL was acting
duplicitously by paying reporters as stringers but accrediting
them as employees. The station’s lawyer responded that under
Tajik law, accreditation has nothing to do with full-time versus
contract employment, which is also Post’s understanding.
6. (U) RFE/RL’s lawyer said the station wrote to the tax
committee asking for guidance on how to pay taxes for stringers
and never heard back. The judge asked the station to provide
wording from the station’s charter that might affect the case,
and requested a written refutation of the charges from the tax
committee. The next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
7. (U) During the hearing, the tax committee representative
asked EmbOff to explain what would happen in the United States
«if someone didn’t pay their taxes.» The judge moved on, but
the
representative approached EmbOff after the hearing and asked
again. EmbOff said it would be determined through a legal
process similar to this one. The representative then said «this
is not a political issue. They owe taxes. They need to pay. I’m
asking the Embassy to help get this resolved.» EmbOff replied
that we are strictly observers and that a judge will determine
RFE/RL’s responsibilities, if any.
8. (U) Comment: The wife of an LES staff member is an employee
at RFE/RL. She says that when the tax inspector came to the
station, he was insulted that the station didn’t buy him lunch
or gas for his car, as is customary when dealing with tax
inspectors. This information doesn’t explain the whole case, but
does some shed light on the way justice is perceived in
Tajikistan.
9. (U) Comment: It is unclear to EmbOffs why RFE/RL is being
held solely responsible for the failure of freelance employees
to pay their own taxes, while the employees themselves have not
been asked for the money. This may be due to the station’s
perceived wealth and connection to the U.S. Government. The tax
committee representative may have been implying that the Embassy
should assume the station’s tax responsibility. End comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 192046
date: 2/13/2009 12:51
refid: 09DUSHANBE184
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
R 131251Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0026
INFO CIS COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY KABUL
USMISSION USOSCE
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000184
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, ECON, TI
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS SECTOR MEETING COVERS A BLEAK WATERFRONT
1. (SBU) Summary: Discussions among international organizations
and NGOs at the monthly OSCE-hosted Human Rights Sector Meeting
on February 11 in Dushanbe revealed little movement on human
rights issues. None of the
organizations has been able to
substantially engage the Government of Tajikistan on human
rights issues, and there are early indications that next year’s
parliamentary elections will be seriously flawed. A new UN
Human Rights representative resident in Dushanbe presents an
opportunity to better coordinate international efforts. End
summary.
By-Election Farce
2. (SBU) The French Consul gave an assessment of the February 8
by-election for a parliamentary seat representing Dushanbe’s
Sino District, the country’s largest electoral district (the
former representative was appointed to another position). The
candidate from President Rahmon’s party (the PDPT) took 91% of
the votes; the second place candidate, from the Islamic Revival
Party, took 7%. Representatives
from the OSCE and the European
missions observed the by-election and noted numerous
irregularities: 6 of the 48 precincts were located in military
barracks, and observers were prohibited from entering; city
officials unaffiliated with the election were inside some
precincts, near ballot boxes; PDPT campaign materials were
prominently displayed inside precincts, right next to ballot
boxes. The reported 70% turnout
was inconsistent with the
observed turnout: foot traffic at precincts was very slow, and
observers estimated that turnout was actually 10-15%. Male
heads of household were permitted to vote on behalf of eligible
voters in their families, and others were allowed to vote who
did not live in the district. A
local resident told one of the
observers that local officials stuffed the ballot boxes with
PDPT votes every few minutes. The
UK Ambassador is coordinating
the observers’ reports and discussing these issues with the
Central Election Commission.
3. (SBU) The International Foundation for Electoral Systems
(IFES) reported that changes to the electoral law proposed last
summer by the opposition parties still have not made it into the
legislative process.
Representatives from the Central Election
Commission told IFES that they would have difficulty
implementing changes for the 2010 parliamentary elections unless
new electoral legislation was passed by March 2009. The OSCE
continues to announce its intention to raise electoral issues to
the ambassadorial level. However, the prospects for any
significant improvements are dimming by the day.
Where’s The Ombudsman?
4. (U) The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) announced that a full time international representative
will be based in Dushanbe by March or April 2009. OHCHR has
been represented in Tajikistan by a national officer, and an
international representative used to come down periodically from
Bishkek. OHCHR had been a prime
advocate for a human rights
ombudsman, and Tajikistan passed the legislation in early 2008.
The government has not yet appointed anyone to the post,
however. With the new staff
member the UN will take a more
active role in human rights issues.
Prisons Still Off Limits, Religious NGOs Harassed
5. (SBU) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
reported that its Deputy Regional Delegate, Rafaello Muller, had
visited Dushanbe last week to discuss Tajikistan’s continued
refusal to sign an agreement allowing ICRC access to
Tajikistan’s prisons. Muller met
with President Rahmon’s
advisors on law enforcement and constitutional protection, but
made no headway. Muller will
return to Dushanbe in mid-February
to brief the Principals’ Group (of resident ambassadors and
donor organizations).
6. (U) The German Ambassador expressed concern about NGOs that
have run into difficulties because the authorities unjustly
suspect them of proselytizing. A
Dutch/German NGO, ORA
International, was subjected to so much harassment that it left
the country in early February 2009.
An AmCit who worked for the
organization was deported in October 2008. She also expressed
dismay at the legal proceedings against the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The day after the human rights
meeting, the Supreme Military
Court rejected the organization’s appeal of the ban on its
activities imposed by the government in October 2007 (septel).
7. (SBU) Comment: The issues raised at the Human Rights Sector
Meeting underscore the fact that the international community’s
human rights advocacy in Tajikistan has met broad resistance.
Organizations simply have been unable to engage the government
in a serious discussion of reforms.
The irregularities observed
during the February 8 by-election foretell a 2010 parliamentary
election that will be plagued by the same problems identified by
the OSCE in the 2006 elections.
While Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
have signed agreements with the ICRC, Tajikistan’s prisons
remain off limits, as they have for the last 16 years. A new UN
human rights representative will give the international
community an opportunity to rethink its engagement with the
government on human rights. A
key challenge is to find an
effective high-level Tajik government interlocutor who has the
interest and the weight to address human rights issues across
the government. The overall trend
in the human rights sphere is
negative, and demonstrates a government that has no high level
interest in human rights reforms.
End comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 192052
date: 2/13/2009 13:02
refid: 09DUSHANBE185
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09STATE11928
header:
VZCZCXRO2915
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0185 0441302
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 131302Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0028
INFO RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0033
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 000185
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/13/2019
TAGS: PREL, AORC, ICJ, KV, TI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO RECOGNITION — NO TAJIK POSITION
REF: STATE 11928
CLASSIFIED BY: Necia Quast, DCM, EXEC, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
Classified by DCM Necia Quast, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Pol/Econ Officer discussed reftel demarche with
Jamaluddin Ubaidulloev, Second Secretary of the Department of
European and North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Higher ranking officials
were unavailable because they
were traveling with President Rahmon to Europe. Ubaidulloev
commented that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not offer
an official position on Kosovo recognition because it had
received no decision on the matter from the government. The MFA
had referred our past demarches on Kosovo to the government
(i.e. the Presidential Administration) for guidance, and had
received no reply. In past
conversations, head of the European
and North American Affairs Khusrav Nosiri commented that
Tajikistan wished to avoid the question of Kosovo recognition,
because of perceived parallels with the question of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia.
2. (C) Comment: The Tajiks wish to steer clear of Kosovo, and of
the separatist territories in Georgia.
While demarches to
Tajikistan urging recognition of Kosovo probably do no harm, we
see little prospect that they could have any impact on
Tajikistan’s policy of avoiding the issue altogether. End
Comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 192338
date: 2/17/2009 10:27
refid: 09ASTANA280
origin: Embassy Astana
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO4159
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK
RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHPW
RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #0280 0481027
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171027Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4641
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 1208
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0591
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1297
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0301
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2160
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2488
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 0770
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0686
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS ASTANA 000280
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ECA/A/L AND SCA/PPD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL, KPAO, PGOV, SOCI, KZ, TI, UZ, TX, KG
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE FELLOWS
IN CENTRAL ASIA: SURVIVING AND
THRIVING
1. (U) English Language Fellows
across Central Asia are making
solid contributions to English departments and communities despite
the multiple challenges of living and working in Central Asia.
Having visited all the Fellows at their sites during the past 18
months, the Regional English Language Officer (RELO) recently met
with all six of the Fellows in Central Asia at the American
University of Cairo’s 14th Annual TEFL Skills Conference and learned
more about the Fellows’ personal and professional experiences,
including the successes and the challenges. In often difficult
circumstances, the Fellows are making a positive difference to
thousands of young Central Asian lives.
2. (U) Khujand, Tajikistan,
Success: The Fellow in Khojand,
Tajikistan, had over 50 cell phone numbers of new friends in his
phone within a few weeks of his arrival.
His willingness to talk to
anybody anytime anywhere has made him extremely popular. His
cheerful demeanor and desire to work with English teachers from all
institutions has fired up the small but enthusiastic community of
English-speakers in this important but isolated city in northern
Tajikistan.
3. (U) Khujand, Tajikistan,
Challenge: Unfortunately, all of his
original students were forced to pick cotton for the first six weeks
of the academic year. His
classrooms were empty. He managed to
find other students and has become a fixture around town, drinking
tea and chatting with eager Tajiks when not in class.
4. (U) Dushanbe, Tajikistan,
Success: The Fellow in Dushanbe has
been a steady, calm, teacher-trainer and mentor to hundreds of young
Tajik English teachers. His
wisdom and depth of experience have
added much value to their pedagogical instruction and he is much
sought after as a speaker and advisor.
5. (U) Dushanbe, Tajikstan,
Challenge: The Dushanbe Fellow was
able to continue his work despite more than a month of no heat,
electricity, or running water throughout the country during the
worst cold spell in 40 years at the beginning of 2008. The RELO
watched him interact with pale, sick, and numb students who were all
wearing their outdoor clothing in class because the indoor
temperature was barely above freezing.
6. (U) Taraz, Kazakhstan,
Success: The Fellow in Taraz, a small
southern town near the Kyrgyz border, has created a much-loved
teachers’ resource center full of previously unavailable
English-language teaching materials.
In addition, she has revamped
outdated curriculum and added spark and energy to the English
department. She has also teamed
up with a local NGO for a village
teacher-training project, bringing educational guidance and
expertise to often-neglected rural communities.
7. (U) Taraz, Kazakhstan,
Challenge: One cold, rainy evening,
the Fellow spent five hours crisscrossing town on a local bus, not
knowing where she was, where the bus was going, or how to ask for
help in the local language.
Fortunately, she eventually got off and
found her way home. She has since
then managed to organize private,
reliable transport for herself.
8. (U) COMMENT: The Fellows across Central Asia are making a
significant impact in the lives of young people and others. English
is widely considered the key to the future, and the Fellows, despite
the many hurdles and logistical tangos of living in Central Asia,
are bringing English and the best of American culture to thousands
of people across the region. This
is an efficient and effective
program that should be allowed to grow and thrive, just like the
hardy English Language Fellows in Central Asia. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 192556
date: 2/18/2009 11:24
refid: 09DUSHANBE201
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 07DUSHANBE1531
header:
VZCZCXRO5451
RR RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0201 0491124
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181124Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0048
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0013
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0001
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0009
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0001
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0071
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000201
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KIRF, TI
SUBJECT: JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES LOSE AGAIN, BUT PRESS ON
REF: 07 DUSHANBE 1531
1. (SBU) On February 12, Tajikistan’s Supreme Military Court
denied the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ appeal of the government’s ban
on their activities (reftel). The
following day, the Ambassador
met with Greg Olds and Mario Moreno, the group’s U.S. lawyers
who had flown in for the hearing.
2. (SBU) Olds said that he was not surprised by the court’s
verdict, despite the tenuous basis upon which the judge made his
decision. He pointed out some of
the contradictions in the
court’s reasoning, and the testimony of a government «experts»
that the group is a «Zionist organization» because the word
«Zion» often appears in the group’s literature. The Witnesses
will pursue a final appeal before the Supreme Military Court,
but Olds does not expect a different outcome.
3. (SBU) Olds is unsure where this decision leaves the 600 Tajik
Jehovah’s Witnesses. A State
Security official who testified at
the hearing told him that «now you [the Jehovah’s Witnesses] are
really banned.» The group
will get an idea of the lengths to
which law enforcement officials will go to implement the
decision on April 9, when it holds its ceremony commemorating
the death of Jesus.
4. (SBU) Olds will continue to follow the case through the
judicial system, but he also is engaging as many Tajik officials
as possible to try to soften their attitude toward the group.
Olds and Moreno had a «very productive discussion» with the
new
Director of Religious Affairs, Mavludon Mukhtorov, and hope to
meet with him again in March. The
group will consider engaging
Kazakhstan, which will assume the OSCE Chairmanship in 2010.
5. (SBU) Comment: Olds and Moreno understand that the judicial
process is merely a cover for a decision made by the authorities
long ago. They are pragmatically
engaging the authorities in an
attempt to show that there is nothing to fear from the Jehovah’s
Witnesses. It is unclear how
Tajik officials plan to enforce
the court’s decision. As long as
the group goes about its
activities discreetly, we doubt there will be raids or arrests.
We agree with Olds, however, that April 9 will be an important
test of the government’s attitude toward the group. End comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 193337
date: 2/23/2009 13:01
refid: 09DUSHANBE224
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09DUSHANBE146
header:
VZCZCXRO9805
OO RUEHDBU
DE RUEHDBU #0224/01 0541301
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 231301Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0065
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0014
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0002
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0010
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0002
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0098
—————— header ends —————-
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000224
SIPDIS
STATE DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/23/2019
TAGS: PREL, UZ, TI
SUBJECT: A SLIGHT WARMING IN TAJIK-UZBEK RELATIONS?
REF: DUSHANBE 146
CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey A. Jacobson, Ambassador, EXEC, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) Summary: The meeting of an Uzbek-Tajik intergovernmental
commission appears to have been a qualified success, with
agreements on some of the power and water issues that have been
dividing the two countries. This should pave the way for renewed
transit of Turkmen electricity to Dushanbe. But will this
mini-rapprochement last? End
Summary.
2. (C) During a February 20 meeting, Foreign Minister Zarifi
told the Ambassador that the recent Tajik-Uzbek
Intergovernmental Commission held February 18 in Dushanbe was
positive. The meeting had taken
seven years to finally occur,
during which time the relationship was «stagnating.» The
Commission signed two agreements, one on water/energy and one on
border delimitation, which Zarifi expected to be ratified by
both parliaments within 10 days.
After that, Uzbekistan would
permit the transit of Turkmen electricity to Tajikistan. The
Ambassador asked whether the Commission had taken up the issue
of the Farhat water facility in the north — the Tajik and Uzbek
sides both claim ownership and the border there is not
delimited. Zarifi said this issue
was «too complicated» and
that the Commission had agreed to refer it to experts later in
the year, moving ahead on other issues.
Zarifi said President
Karimov had even said Uzbekistan would be willing to participate
in the construction of the Rogun hydropower station, a major
sore point between the two countries.
3. (C) Embassy staff spoke on February 20 with the Uzbek Consul
in Dushanbe, Murodil Abdurazzakov, who confirmed the commission
meeting results in outline as related by FM Zarifi, including
the near-term resolution of Turkmen energy transit. He said the
joint commission would meet again later this year in Tashkent.
Abdurazzakov specifically denied that the commission had
discussed the Rogun dam project at all.
4. (C) During a February 19 meeting, UN Regional Preventative
Diplomacy Center head Ambassador Jenka told the Ambassador about
his meetings February 16 in Tashkent and his February 19
meetings in Dushanbe. He said
Uzbek Foreign Minister Norov told
him Karimov was indeed ready to support Rogun, provided two
conditions were met — an independent feasibility study must be
conducted, and water flows downstream must not be reduced.
Later, Zarifi assured Jenka that Tajikistan could meet both of
these conditions.
5. (C) This apparent progress was a main topic at a lunch for EU
Heads of Mission, Ambassador Jenka, OSCE Conflict Prevention
Center Head Ambassador Salber, and others February 20. While
Jenka was cautiously optimistic about the possibility for
forward movement, he did note that feasibilities studies «can
take up to 10 years.» Salber
was somewhat less sanguine,
insisting that the water situation in the region «was not yet
bad enough to lead to a realization that cooperation was the
only way forward.» Salber
further noted that with feasibility
studies, «you get the results you pay for.»
6. (C) According to its Tajikistan Country Director, Chiara
Bronchi, the World Bank is actually underwriting three separate
feasibility studies for Rogun: one on the project’s technical
aspects, one on the environment, and a final one on human/social
aspects. She said that the
projects would be put out to bid by
the end of this month and should be completed within a year.
However, The World Bank head in Tashkent told Jenka that the
Bank was only financing a pre-feasibility study. In any case,
the real challenge will be in getting a feasibility study in
which the terms of reference and contractor are acceptable to
all parties. The UN Preventative
Diplomacy Center in Ashgabat
plans to host a conference on the legal bases for water sharing,
with relevant examples, in April.
Salber said the number of
conferences on water «now numbers in four figures» and that
only
a new political will on the part of regional leaders would
result in progress.
DUSHANBE 00000224 002 OF 002
7. (C) Comment: This apparent mini-rapprochement between
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan comes of the heels of
near-simultaneous irritation with Russia on the part of Karimov
and Rahmon. Rahmon was angered by
President Medvedev’s comments
on water sharing in Tashkent last month (reftel); according to
multiple sources, Karimov also was not pleased that Medvedev
promised «not support for hydropower projects without
coordination with downstream countries,» and only a few days
later made a deal with Kyrgyzstan to finance Kambarata-1. This
common resentment of Russia may have helped pave the way for a
heart-to-heart conversation between Rahmon and Karimov in
Moscow. Whether this new- found
fellow-feeling lasts beyond
Rahmon’s February 24 working visit to Moscow remains to be seen.
End Comment.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 193376
date: 2/23/2009 14:51
refid: 09DUSHANBE225
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
destination: 08DUSHANBE1105|09DUSHANBE744
header:
R 231451Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0067
INFO AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
AMEMBASSY ASTANA
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000225
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD MERRIE BLOCKER
FOR R, ECA, E
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, TI
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS: THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN
TAJIKISTAN
REF: A) 08 DUSHANBE 1105; B) DUSHANBE 744
1. (U) Summary: Programs that teach English language and develop
the skills of local English teachers are among the most popular
and necessary public diplomacy offerings in Tajikistan. Learning
English is viewed as the key to a better life for many young
Tajiks, and U.S. programs fill the gap created by the
government’s lack of resources in this area. Post has shifted
focus toward English programming but will need more resources to
meet a growing need in a country where the majority of the
population is younger than 20 years old. The rise in population
together with the steady decline of educational infrastructure
and English curricula mean an ever-shrinking pool of English
speakers for State Department exchange programs. To counter
that, post will seek an increase of $100,000 for the English
Access Micro-scholarship Program in FY10 and three additional
English Language Fellows to prepare the next generation of
English teachers in Tajikistan.
English language programs and
our broader Public Diplomacy efforts are critical in this former
Soviet Muslim country which shares a border and language with
Afghanistan. End summary.
2. (U) PAS currently supports its own development program for
English teachers, known as the English Teaching Mentor program.
Post oversees 11 English Access Microscholarship Program
providers with a total annual budget of roughly $102,000. Two
English language fellows teach university students in the
country’s urban centers, Dushanbe and Khujand, and at least one
English Language Specialist visits annually. In FY08, post
supported a visit from a U.S. Fulbright Scholar from Russia to
lead workshops for English teachers. Additionally, a local
cultural center receives post funds for a weekly English coffee
hour; Embassy officers visit between five and ten universities
per month for English discussion; and the three American Corners
host movie screenings, discussion clubs, and TOEFL prep courses.
3. (U) Ambassador Jacobson considers English programming
integral to progress in all mission strategic goals, expansion
of Tajik citizens’ access to information, and their connection
to potential trading partners. «English Language is critical to
all of our programs, across the whole spectrum of mission goals.
Improved English ability would broaden and improve the quality
of the applicant pool for all our education and exchange
programs, whether conducted by Public Diplomacy, USAID, or the
military. English language is the
key to accessing information
on the internet and from credible news sources — without it,
Tajik citizens receive their news and information mainly from
Russia and Iran. Better language
skills are necessary for
Tajikistan to develop its economy, and establish effective
trading relationships beyond the former Soviet Union. It’s
remarkable how English language programs also broaden cultural
knowledge and critical thinking skills — both will be necessary
if Tajikistan is to be stable and prosperous, a partner rather
than a challenge to our efforts in one of the most complicated
regions of the world.»
4. (U) Deputy Chief of Mission Necia Quast noted the broader
context that English study brings. «We have seen that students
learn not just the language itself, but also acquire new
information, ideas and values along with the language. This,
among other reasons, is why we now include an English language
component in most of our Law Enforcement and Security training
programs. English language programs support virtually every goal
we have here.»
5. (U) The English Access Microscholarship program has been an
unqualified success. Post has increasingly focused on rural,
underserved areas. Six of the 11 current programs are outside of
Dushanbe. In 2008, students from the Rasht valley (the center of
opposition to the central government, and one of the most
isolated regions of the country), participated in the selection
process for the Future Leaders Exchange Program for the first
time. All are Access participants. One student became a
semi-finalist and may be a finalist. Many students at Access
programs in the Khatlon region have never received English
instruction before. Most programs receive at least 200
applicants for 20 or fewer spaces. The Ministry of Education has
allowed Access programs to recruit in schools, an unusual
concession.
6. (U) While demand for English instruction is overwhelming,
there are few qualified English teachers in Tajikistan. Given
widespread corruption in schools and salaries of $40 or less per
month, proficient English speakers prefer to work for foreign
Embassies or international organizations. The Tajik visa regime
does not allow enterprising foreigners to teach English on a
freelance basis.
7. (U) Post has sought to address this need with the English
Teaching Mentor program, which provides 20 teachers from around
Tajikistan with four training sessions during their year of
participation. In 2008, post cooperated with INL to bring two
English teachers from the University of Montana to Dushanbe for
three weeks to teach a seminar for program participants. Post
has requested an English Language Specialist to fill this role
for 2009. Mentor program alumni train teachers in their home
districts and are noticeably better teachers and speakers of
English after their participation in the program.
8. (U) All 27 USG-sponsored programs at post are managed by a
single LES cultural affairs assistant and an entry-level
officer. Post has been assured of additional funding to support
a new position for English Language Programs and would like to
see that funding integrated into its base allocation.
9. (U) Concurrent with the steady rise in population,
educational infrastructure is decaying and English teaching
skills are declining along with the overall literacy rate. Post
already is struggling each year to identify qualified English
speaking candidates for many of our exchange programs. Simply
put, without dramatic and sustained efforts to reverse these
trends, our pool of applicants will dry up. To forestall that
possibility, post requests an increase of $100,000 for the
English Access Microscholarship Program in FY2010. Post would
benefit from up to three additional English Language Fellows,
who would prepare the next generation of English teachers in
Tajikistan.
JACOBSON
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 193734
date: 2/25/2009 11:44
refid: 09KABUL407
origin: Embassy Kabul
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO1877
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0407/01 0561144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251144Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7489
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000407
AIDAC
DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A
DEPT PASS AID/ASIA BUREAU
USDA FOR FAS OA/GSM/MILLER
DEPT PASS USTR FOR GERBER AND KLEIN
DEPT PASS TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP
CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A, USFOR-A
NSC FOR JWOOD
OSD FOR SHIVERS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ECON, ETRD, EAID, EAGR, BEXP, AF, TI
SUBJECT: ASSESSMENT OF AFGHAN MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE,
IRRIGATION, AND LIVESTOCKQS FIRST ONE HUNDRED DAYS
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
1. (SBU) Afghanistan Minister of
Agriculture,
Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) Asif Rahimi took office
in October 2008 with the aim of restructuring and
revitalizing the Ministry and building on his success as
Deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
(MRRD). This cable provides an
informal assessment of
Minister RahimiQs performance in his first 100 days.
Anecdotal evidence so far suggests that while Minister
Rahimi is ambitiously working to re-launch and
restructure MAILs strategy and staff — including pushing
for a massive increase in budget — he is significantly
constrained by the challenges of MAILs bloated and
corruption-afflicted bureaucracy, especially in an
election year. That said, Rahimi
is considered by some
donors to be a big improvement over his predecessor and
there is hope that under his leadership this critical
sector will receive more and better central government
attention than it has in the past.
End summary and
comment.
BACKGROUND
2. (U) Asif Rahimi took over as
Minister of MAIL in
October 2008. Before becoming
Minister, Rahimi was the
Deputy Minister of MRRD, where he oversaw the widely
applauded National Solidarity Program (NSP), an
initiative that distributes block grants to Community
Development Councils. MRRD was
established in 2002 with
assistance from donors and considerable support from
expatriate advisors. MRRD was
able to hire younger, more
educated Afghans who were better compensated than most
civil servants.
3. (SBU) MRRD has a history of
high performance,
transparency, and good field execution.
MRRD and MAIL
have traditionally been rivals for primacy in the work to
develop rural Afghanistan, with MAIL focusing primarily
on increasing agricultural production, improving
irrigation systems, livestock, and rural enterprise
development programs while MRRD focuses on community
development and delivery of small-scale infrastructure
projects. MAIL and MRRD are now
working together more
closely, following Rahimis move.
MAIL is an old
ministry and especially influenced by the Soviet era in
which Kabul University agriculture graduates were
guaranteed lifetime employment at MAIL.
MAIL now has
around 10,000 employees compared to only a few thousand
at MRRD. Evidence suggests that
MAIL has too many staff,
with the majority based in Kabul.
MINISTER RAHIMIS TRANSITION AND NEW VISION FOR MAIL
4. (SBU) Minister Rahimis move to
MAIL was largely seen
by both MAIL and MRRD staff as a vindication of MRRDQs
more progressive approaches and success in comparison to
MAIL, with its relatively bloated and corruption-
afflicted bureaucracy. Rahimi
brought with him from MRRD
two key non-USAID expatriate advisors on whom the
Minister relies for advice, decision-making, and strategy
development. One of Minister
Rahimis first major focus
areas has been changing management, which has included
re-deploying older, poor-performing civil servants to
less prominent positions within the Ministry, including
three deputy ministers. Further,
MAIL requested donors
to fund new embedded advisors as per the MRRD model,
while existing donor-funded advisors — including those
from USAID — were elevated in status.
Despite these
reform efforts, the overall mood of MAIL employees
(according to some advisors) was mass confusion and
depression. Minister Rahimi has
also begun looking at
financial management issues and exploring possible cases
of corruption. Comment:
International donors have
welcomed Minister Rahimis appointment and have expressed
optimism for change and progress in the agricultural
sector. End Comment.
KABUL 00000407 002 OF 003
5. (U) Minister RahimiQs vision
for MAIL and the revival
of the agricultural sector of Afghanistan is to restore
the countrys licit agricultural economy through
increasing production and productivity, improved natural
resource management (including water resources), improved
physical infrastructure, and market development. This
vision will be realized with a more comprehensive
approach to agricultural development that is integrated
with other ministries and partners, including the private
sector. This new direction will use a bottom-up approach
based at the community and district levels. Focus areas
during his first 100 days have included food security,
especially in the drought-affected areas, distribution of
seed and fertilizer, and crop disease control. Future
plans include addressing the top needs of farmers such as
ensuring access to quality input supplies, irrigation and
on-farm water supply, cold storage facilities,
processing, training, farm equipment, agricultural
credit, and policy analysis and reform.
6. (U) The Minister has shown an interest in increasing
the role of th private sector in agricultural
development, stating that MAIL needs to operate within
defined public and private sector roles.
Some specific
initiatives to build the private sector include
development of private farm equipment centers and
strengthening the capacity of the private sector
development department within MAIL.
The Minister has
also supported USAIDs establishment of private farm
stores and the privatization of veterinary services.
COMBINED MAIL/U.N. AGRICULTURE TASK FORCE
7. (U) Almost simultaneously with
Minister RahimiQs
transition to MAIL, the U.N. established — under World
Bank chairmanship — a new Agriculture Task Force (ATF) to
better coordinate donors agriculture programs. Minister
Rahimi attended the first U.N. ATF meeting and explained
that President Karzai has asked him to set up a similar
task force under the direction of the Goverment of
Afghanistan. The two task forces
wer then combined.
Since that time the ATF has mt every few weeks with
Minister Rahimis exatriate advisors setting the agenda
and establishing the tasks to be performed. This
continued reliance on expats is despite donor efforts to
increase Afghan ownership.
FOCUS ON FOOD SECURITY CRISIS
8. (SBU) Immediately upon
assuming MAIL leadership,
Minister Rahimi established an expatriate food crisis
coordinator and used the ATF donor group to better
understand and coordinate all food crisis activities.
Under the coordinator, MAIL has worked effectively with
the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), and MRRD to coordinate
both WFP and government food distribution. MAIL has also
been involved in improved seed and fertilizer
distribution to increase food production, especially
under a $60 million USAID seed and fertilizer voucher
program.
NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND BUDGET REQUEST
9. (U) MAIL has launched a new
programmatic
organizational chart that emphasizes five major areas of
activity: Agriculture Production and Productivity,
Agriculture Infrastructure, Economic Regeneration,
Natural Resource Management, and Programmatic Support and
Change Management. This new
structure is not yet
established in the form of formal civil service reform of
MAIL; this will take at least 18-24 months to complete.
10. (SBU) According to MAILs
expatriate advisor, the
ministry requested a $189 million development program
budget for fiscal year 2009 — 2010, which runs from March
2009 to March 2010, of which $34 million was unspent
carryover from last fiscal year.
However, the Ministry
KABUL 00000407 003 OF 003
of Finance (MOF) approved only a total program budget of
$39.8 million. MOF would allow
spending of up to an
additional $125 million if MAIL can secure it from
donors; Rahimi has already flagged this funding shortfall
to donors. All of these figures
are for program spending
and do not include MAILs operational budget for
recurring costs such as salaries.
Agriculture is
prioritized in Afghanistans new National Development
Strategy (presented in June 2008), and this request would
have been a large increase over MAILs prior budgets.
Comment: Since evidence suggests that MAIL has had
difficulty programming and efficiently expending its
existing budget, institutional capacity would need to be
developed for MAIL to effectively implement programs at
much higher funding levels. End
Comment.
STAFF CHALLENGES
11. (SBU) Beyond seeking
additional expatriate advisors
to improve MAIL execution and performance, Minister
Rahimi is working internally to identify existing MAIL
employees who will be considered the leaders of the
future. A list of 100-150 current
MAIL employees who are
considered to have management potential has been created
and these employees have received special training.
However, Minister Rahimi has also agreed with President
Karzai not to lower the overall number of MAIL employees
even though many are redundant.
Many allegedly corrupt
MAIL employees continue to serve in key positions though
Minister Rahimi has publicly announced his intentions to
rid MAIL of such problems.
COMMENT
12. (SBU) Minister Rahimi is
trying to create and
implement a reform program, but success will require time
and political suppot. MAILs
overall performance — both
technicaly and administratively — is slow to change, an
we would not expect performance to show majo improvement
in just 100 days. Still, Rahimi
is a big improvement
over his predecessor ad there is hope that under his
leadership thi critical sector will receive more and
bettercentral government attention than it has in the
past.
DELL
=======================CABLE ENDS============================
id: 193777
date: 2/25/2009 13:51
refid: 09DUSHANBE228
origin: Embassy Dushanbe
classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination: 09DUSHANBE130
header:
VZCZCXRO2091
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHDBU #0228/01 0561351
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251351Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0072
INFO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0005
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQ WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0105
—————— header ends —————-
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000228
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK), DS/IP/SCA, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA/ITA,
INL/AAE (BUHLER)
JUSTICE FOR (DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR, ASEC, KCRM, EAID, KJUS, PINR, TI
SUBJECT: NEW INTERIOR MINISTER AND THE AMBASSADOR ARE ON THE SAME
PAGE — BUT HOW DOES THE CHAPTER END?
REF: DUSHANBE 130
DUSHANBE 00000228 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU) Summary: The
Ambassador’s introductory meeting with
new Minister of Internal Affairs Abdurahim Kaharov revealed
Tajikistan’s new chief policeman wrestling with, but undaunted
by, enormous challenges. Kaharov
was trying to retain SWAT
forces who were leaving for better paying jobs, train quality
and not quantity police officers, take down drug rings rather
than just arrest low-level couriers, and solve personnel issues
(so difficult he claimed that they made him wish he was
investigating a simple murder case).
The Ambassador stressed
that the Ministry must improve arrests and prosecutions of human
traffickers or face potential assistance restrictions; suggested
closer partnership with DEA to improve the police
counter-narcotics efforts; described plans for cooperation with
the Ministry in training and community policing; and requested
the Minister’s assistance in resolving a nettlesome vehicle
registration issue. End summary.
2. (SBU) Giving Minister of Interior Kaharov a month to get
settled, the Ambassador, accompanied by Regional Security
Officer and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
officers, met with Tajikistan’s new chief policeman on February
24. He comes to the job with
strong accolades in the local
press and a good street reputation as a competent, professional
policeman (reftel). He noted he
was «in the regions» for the
last two years, referring to his work as Chief of the Ministry’s
northern Soghd region based out of Khujand. Previously he had
served as First Deputy Minister in Dushanbe, but like many
senior officers, was removed from Headquarters when former
Minister Solihev «cleaned house». He said he was from Dushanbe
but his parents had come from Sughd.
He complimented the
Ambassador on her Tajik language skills, noting his own skills
were poor, since all of his education in Tajikistan and in
Moscow was in Russian.
3. (SBU) Kaharov took a couple pages out of our playbook. He led
off by saying his focus would be on counter-terrorism and
counter-narcotics. Touching on
the first, he acknowledged that
he was having trouble retaining personnel in the elite Militia
Detachment for Special Purposes (OMON) forces—similar to our
SWAT teams—because of low pay.
The Ambassador highlighted the
opportunities for police special teams to work with Diplomatic
Security and Special Operations Command (SOCCENT) and urged
continued close embassy contact in this critical area. He
agreed with the Ambassador about the importance of the OMON
teams for embassy protection and countering terrorism but said
that he had lost 78 officers— 50% of the staff— in the last
year so retention was definitely a challenge. He added that he
intended to address the issue both with additional pay and
stronger leadership.
4. (SBU) Kaharov appeared sobered by the Ambassador’s clear
message that Tajikistan must improve its record in trafficking
arrests, prosecutions, and convictions or face potential
sanctions on overall assistance in the future in accordance with
TIP laws in the United States. He
also hoped for improved
performance drawing on expertise of the former head of
Tajikistan’s inter-ministerial commission on trafficking and now
First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Ramazon Rahimov.
5. (SBU) On counter-narcotics, Kaharov acknowledged the biggest
criticism of the police was valid; the Interior Ministry
officers only arrest low-level couriers but must take aim at big
