VZCZCXRO1119
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHBUL #3438/01 3001129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271129Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2511
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0149
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 1534
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 2241
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4831
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0135
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3087
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0025
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 0064
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0083
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS SERVICE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGRD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003438
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC DFORBES, LSPRINGER, AND JFRIEDMAN
SCA/RA FOR JSPILLSBURY
SCA/A
CBP/INATR GRISING AND JJEFFERS
DHS/ICE FOR AMEFFERD
DOE/NNSA FOR JCOLLINS
DOC/BIS FOR DCREED
USCG FOR SHABTEMICHAEL
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CBP ATTACHE
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW FOR ICE ATTACHE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL KG AF
SUBJECT: EXBS ADVISOR September 12 to October 25, 2009 MONTH END
REPORT, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: EXBS
activities during this reporting period included:
1. (U) EXBS staff and a Commonwealth Trading Partner (CTP)
legislative Development Expert completed consultations on export
control legislation with the GIRoA; EXBS approved two modifications
to a contract for refurbishment to a server room for the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry; met with a Customs ICD contractor and the
Embassy to complete warranty work for two large forklifts that will
be delivered to Towrhkam and Island Qalah border crossing ports; met
with Afghan Government officials to complete preparations for
sending an Afghan delegation to the United States for training and
meetings in Washington, DC from October 25 to November 14, 2009, and
attended three border coordination meetings in Kabul.
II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR REPORTING PERIOD (KABUL, AFGHANISTAN):
A. Site Assessments and Meetings held during this Reporting Period.
1. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff and the Senior
Consultant and Project Manager for Commonwealth Trading Partners,
Mr. Toomas Raba held a five-day consultation visit in Kabul with
Afghan Government officials to discuss legislative development
assistance with representatives from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Afghan Customs, Afghan Border Police,
and Afghan Ministry of Justice. This consultation visit is the
fifth in a series of consultations that will provide advice and
guidance to the GIRiA leading to the completion of draft export
control legislation that satisfies international standards including
the requirements of UNSCR 1540.
2. (U) During this report period the EXBS Advisor met with the
construction company contracted to refurbish two secure rooms at the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The rooms will house some of the
computers and servers for a computer based licensing systems EXBS
will donate to the MoCI. MoCI requested that EXBS modify the
contract to include a second window and rerouting the wiring under
the new insulated flooring. The EXBS Advisor approved the
modifications. A representative of the company installing the
licensing system was supposed to install the hardware and software
by November 19, 2009. However, all visitors staying over thirty
days in Afghanistan per year must attend two one-week security
awareness training programs prior to travel. This pushes back the
project installation phase to January, 2010
3. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff visited the Afghan
Customs Inland Customs Depot (ICD) to meet with a contractor to
discuss the completion of warranty work on two 13.5 ton forklifts
prior to shipment to Islam Qalah and Towr Khan border crossing
points. The warranty work is scheduled to be completed before
November 1.
4. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff assisted six Afghan
Government officials to obtain U.S. visas to attend a two-week
export control workshop at the University of Georgia in Athens,
Georgia, and a three-day consultation visit in Washington D.C from
October 25 to November 14, 2009. Unfortunately three were unable to
provide their documents and applications on time and were not
granted visas. EXBS Program Coordinator, Roohullah Shekaib will
accompany the delegation.
5. (U) During this report period the EXBS Advisor attended three
Border Coordination Meetings and one Border Management Working Group
KABUL 00003438 002 OF 002
meeting to discuss coordinating assistance among U.S. government
agencies and other donors to the Afghan Government border agencies.
6. (U) During this report period the EXBS staff met with Dr. Abdul
Malik, Head of the Radiation Protection and Radiation Safety
Department of the Kabul Ministry of Health to discuss a training
proposal submitted by Dr. Malik. EXBS requested that Dr.Malik
submit a proposal for providing a nuclear, chemical, explosives and
radiation safety train-the-trainer program to twenty Afghan Customs
and Border Police. The proposal submitted by Dr. Malik was very
comprehensive and expensive. EXBS will work with Dr. Malik to make
the proposal more realistic.
B. Training Conducted During Report Period.
1. (U) From October 18 - 22, 2009 EXBS and Commonwealth Trading
Partners (CTP), a Legislative Development Consultation company, held
a Legislative Development Workshop at the Serena Hotel in Kabul.
Eight Afghan Government officials participated in the five-day
workshop. The visit Afghan Government requested CTP to follow-up on
five export control workshops provide in 2008 and 2009. CTP will
assist the Afghan Government in drafting an Export Control Law that
conforms to international standards. The next visit will be
scheduled in December.
C. Training Programs Pending.
1. None
III. RED FLAG ISSUES:
1. (U) Three Afghan Government Officials scheduled to attend a
two-week Export Control Workshop at the University of Georgia and a
three-day consultative visit in WADC was denied visas. The visas
were denied because, despite repeated request over a two-month
period, the Afghans failed to complete their visa applications and
submit their documents to the Embassy Consular section in a timely
fashion. While the Embassy Consular section will work with us to
its best ability, the average processing time for Afghan visas is 2
- 3 weeks.
EIKENBERRY