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If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol).Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09ASTANA711.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
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09ASTANA711 | 2009-04-24 10:18 | 2011-08-30 01:44 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Astana |
VZCZCXRO8123 OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTA #0711/01 1141018 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 241018Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5252 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 1526 RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0904 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1607 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0591 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2288 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2618 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1089 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 1003 RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000711 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT, SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC EFIN PTER KCRM KPAO PTER KHLS AEMR SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: U.S. AMBASSADOR'S FUND FOR COUNTERTERRORISM PROPOSAL ¶1. (SBU) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. PROPOSED PROJECT: COUNTERING YOUTH EXTREMISM ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Embassy Astana requests $100,000 to counter youth extremism in Kazakhstan through English-language training and sustained exposure to the best of American culture. Modeled on the successful English Access Microscholarship Program, this project will counter extremist ideology and recruitment in southern and western Kazakhstan. One hundred disadvantaged youth (50 in each of two regions) will be selected to participate in an intensive, two-year English language program that will help them improve their language ability, expand their job prospects, increase their possibility of being selected for exchange programs or study abroad opportunities, and offer them a positive vision of the future with an emphasis on common values. END SUMMARY. EXPLANATION OF HOW THE PROPOSAL WILL ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO DETER TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST GROUPS ¶3. (SBU) Kazakhstan, with a population of 16.7 million, is a Muslim-majority country. Ethnic Kazakhs, who constitute just over half the population, and ethnic Uzbeks, Uighurs, and Tatars, who collectively comprise less than 10 percent, are historically Sunni Muslims. Other Islamic groups that account for less than one percent include Shafi'i Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, and Ahmadi. There are approximately 2,200 registered mosques in Kazakhstan. ¶4. (SBU) As noted in the 2008 International Religious Freedom Report for Kazakhstan, government officials have increasingly expressed concern about the potential spread of political and religious extremism. The Committee for National Security (KNB) has characterized the fight against "religious extremism" as a top priority of the internal intelligence service. ¶5. (SBU) Embassy Astana proposes to prevent the spread of violent extremism among Kazakhstan's youth by offering 100 disadvantaged teenagers an opportunity to participate in an intensive, two-year English-language and American cultural program. As southern Kazakhstan is one of the poorest regions in the country and also has the highest concentration of practicing Muslims, 50 percent of the students will be selected from Shymkent, the principal city in that part of the country. The other 50 percent will be selected from western Kazakhstan, near the city of Aktau, due to that region's poor economic conditions and history of religious problems, such as unregistered mosques, some of which are purportedly linked to Salafi groups. ¶6. (SBU) Students from these two areas frequently come from disadvantaged backgrounds and do not hold out hope for a brighter future. Learning English for two solid years will open their eyes to a wide range of alternative views and foster their critical thinking skills. They will expand their employment options. They will increase their prospects of being selected for a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program or one of the Kazakhstani government's presidential fellowships for study abroad (for which English is required). They will aspire to new goals and succeed in reaching them, thus becoming less susceptible to extremist ideology or recruitment. PLANNED START DATE ¶7. (SBU) September 15, 2009 through August 15, 2011 ESTIMATED TOTAL COST ¶8. (SBU) $100 K POTENTIAL SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING ¶9. (SBU) 0 TARGET AUDIENCE ¶10. (SBU) The audience is one hundred underprivileged, underrepresented Muslim youth, ages 12-14; 50 will come from Shymkent in the south and 50 from Mongistau Oblast in the west. Each area is extremely poor and youth have few options, leaving them ASTANA 00000711 002 OF 002 vulnerable to religious extremism. The focus will be on ethnic Uzbeks and other ethnic minorities who have been the most fertile ground for extremist recruiting in Kazakhstan. AUDIENCE PERCEPTIONS ¶11. (SBU) Two years of English-language training and exposure to American culture will allow th em access to other world views and sources of information, and improve their chances for participating in other USG exchange programs, such as FLEX. Students' level of English will drastically improve, allowing them access to higher education and career options they otherwise would not have. Students will also develop positive feelings about the United States and become less vulnerable to religious extremism. TASKS AND ACTIVITIES ¶12. (SBU) One hundred Kazakhstani Muslim youth will study English and American culture six hours a week for two years. There will be English classes with modern materials and methods, American holiday parties, field trips, summer camps, and service-learning projects during the two-year program. The program will be delivered by two in country providers, one in Shymkent and one in the region of Aktau. Each in-country provider will work closely with Embassy Astana to ensure high quality programming. Embassy Astana will make regular site visits, bringing American officers to interact with the students and teachers in the program. Participation certificates and completion certificates will also be awarded to all the students. MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS ¶13. (SBU) Students will be given a language and cultural knowledge pre-test and post-test. Students' attitudes towards English and the United States will be qualitatively checked during the program. Students' grades in their regular English classes will also be monitored, demonstrating their quantitative improvement over the two-year period. BEST PRACTICES ¶14. (SBU) Teachers will take the new materials, methods, and modern teaching techniques utilized in this program into their regular, government classrooms, ultimately improving the quality of language instruction in these two cities. In addition to having solid English language skills, these students will also have a more positive view of the United States, creating powerful pockets of goodwill. HOAGLAND
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