http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=763 28.03.2006 Israelis To Arm Kyrgyz Commando Sami Rozen, AIA Israeli section Russian <http://www.axisglobe-ru.com/article.asp?article=188> version
Several private Israeli companies have agreed to render technical assistance to the special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. This assistance will include equipment, police jeeps, and also special gear used for dispersal of demonstrations and in operations against terrorists, in particular in mountainous area. Moreover, the Israelis will take part in creation of the educational antiterrorist center in the territory of republic. It will train and prepare officers of the commando of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Security Service (SNB). An option to involve Israeli instructors ex-servicemen of the elite divisions of police, army and Israeli General Security Service (SHABAQ) in the process of training is also considered. AIA was informed of that by the personal secretary of one of members of the Israeli delegation, which visited Bishkek this month. Both sides tried to avoid publicity of such negotiations in every possible way. As a result, neither in Israeli, nor in Kyrgyz mass-media there were no information published on the issue. The reason of such privacy is dictated both by the level and the agenda of negotiations, and the person, who was behind the organizing of the meeting. Delegation Led by the Ex-Chief of Intelligence Amnon Lipkin -Shahak <http://www.axisglobe.com/Image/2006/03/28/Kyrgyz/2.jpg> Amnon Lipkin -Shahak The most prominent figure in the delegation was the General - Lieutenant (rez) Amnon Lipkin -Shahak. In 1986-91 he headed the Israeli military intelligence - AMAN, and further, for three years was the Chief of General Staff. Upon finishing his military career, in 1999 Lipkin - Shahak became politically active, and, subsequently was the Minister of Tourism and Transport. Since 2001 he is engaged in private business. The Israeli and international companies in the sphere of security (security business, technologies of video and audio surveillance, industrial - financial intelligence) are paying a special interest to his person. So, last year Lipkin - Shahak was addressed by the representatives of the Canadian-Israeli Visual Defense Company specializing in technologies of video and audio surveillance, the services of which are used by the governments and military in several countries of the world. The former Chief of the Israeli Joint Staff took their offer and became the chairman of the board of directors of this company. At the same time, being engaged in business, Lipkin - Shahak keeps up his connections with the Israeli security bodies. The fact that one and a half year ago he participated in the work of the special commission developing recommendations on introduction of the parliamentary control over the Israeli confidential services testifies to that. During the negotiations in Bishkek, Lipkin - Shahak represented such companies as Safeguard International&Technology and Tahal. The latter is considered to be the largest engineering - consulting company in Israel, and Lipkin - Shahak is a chairman of its board of directors. Except for him the delegation included: Gabriel Vanunu - the president of Wanono - Karosen Group Company, Chaim Avidan - the vice-president of Zander and Shamoon group companies, and also Alexander Blinder - the chairman of board of the Sollers ABV Group company. The Backstage Organizer On March, 13 negotiations between the members of delegation with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Felix Kulov took place in Bishkek. This meeting, as in many respects the arrival of the Israeli businessmen, became possible due to Yuri <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=330> Sosnovsky. Formally he is the adviser of the head of the government only on issue of investments. Actually, he is one of the most influential figures at the backstage of Kyrgyz economy. After graduating from Polytechnical institute of the city of Frundze (today - Bishkek) in 1968, Sosnovsky devoted himself to science, and began scientific work in the local Institute of Physics and Mechanics of the Earth Material (IFMGP). However, during the first years of Kyrgyzstan's independence he engaged in private business. At that time his major activity was reduced to the import of foodstuff from the neighboring Kazakhstan and Russia. Gradually Sosnovsky was spreading his influence over many spheres of the Kyrgyz economy. This was promoted by his personal connections from the former workplace, and also friendly relations with Felix Kulov, with whom he, as rumors claim, became familiar since the times of school studies. Felix Kulov as Minister of Interior <http://www.axisglobe.com/Image/2005/08/20/kyrgyz/3.jpg> Felix Kulov as Minister of Interior During the 1990s Kulov became one of the nearest coteries of the first Kyrgyz President. At that time he occupied several key governmental posts, in particular, he was the vice-President, the Minister of Internal Affairs and National Security. Connections with one of the first persons in the state, who has direct relation to the power bodies, promoted Sosnovsky's participation in the large economic projects, and also relieved him of encroachments of the criminal underworld. In his turn, the successful businessman often rendered Kulov rather valuable services, when he was the mayor of Bishkek in 1998-99. According to his foreign partners, Sosnovsky, though he was registered only as the owner of small restaurant in the center of the capital, actually was engaged exclusively in "heavy business", for example development and export of raw materials. Thus, more and more often he was playing a role of the intermediary between authorities and foreign investors, especially from the countries of the Western Europe and the USA. In spring 2000, the head of republic Askar Akayev, began to see his former favorite as a dangerous political contender and as a result of that Kulov was imprisoned for the next 5 years. Exactly one year ago, after overthrow <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=67> of the first Felix Kulov (L) and Kurmanbek Bakiev (photo: Gazeta KG) <http://www.axisglobe.com/Image/2005/08/20/kyrgyz/2.jpg> Felix Kulov (L) and Kurmanbek Bakiev Kyrgyz President, Kulov became one of two main leaders of the new regime. Without occupying any official posts, Sosnovsky took a role of his closest adviser. Then Kulov agreed to support ex-Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiev on presidential elections in July, and in exchange received guarantees to head the future cabinet. Almost three months prior to the official formation of the new government, he offered Sosnovsky to head the Ministry of Finance. However, preferring to remain in shadows, he refused the offer. It has not prevented him from taking most active participation in development of the economical program of the future Prime Minister. At the same time, Sosnovsky actually monopolized conducting external economical contacts of Kulov, becoming a link between him and foreign investors. The adviser of the Kyrgyz Prime Minister gives obvious preference to the western companies. He was behind the organizing of Kulov's negotiations with the representatives of Israeli business circles. Kulov to Come to Israel Strangely enough, during the negotiations not only the prospects of cooperation in the field of security and economy were discussed, but also some purely political questions. First of all it concerns the first visit of the Kyrgyz Prime Minister to Israel. Kulov has declared his readiness to visit the Jewish state the next month. However, the Israeli representatives have expressed doubt that it is possible to arrange this on such a short notice. As they said, it will be possible to arrange only after the forming of a new Israeli cabinet, and most likely, it will take place in summer - autumn of this year. Anyway, meanwhile in the documents signed on results of the negotiations, the planned date of forthcoming visit - April, 2006 is marked. Besides, the sides have discussed participation of the Israeli companies in a number of large investment projects in the territory of republic. The Israelis have expressed readiness to invest into construction of two oil-refining factories in the south and in the north of Kyrgyzstan. Also they are interested to purchase the "Crystal" plant, which is considered the largest in the region manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon. The tender was declared in November 2006. The initial price of 100% of shares of the plant reaches $4.5 million. The buyer will be obliged within three years to invest in the manufacture not less than $35 million. At the same time, representatives of the delegation undertook providing Kyrgyzstan with five years' credit for introduction of the Israeli system of a drop irrigation in the local agriculture and development of the local manufacture of solar collectors. They also are going to promote training in Israel the Kyrgyz experts - ten representatives annually. With a view on activization of economical cooperation, the sides agreed upon creation in Bishkek of permanent mission of the Israeli companies. Rudimentary Relations Though Kyrgyzstan and Israel have established diplomatic relations in 1992, till now they remain in embryo. Especially it is seen in almost total absence of contacts at intergovernmental level. On the amount of bilateral visits of the high-ranking statesmen, from the countries of Central Asia to Israel and vice versa, Kyrgyzstan does not concede only to Tajikistan, and is more and less on the same level with Turkmenistan. >From the Kyrgyz side the most significant visit in the history of mutual relations was an arrival to Israel of the first President of the republic Askar Akayev in January 1993. After the head of Egypt Anvar Sadat, he became the second Muslim country leader who visited the Jewish state. For all this time, no Israeli Prime Minister or President has honored Bishkek by his visit. In this connection it must be noted that the most significant visits to Kyrgyzstan were the visits of Avigdor Liberman. For the first time he visited the republic as the head of Prime Minister's office in May 1998, and the second time he arrived in July 2001already being the Minister of Infrastructures. The most notable visitor from Israeli officials who visited Bishkek recently, was Anna Azari, the head of Eurasian department of in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She visited Kyrgyz capital in February this year. Such a situation is a result of narrow-mindedness of the Israeli politicians and narrow orientation of the Israeli diplomacy, which is focused mainly on the relations with the USA and solving of the Middle Eastern conflict. It is affecting the contacts of the Jewish state with all the countries of Central Asia. However, as against Kyrgyzstan, the majority of its neighbors have their own influential lobbies in Israel. In the case of <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=722> Kazakhstan this role is played by the well-known Jewish oligarchs of Central - Asian origin Lev Leviev and Alexander Mashkevich. Uzbekistan enjoys support <http://www.axisglobe.com/news.asp?news=5883> of a large community of natives of this republic in Israel. The interests of Turkmenistan are lobbies <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=389> (and not only in Israel) by the Merhav Company headed by Joseph Meiman, who enjoys special relations with President Niyazov. In many respects for this reason there is still unresolved question on opening embassies in two countries. The Kyrgyz ambassador in Austria supervises communications with Tel Aviv, and the head of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan controls relations with Bishkek. Economic interaction between Kyrgyzstan and Israel is advanced in a greater degree, rather than political contacts. The basic merit in this belongs to the center of international cooperation "Mashav" at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since December 1993 its experts assisted Kyrgyzstan in various spheres of agriculture. It includes: introduction of the Israeli technologies in local facilities, consulting Kyrgyz farmers, organizing of training courses for them in Israel. Bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture was saddened by the murder of one of the "Mashav" representatives Elazar Brosh in August 2000. As the local edition Vechernii Bishkek noted in this connection he "was an expert in the drop irrigation, which became known in the republic with his assistance, he introduced new technologies of cultivation of fish, beekeeping and planting agricultural crops". According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan the murder of Brosh was on "criminal ground" (both suspects were detained). However, in the interview to the abovementioned edition, the ambassador of Israel in Kazakhstan at that time Israel Mei-Ami emphasized that Brosh's death was a result of "nationalist act of terrorism on a criminal background". In parallel with "Mashav's" activity, a number of Israeli companies and also separate businessmen with a dual citizenship (usually Kazakh or Russian) operate on the Kyrgyz market. Till now their activity was mostly connected to such spheres as: telecommunications, gold mining, processing of milk and manufacture of foodstuff. In 1998 of the sides agreed upon establishment of the direct aircraft service between Bishkek and Tel Aviv. Till now this agreement was not realized. Now the Kyrgyz leaders hope that the March visit of the Israeli businessmen to Bishkek and Prime Minister Kulov's planned trip to Tel Aviv will serve as a powerful push to activization of mutual relations, both in economical and political spheres. Kyrgyzstan issue: Iran Started a <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=697> Clandestine War in the Caucasus and Central Asia (24.02.06) Kyrgyz Kinglet <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=357> Gets Rid of the Unwanted Ones (30.08.05) 'Gray Eminence' of <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=330> Kyrgyz Mountains (20.08.05) Chief of the <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=320> Kyrgyz National Guard Can Rely Only on Russia (16.08.05) America Has Lost <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=229> Kyrgyzstan (11.07.05) Karasu: <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=86> Kyrgyzstan's Smoldering Wick (15.05.05) The Battle for <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=67> Kyrgyzia: The Kremlin is Leading 1:0 (09.05.05) Bishkek Has Sent to <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=56> Moscow the Person from the Past (05.05.05) Israel - Central Asia: Kazakh Historian <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=722> Turned Deputy Minister After Stay in Israel (09.03.06) Israel could have been <http://www.axisglobe.com/news.asp?news=6838> a leader in the Great Game (21.02.06) Ambassador of <http://www.axisglobe.com/news.asp?news=5883> Uzbekistan left Israel (20.01.06) Iranians and Turks <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=551> Won at the Beginning of Great Game's New Round (21.12.05) Uzbekistan and <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=360> Israel Share the Same Enemy (01.09.05) Ex-Representative <http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=185> of the Mossad in Moscow Supports Islam Karimov (23.06.05) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/