Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 12689 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08 2011/05/09 2011/05/10 2011/05/11 2011/05/12 2011/05/13 2011/05/14 2011/05/15 2011/05/16 2011/05/17 2011/05/18 2011/05/19

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/05 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01 1988/03 1988/07
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/03 1992/06 1992/09 1992/12
1993/01 1993/10
1994/12
1996/11
1997/06 1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF ASEC AR AEMR AMGT AE AU AID AORC APER AS AM AFIN AMED AJ AGR ACOA ANET ASIG ABLD AL AA APECO AGAO AY AGMT APEC AINF AG ACS AECL AFFAIRS ABUD ASUP ADANA AADP AMCHAMS ARF ASEAN ADPM ATRN ALOW APCS ADCO ACAO AORG AROC AO AODE ACABQ AX AMEX AFGHANISTAN AZ AND ARM AQ ATFN AMBASSADOR ACBAQ AFSI AFSN AC AUC ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE ASCH AFU AMG ATPDEA ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AORL ADM AN AIT
BU BR BL BO BA BB BG BM BBSR BH BEXP BK BD BTIO BT BE BY BF BX BP BRUSSELS BILAT BIDEN BC BMGT BWC BN BTIU
CH CG CF CU CE CVIS CASC CO CS CA CIDA CBW CW CMGT CI CODEL CY CPAS CJAN CD CWC CDG CIA CL CROS CAPC CTR CT CR CBSA CEUDA COM CFED CV CACS CARSON CLINTON CN CONS CM CAC CIC COPUOS CDC CONDOLEEZZA CICTE COUNTER COUNTRY CBE CKGR CHR CVR COUNTERTERRORISM CITEL CLEARANCE COE CARICOM CB CSW CITT CACM CDB CJUS CTM CAN CLMT CBC CNARC CIS
DR DA DJ DHS DAO DCM DEA DOD DOMESTIC DO DK DPRK DEPT DISENGAGEMENT DOE DTRA DS DEFENSE DE DEAX
EG EZ EUN ECON ETRD ECPS EFIN ENRG ETTC EPET EINV EAID EAIR EWWT EU EAGR EC ELAB EIND EN EMIN ESENV ENNP EFIS ELTN ET ECIN EFTA ES EINT EI ENGR ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENVI ETRDECONWTOCS ECINECONCS ELN ELECTIONS ENVR EXTERNAL EXIM ETRO ENIV ESA ER EK EUR EFINECONCS EUMEM EUREM EPA ERNG ENERG ECA ETRC EINVEFIN ETC EAP ECONOMY EINN ECONOMIC EXBS ECUN ENGY ECONOMICS EIAR EINDETRD ECONEFIN EURN EDU ETRDEINVTINTCS ECIP EFIM EAIDS EREL EINVETC ECONCS ETRA EAIG EUC ERD ETRN EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH
FR FI FJ FAS FBI FOREIGN FAO FOR FTAA FDA FM FTA FREEDOM FISO FARC FAC FINR FINANCE FOI FMLN FO
GM GG GH GR GT GAERC GA GY GCC GERARD GV GOI GZ GE GANGS GOV GTMO GL GF GAZA GLOBAL GTIP
HR HA HO HK HSTC HILLARY HU HI HURI HUMAN HYMPSK HEBRON HUMOR
IS IZ IR IC IO IN ID IGAD IT ILC IAEA ITU ICAO IMO IBRD IMF ICJ IAHRC ITF INRA INRO IWC IQ IV ICRC ICTY INRB IEFIN ILO ITRA ITALY IBET ISRAELI IL INTELSAT IRC IDP ICTR IRAQI IPR IIP INMARSAT ITPGOV ITALIAN INTERNAL IRS IA INTERPOL IEA INR IZPREL IRAJ IF ITPHUM ISRAEL IACI INDO IDA ISLAMISTS
JO JA JAMES JUS JP JOHNNIE JM JOHN JOSEPH
KSPR KNNP KWBG KAWK KISL KPAO KN KS KIPR KCRM KDEM KIRF KJUS KHLS KSCA KOMC KAWC KV KFRD KWMN KTIP KPWR KSUM KGHG KTIA KTFN KIRC KCOR KACT KMDR KGIC KOLY KUNR KIDE KMPI KPKO KCFE KVPR KRAD KPAL KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KTEX KTDB KFSC KZ KSEP KFLU KE KU KPLS KRVC KRIM KSTH KG KFLO KPOA KICC KDDG KPRV KTBT KBCT KSAF KMOC KDRG KBIO KREC KSTC KVRP KBTR KMIG KENV KNSD KCGC KWAC KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KWMM KPRP KNEI KPAI KO KVIR KX KMCA KCRS KMFO KID KCIP KNAR KR KCRCM KBTS KSEO KHDP KFIN KOCI KGIT KNUP KPAONZ KNUC KNNPMNUC KERG KSCI KTLA KHIV KCSY KTRD KMRS KNPP KJUST KCMR KTER KRCM KCFC KSAC KCHG KREL KFTFN KCOM KLIG KDEMAF KAID KGCC KICA KHUM KSEC KPIN KESS KDEV KWWMN KOM KWNM KRFD KRGY KIFR KWMNCS KPAK KOMS KHSA
LE LY LI LO LG LH LU LA LTTE LAB LOG LT LABOR
MPOS MOPS MARR MTCR MNUC MASS MX MCAP MAR MTRE MASC MK MG MTCRE MI MD MA MO MY MU ML MRCRE MAS MEDIA MC MR MIL MW MARAD MAPP MZ MP MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MEPN MEPI MEETINGS MERCOSUR MT MCC MIK MAPS MV MILITARY MDC MEPP MASSMNUC MUCN MQADHAFI
NATO NG NL NZ NT NW NO NU NS NPT NASA NI NK NSG NE NORAD NAFTA NP NATIONAL NSSP NSF NA NGO NV NR NDP NIPP NZUS NH NC NEW NRR NAR NATOPREL NPG NSC NPA NSFO
OPDC OPRC OEXC OTRA ODIP OIIP OVIP OPIC OPCW OAS OREP OSCE OSCI OES OFDP OECD OCS OIC OPAD OVP OHUM OFFICIALS OIE OTR OMIG OSAC OBSP OFDA ON OCII
PREL PGOV PARM PINR PTER PHUM PK PREF PM PHSA PA PINS PE PBTS PCI PO PL POGOV PAK PEL PGIV PROP PP PBIO POL POLITICS POLICY PINL PBT PMIL POV PTBS PG POSTS PALESTINIAN PROV PNAT PINF PRL PAS PDOV PRAM PREO PAHO PHUMPGOV PAO PREFA PSI POLITICAL PAIGH PARMS PROG PTERE PRGOV PORG PS PGOF PKFK PSOE PEPR PPA PINT PMAR PRELP PNG PFOR PUNE PGOVLO PHUMBA PSEPC PNR POLINT PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PDEM PECON PGOC PY PLN PHUH PF PHUS PU PARTIES PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PHUMPREL
QA
RS RU RW REACTION RCMP RSO RO RP ROOD RM ROBERT RICE REGION RSP RF RIGHTS RIGHTSPOLMIL RUPREL RELATIONS RFE REPORT
SY SP SOCI SMIG SNAR SCUL SC SU SO SI SENV SZ SW SA SR SF SEVN SN STEINBERG SEN SG SYR SWE SK SH SNARCS SAARC SNARIZ SPCE SARS SNARN SCRS SYRIA SL SENVKGHG SAN ST SIPDIS SSA SPCVIS SOFA SANC SHI SHUM SIPRS
TSPA TSPL TU TBIO TRGY TPHY TS TP TW TBID TI TF TZ TD TT TN TNGD TC TX TH TL TIP THPY TV TK TERRORISM TO TRSY TURKEY TINT TFIN TAGS TR
US UNSC UNGA UK UP UNCHC UN UNMIK UNCSD UY USTR USOAS UNHRC UNFCYP UG UNAUS UNESCO UNIDROIT UNO UV UNHCR USUN UZ USNC UNCHR UNCND UNEP USEU USPS USAID UE UNVIE UAE UNDP UNODC UNCHS UNFICYP UNDESCO UNC UNPUOS UNDC UNICEF
VT VE VZ VTPREL VN VTIZ VTEG VM VAT VC VI
WFP WHO WBG WTRO WS WTO WI WB WMD WIPO WZ WWARD WHA WITH WTRQ WEU WMO WA WHTI
XA XR XL XK XV XF XM XE XTAG XS XB XU XG XT XX XW XY XZ XH XD XC XQ XI
YI YM YMCS YE
ZI ZO ZP ZR ZK ZF ZU ZL ZOELLICK ZB ZJ ZEALAND ZN ZA ZANU

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 07MOSCOW1537, NEW RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER STILL AN ENIGMA

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
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. #07MOSCOW1537.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07MOSCOW1537 | 2007-04-06 11:39 | 2011-02-18 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Moscow
Appears in these articles: http://rusrep.ru/article/2011/02/04/serdyukov/

`

    VZCZCXRO7112
    OO RUEHDBU
    DE RUEHMO #1537/01 0961139
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 061139Z APR 07
    FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8981
    INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
    RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
    RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 001537

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2017
    TAGS: PINR MARR MCAP PREL PGOV RS
    SUBJECT: NEW RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER STILL AN ENIGMA

    REF: A. MOSCOW 1144
         ¶B. MOSCOW 692

    C...

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 001537 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2017 TAGS: PINR MARR MCAP PREL PGOV RS
    ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: More than a month and a half after his appointment as Defense Minister, Anatoliy Serdyukov continues to take a low-key approach to his new job. He has not circulated widely among Defense Ministry officials or military personnel, nor has he publicly articulated a strategic vision for the Ministry. Senior uniformed officials have grumbled that their new civilian chief lacked national security credentials; some commentators have dismissed him as a "furniture salesman." However, Serdykov's experience as head of the Federal Tax Service could make him better qualified than his predecessor to impose discipline on the Ministry's notoriously loose financial control system. Seen as an effective manager, Serdyukov is not expected to initiate major changes. END SUMMARY.
    ANOTHER ST. PETERSBURG SON MAKES GOOD
    ¶2. (SBU) Appointed Minister of Defense February 15, Anatoliy Serdyukov promptly drew fire from senior military officials, though only retired officers did so openly. Serdyukov's lack of military experience or security credentials was the main reason for their dismay, and many looked upon his surprise appointment as an affront to the military establishment. Others, in and out of the Ministry, mocked his previous experience as a "furniture dealer" from Putin's hometown, who arrived at his position solely through fealty to Putin. His connections to Financial Monitoring Service Director Viktor Zubkov, another of Putin's former St. Petersburg colleagues, was frequently mentioned as the primary vehicle by which Serdyukov came to Moscow three years ago and eventually become head of the Federal Tax Service (FTS).
    ¶3. (C) Aleksandr Golts, a respected defense analyst, was among those critical of Serdyukov's appointment. Golts told us that Serdyukov's inexperience on military issues would undermine his credibility with the General Staff and other senior officers, hindering his ability to push through needed reforms. He noted that former DefMin Ivanov had many weaknesses, but his intelligence background, along with his personal ties to Putin, had gained him some respect, albeit grudgingly, from the brass. Former general Vladimir Sizov, who retired from the Army after 32 years and now works as the head of political-military analysis at the USA-Canada Institute, was also critical. Sizov mentioned that senior military officials resented the appointment and would find it difficult to work with the new Minister.
    LOW -- BUT RISING – PROFILE
    ¶4. (SBU) Serdyukov has kept a low profile since assuming his new duties. He is apparently getting a crash course in all things military at one of the uniformed services' senior staff colleges. A month passed before he began to visit major military commands, starting with the Strategic Rocket Forces Command March 16. He has spoken little in public, and offered no clues concerning the direction he wants to take the military establishment to take; nor has Serduykov articulated a strategy for advancing arms modernization and defense reform. There are indications, however, that Serdyukov is beginning to make his presence felt. He dismissed Colonel-General Anatoliy Mazurkevich, who had headed the Ministry's International Cooperation Department. He has also invited FTS auditors into the Ministry to review accounting procedures, which has prompted speculation of imminent resignations and dismissals of senior officials. Serdyukov recently paid a surprise visit to a military installation in Leningrad Oblast. Arriving unannounced, Serdyukov found conditions at the facility not up to standards and apparently dismissed the commander on the spot.
    ¶5. (C) As head of the FTS, Serdyukov had established a reputation as a detail-oriented micromanager and ruthless policy administrator in his zealous pursuit of Yukos and its former CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovskiy. Many believe Serdyukov will have to retain this approach if he wants to succeed in his new job. Ivan Safranchuk, from the Center for Defense Information, noted to us that the Defense Ministry is a powerful institution that can "chew up anybody." Safranchuk told us that it was hard, in particular, to change the generals' mentality. He thought the Ministry establishment MOSCOW 00001537 002 OF 002 would try to "outlast" any reforms that Serdyukov sought to impose, with the brass counting on Serdyukov to adjust to their way of thinking -- or at least to stay out of their way. Safranchuk told us that former DefMin Ivanov ultimately had not made a significant impact on how things functioned within the Ministry, despite his reform efforts, and predicted the same fate for Serdyukov.
    RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?
    ¶6. (C) Other contacts thought Serdyukov was precisely the right prescription for the Defense Ministry. Sergey Sumbayev, a former journalist with Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), told us that management and accountability within the Ministry were dysfunctional and fostered inefficiency and corruption. He referred both to financial accountability and responsibility for policy implementation. Sumbayev thought the Ministry's entrenched bureaucracy resisted, mostly successfully, institutional change, which generated considerable waste and delayed delivery of modern weapons systems to the armed forces. Independent defense analyst Pavel Felgengauer made a similar point to us (Ref A), emphasizing that much of the heavy budget outlays for arms modernization in recent years had not resulted in the right production mix required by the military.
    ¶7. (C) Sumbayev did not expect Serdyukov to undertake major defense initiatives, particularly with less than a year to go before presidential elections. According to Sumbayev, one of Ivanov's weaknesses was his inability to exert adequate control over the Ministry's day-to-day bureaucracy. Serdyukov's management experience and tenacious work ethic make him the ideal "technical" manager that the Ministry needs. While acknowledging Serdyukov's political connections, Sumbayev did not think Serdyukov harbored any political ambitions. He was chosen mainly for his managerial expertise, loyalty, and willingness to please his political bosses. Serdyukov could probably make progress in streamlining the Ministry's management structure, reducing waste, and exerting more control over its financial accounting systems. One year, however, would not be sufficient to accomplish these tasks.
    STRONG POLITICAL CONNECTIONS
    ¶8. (C) Apart from his ties to Zubkov, multiple press reports claim that Serdyukov is allied with the Kremlin's siloviki wing, including Igor Sechin and Viktor Ivanov, as well as with Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Retired General Sizov viewed recent changes at the Defense Ministry in political terms, telling us that it had taken six years to prepare Ivanov as a presidential contender; he wondered, only half jokingly, how many years it would take to groom Serdyukov for higher positions. Sumbayev speculated that keeping the General Staff off-balance and focused on internal matters over the next year was one of Putin's objectives in appointing Serdyukov. In this respect, he suggested that Serdyukov had a mandate to shake things up in the Ministry without sparking too much discontent.
    COMMENT
    ¶9. (C) Serdyukov has his work cut out for him in bringing order to a Ministry badly in need of reform. While he lacks military credentials, Serdyukov has proven capable of making tough decisions -- and serving as a hatchet man when called upon to do so. We anticipate he will take the same approach as Defense Minister, while continuing to shy away from publicity. The next year could be a difficult one for senior Ministry officials.
    BURNS

`