US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3490

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003490 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IZ, KHDP, PGOV, PREL 
SUBJECT: STATE DEPARTMENT-FUNDED NGO CLEARS UNEXPLODED 
ORDINANCE FOUND WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL ZONE 
 
1.  (U)  On August 26, MNF-I Joint Area Support Group-Central 
(JASG-C) called on the Iraqi Mine/UXO Clearance Organization 
(IMCO), a State Department-funded NGO tasked with clearing 
mines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) throughout Iraq, to 
assist with the disposal of UXO discovered in the 
International Zone. 
 
2.  (U)  PolMilOff accompanied the IMCO team to the site, a 
sewage canal within the International Zone being cleaned up 
in connection with a sewer reconstruction project. Upon 
initially discovering the UXO, the cleanup team had refused 
to do further work. A Coalition EOD team had cleared the 
ordinance initially found at the site on August 24, but was 
unable to provide additional ongoing support because of other 
commitments. The IMCO team then offered its support and began 
working on this project August 27. JASG-C staff welcomed 
IMCO,s proposal. After the sewage canal cleanup is 
completed, estimated for twelve days, the IMCO team will 
destroy the UXO. The sewage canal is located on the edge of 
the International Zone, running parallel to Route Irish. 
 
3.  (U)  In their first day of work the IMCO demining crew 
discovered: 
-3 ct. RPG Type 69 Bounding 
-1 ct. 60 mm mortar HE 
-3 ct. RPG rocket mortars 
-1 ct. RPG ) 7M 
-1 ct. 125 mm tank propelling charge 
-Assorted UXO scrap material 
 
4.  (U)  IMCO, founded and sponsored by the State Department 
since September 2003, trains Iraqi nationals to U.S. 
standards in mine detection, clearance and demolition. It was 
the first NGO created in Iraq, and is headed by Brigadier 
General (retired) Zahim. There are a total of 171 IMCO 
personnel, with the majority of their focus on demining in 
Basra and training of personnel at their site in the Baghdad 
International Zone. The organization's personnel have cleared 
5,600,000 square meters of land, finding and destroying 4,944 
mines in Basra alone. 
 
5.  (U)  The organization consistently clears land to 
humanitarian standards, specifically focusing on agricultural 
and residential areas of Iraq. All operations are fully 
funded by the Department of State contract, and any payment 
received by IMCO is automatically used to fund further tasks. 
Demining operations have not occurred in Baghdad because of 
security concerns. 
Khalilzad