US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1289

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TFUS01: CZECHS OFFER IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN HELP

Identifier: 05PRAGUE1289
Wikileaks: View 05PRAGUE1289 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Prague
Created: 2005-09-05 11:24:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: PREL AEMR EAID EZ
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, AEMR, EAID, EZ 
SUBJECT: TFUS01:  CZECHS OFFER IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN HELP 
 
REF: A. PRAGUE 1287 
 
     B. STATE 163366 
 
1. Czech PM Paroubek and President Klaus both met Ambassador 
morning of Sept 5 to present list of Czech offers of 
immediate support for relief and assistance following 
Hurricane Katrina.  The Czechs have notionally offered $1 
million in equipment and personnel to provide immediate 
relief, although PM Paroubek stressed that this figure was 
only preliminary and that the GOCR was prepared to consider 
any specific request from US authorities.  Paroubek and Klaus 
both stressed the first-hand experience the Czechs have with 
flood relief, based on the severe floods that struck Prague 
in 2002 (when Paroubek was Deputy Mayor of the city) and have 
impacted other areas of the country in recent years. 
 
2.  The Czechs are offering the following (full translation 
of GOCR list e-mailed to TF1): 
a) One large water filtration unit and team to run the 
equipment 
b) Doctors from the Health Ministry (total of 14 in various 
specialities including trauma, neurology and emergency 
medicine) 
c) A military field hospital 
d) Specialized military forces 
e) Military chem-bio teams to handle decontamination and 
environmental cleanup 
f) Flood relief equipment (not specified) and a 14-man team 
to manage 
g) Flood recovery pumps:  two Sigma 4000 pumps and a 10-man 
team to operate 
h) "Aquasteril" water treatment packets 
 
3.  Czech Airlines is prepared to transport any personnel to 
New York.  CSA or Czech Army TU-154 planes could transport 
some of the material, although larger items (field hospital, 
large filtration unit, pumps) would require support from US 
military transport. 
 
4.  Czech officials stressed this list responds only to 
immediate needs.  They are prepared to look at ways that 
Czech experts can support the rebuilding effort, again 
drawing on Czech expertise and lessons learned following the 
2002 Prague floods. 
 
5.  Ambassador promised to reply soonest to Czech requests. 
 
6.  Embassy POC is Pol-Econ Counselor Mike Dodman, cell 
 420-602-324-273.  Czech MFA POC is Mr. Jiri Slavik, Dept of 
International Assistance, office  420-224-183-117, cell 
 420-737-219-479. 
CABANISS 

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