US embassy cable - 05PARIS6026

UNCLAS PARIS 006026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015 
TAGS: FR, PGOV, ECON, ASEC, CASC, AMGT, EAID, PREL 
SUBJECT: TFUS01: UPDATE ON FRENCH ASSISTANCE FOR HURRICANE 
KATRINA 
 
REF: A. A) SECSTATE 163366 
 
     B. B) SECSTATE 163729 
     C. C) TELCONS PARIS/TF1 
     D. D) SECSTATE 163416 
     E. E) PARIS 5995 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR INTERNET 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: The GOF acknowledged notification of flight 
clearance for its aircraft to Little Rock on September 6, and 
remains ready to provide further assistance as the evolving 
situation in the US warrants.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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FRENCH ASSISTANCE 
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2.  (SBU) The GOF is pleased by news that FEMA and USAID's 
Joint Task Force for logistical details have finally arranged 
clearance for two aircraft to travel to Little Rock, 
Arkansas, on September 6.  The planes will carry about 7 tons 
of material from staging locations in the Caribbean. 
 
3.  (SBU) This initial transport is not the core of the 
assistance planned, but is only a first gesture of 
assistance.  France is willing and able to provide more 
assistance following an assessment of priorities and needs. 
 
4.  (SBU) The GOF reports it will send 7.1 tons of 
humanitarian aid via two planes, which includes 4.5 tons of 
tents and tarps and 1.6 tons of food rations.  France 
proposes to send 4 disaster relief specialists to accompany 
the flight to conduct a needs assessment.  Per telcons with 
TF1, we have discouraged the GOF from sending the personnel, 
and indicated that there will not be any appropriate 
authorities available to meet with them. 
 
5. (U) The GOF has offered to load up a plane from Paris 
which could include other material goods, such as tents and 
tarps, water treatment stations, and more food rations 
(20,000 to 30,000), as well as other items on the USG 
priority list.  We have referred the MFA again to the USG 
list of priority needs (Ref A), and requested specifics on 
what items can be provided, when and from where. 
 
6. (U) The GOF has informed us of their participation in a 
joint operation with the British and with Airbus to make 
available the Airbus Beluga cargo carrier.  It will send 12.7 
tons of emergency supplies (tents, jerrycans, hygiene kits, 
cooking kits), and will leave on Wednesday September 7 for 
Mobile, Alabama.  Embassy Paris understands this operation is 
being coordinated between London and Washington. 
 
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PRIVATE ASSISTANCE 
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7.  (U) The MFA informed us that the NGO Telecom sans 
frontiers has already sent a team to Houston via commercial 
air to help restore telephone and communication links.  This 
NGO,s offer of assistance was included on the original 
French list, reported in para 2 of Ref E. 
 
8.  (U) Air France Chief of Staff Guy Tardieu told Econ M/C 
September 6 that Air France is informing the MFA that the 
airline is prepared to make its excess cargo capacity 
available for French humanitarian relief shipments to the 
U.S.  Air France has frequent service to Atlanta and Houston, 
for example.  Air France is also prepared to provide 
cargo-only flights if needed.  This could be used, for 
example, to move NGO donations of high-priority items into 
the Southeast. 
STAPLETON