US embassy cable - 02VATICAN5296

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 005296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), NEA/NGA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ETTC, EAID, IZ, PHUM, ETTC, EAID, IZ, VT, VTPREL 
SUBJECT: CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS PREPARES FOR WAR IN IRAQ; 
CRITICIZES SANCTIONS AND PREDICTS HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (SBU) A CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS (CI) DELEGATION LED BY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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THE DIRECTOR OF CARITAS' BRITISH OFFICE (CAFOD) HAS RETURNED 
FROM A FIVE-DAY VISIT TO IRAQ TO ASSESS IRAQ'S CAPACITY TO 
RESPOND TO POTENTIAL HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN THE WAKE OF 
MILITARY ACTION.  CARITAS PREDICTED THAT MILITARY ACTION 
WOULD CAUSE A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE, AFFECTING CHILDREN 
THE MOST, AND URGED THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BE DONE TO 
AVOID WAR.  CARITAS' ACCESS TO IRAQ WAS DEPENDENT IN PART ON 
PROVIDING ADVOCACY REGARDING CURRENT PROBLEMS ATTRIBUTED TO 
U.N. SANCTIONS.  THEY ARE EXPECTED TO RELEASE AN OFFICIAL 
STATEMENT SHORTLY THAT WILL IN TURN HELP SHAPE THE HOLY 
SEE'S OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF 
WAR.  CI HAS CALLED A MEETING AT ITS VATICAN HEADQUARTERS 
DECEMBER 17-18 TO DISCUSS ITS OFFICIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
STRATEGY IN THE EVENT OF WAR IN IRAQ.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF WAR AND SANCTIONS 
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2. A CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS DELEGATION LED BY CARITAS' 
BRITISH OFFICE HEAD, AND INCLUDING CI'S GLOBAL ISSUES DESK 
OFFICER, IRAQ OFFICE DIRECTOR (BASED IN AMMAN, JORDAN), AND 
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA OFFICE DIRECTOR FROM BEIRUT MET 
WITH CHURCH OFFICIALS, IRAQI DEPUTY PM TARIQ AZIZ AND OTHER 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DURING A RECENT VISIT TO IRAQ TO ASSES 
THE IMPLICATIONS OF MILITARY ACTION AND CURRENT SANCTIONS. 
CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS IS A 154-MEMBER FEDERATION OF 
CATHOLIC RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES OPERATIVE IN 198 
COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, HEADQUARTERED IN VATICAN CITY BUT 
INDEPENDENT FROM THE HOLY SEE. ITS VATICAN CITY OFFICE 
PROVIDES A FORUM FOR EXCHANGE AND DIALOGUE AMONG MEMBER 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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AGENCIES AND ADVOCACY SERVICES IN INTERNATIONAL FORA. 
 
2. (SBU) CI TOLD US "OFF THE RECORD" THAT ENTRY TO IRAQ WAS 
CONDITIONAL ON CARITAS SUBSEQUENTLY ACTING AS AN ADVOCATE 
FOR THE IRAQI CAUSE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA.  THE IRAQIS 
DID NOT WANT CI CONDUCTING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITY 
ASSESSMENT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED.  HOWEVER, CI 
BELIEVED IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GAIN ACCESS TO IRAQ AND SO TOOK 
THE MIDDLE ROAD BY PROMISING ADVOCACY ASSISTANCE WHILE 
CHECKING IRAQ'S PREPAREDNESS FOR ANY MILITARY ACTIVITY THAT 
MIGHT RESULT IN A FURTHER HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY. DURING THE 
VISIT, THE DELEGATION WAS PERMITTED TO BRING IN A 
PHOTOGRAPHER -- WHOSE ACTIVITIES WERE CLOSELY MONITORED. 
THE GROUP ENCOUNTERED SOME IRAQI OPPOSITION TO THE PRESENCE 
OF THE CI OFFICIALS FROM AMMAN AND BEIRUT BECAUSE THEY SPOKE 
ARABIC -- DISPENSING WITH THE NEED FOR AN OFFICIAL 
GOVERNMENT INTERPRETER. 
 
3. (SBU) IN AN UNOFFICIAL INITIAL ASSESSMENT RELEASED TO 
POST, THE CI DELEGATION REPORTED THAT WOMAN AND CHILDREN 
WERE IN "BAD CONDITION" CLAIMING ONE IN THREE CHILDREN IS 
MALNOURISHED.  CARITAS MAINTAINS THAT SANCTIONS ARE TO BLAME 
FOR 75 PERCENT OF THE IRAQI POPULATION EXPERIENCING "POOR 
LIVING CONDITIONS" WITH THE AVERAGE INCOME BETWEEN $3 AND $5 
PER DAY -- "NOT EVEN ENOUGH FOR BASIC NECESSITIES."  CI 
CLAIMED THAT WATER ACCESS AND SECURITY HAS DETERIORATED OVER 
THE LAST 10 YEARS, QUOTING UN FIGURES THAT ONLY 43 PERCENT 
OF THE RURAL POPULATION HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER. 
CI'S ASSESSMENT WILL SUGGEST THAT A MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAQ 
WOULD CAUSE "TREMENDOUS PROBLEMS," WITH CHILDREN BEING THE 
MOST AFFECTED.  PREVIOUS CARITAS DELEGATIONS TO IRAQ HAVE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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MADE SIMILAR ASSESSMENTS. 
 
4. (U) CI INSISTS THAT EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE TO PREPARE 
FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF A MILITARY STRIKE, BUT THAT THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY "MUST ALSO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO 
AVOID WAR." CI CLAIMS MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ WOULD 
CAUSE A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES 
FOR THE CIVILIAN POPULATION.  FOLLOWING UP ON THE VISIT, CI 
HAS CALLED A MEETING AT ITS VATICAN CITY HEADQUARTERS FOR 
DECEMBER 17 AND 18 TO DISCUSS ITS OFFICIAL EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE STRATEGY FOR IRAQ. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. (SBU) CI'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON ITS DELEGATION'S VISIT 
TO IRAQ WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY.  THIS STATEMENT IN TURN 
WILL BE USED BY THE HOLY SEE IN DEVELOPING ITS OWN 
ASSESSMENT OF THE MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF 
MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ.  CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS WILL 
BE A KEY PLAYER IN ANY EVENTUAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4992 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  05296  02 OF 02  291503Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  COME-00  USNW-00 
      DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   NEA-00   NSAE-00  PER-00   TEST-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   SAS-00   SWCI-00    /002W 
                  ------------------000059  291531Z /38 
R 291345Z OCT 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
INFO AMEMBASSY AMMAN 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), NEA/NGA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, ETTC, EAID, IZ, VT 
SUBJECT: CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS PREPARES FOR WAR IN IRAQ; 
CRITICIZES SANCTIONS AND PREDICTS HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE 
 
IRAQ.  CI'S CRITICAL VIEWS ON SANCTIONS DERIVE IN PART FROM 
POPE JOHN PAUL II'S BROADLY STATED POSITION THAT SANCTIONS 
GENERALLY ARE WRONG BECAUSE THEY IMPACT MOST ON THE 
VULNERABLE AND WEAK.  EMBASSY WILL ENGAGE WITH CI DIRECTLY 
TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SANCTIONS RESTS 
WITH SADDAM AND HIS VIOLATION OF UN RESOLUTIONS.  EVEN WITH 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  05296  02 OF 02  291503Z 
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, HOWEVER, CI IS LIKELY TO MAINTAIN 
ITS VIEW THAT MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ WILL RESULT IN 
INCREASED SUFFERING FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE -- AT LEAST OVER 
THE SHORT-TERM. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA05296 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED