US embassy cable - 05ISLAMABAD15522

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 015522 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT - PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
KABUL - PLEASE PASS TO CFC-A 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2015 
TAGS: AEMR, ASEC, EAID, MASS, MOPS, PGOV, PK, PREL, Earthquake 
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE:  ONE WEEK LATER 
 
Classified By: DCM Patricia A. Butenis, Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C)  Summary and introduction:  One week after the October 
8 South Asian earthquake, public and private relief 
operations on the ground are pushing forward.  The Government 
of Pakistan's (GOP) strategic concept of operations for the 
relief campaign, however, continues to evolve, with the 
Army's GHQ now offering its own vision for the relief 
campaign to supplant the plan unveiled by the Prime 
Minister's Federal Relief Commission only three days ago. 
U.S. military and civilian assistance continue to bring 
relief supplies into Pakistan and then out to affected areas, 
while members of post's earthquake working group serve as 
discreet liaisons between the civilian and military sides of 
the GOP and between the GOP and the UN and NGO relief 
organizations.  As the crisis moves into its second week, 
critical issues must be addressed to protect survivors in the 
affected areas and to ensure that the relief operation has 
the necessary logistical resources to increase movement of 
supplies to the far reaches of the quake zone.  Pakistani 
interlocutors have been effusive in their praise and 
gratitude for the  U.S. response to this natural disaster; if 
managed correctly, the USG relief effort will broaden and 
deepen our relationship with this often-mistrustful ally. End 
summary and introduction. 
 
 
AMB Visit to Bagh:  Relief Underway, Next Step is Shelter 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
2. (SBU)  On October 14, Ambassador Crocker traveled by 
helicopter to the Azad Kashmir town of Bagh, where he saw 
relief efforts proceeding in good order.  Under the direction 
of a Pakistan Army brigadier, military troops had laid out 
and secured landing zones for relief helos, organized quick 
off-load of incoming supplies and on-load of wounded evacuees 
and erected a medical tent staffed by a Korean physician and 
Spanish rescue team.   The brigadier had only one message for 
the Ambassador to take back to relief coordinators in 
Islamabad:  "Send winterized shelter."  The change of seasons 
is well along in this Himalayan region.  The USAID/DART team 
and U.S. military are investigating global inventories and 
manufacturers of winterized tents, as significant numbers of 
such tents and other pre-fabricated, quick-erect shelters 
must be imported to Pakistan soonest. 
 
 
GOP Coordination:  Firm Grip or Still Grasping? 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3. (C)  Post received information late October 14 indicating 
that the GOP's initial earthquake relief model -- with 
immediate disaster relief under MG Farooq at the Federal 
Relief Commission (FRC) and long-term recovery under a new 
Reconstruction Authority headed by MG Zubair -- has already 
been recalled.  Brigadier Nasser Janjua, Director General - 
Military Operations (DGMO) told an ODRP liaison that it was 
unrealistic to expect an hoc organization like the FRC 
to conceive, communicate and implement a vision for a crisis 
of this magnitude.  While Mg Farroq and his staff have been 
sorting out office space and learning their phone numbers, BG 
Nasser said, the Pakistani military has imposed order on 
chaos.  On the morning of October 15, DGMO briefed Vice Chief 
of Army Staff Hayat on a military concept of operations to 
supersede that devised by the FRC.  The DGMO plan would base 
U.S. forces near Islamabad, in support positions for 
Pakistani assets deployed to forward operating bases (FOBs). 
The DGMO concept reflects GHQ sensitivities to force 
protection issues raised by the prospect of U.S. military 
operations in remote areas known to harbor extremist 
elements.  BG Nasser urged ODRP to consider GHQ the "central 
planning cell" for relief operations and requested a copy of 
the list of available USG assistance that had earlier been 
passed to the FRC.  (Note:  As of this writing, ODRP and post 
liaisons are at GHQ for a briefing on the DGMO concept.  If 
Gen. Hayat (4-star) approves the proposal, FRC Coordinator MG 
Farooq (2-star) will quickly abandon the FRC concept 
presented three days ago in favor of the DGMO model.  End 
note.) 
 
Relief Flights Operations 
------------------------- 
 
4. (C)  Seven U.S. milair cargo flights arrived in Pakistan 
on October 14:  four (4) C-130s and one (1) C-17, carrying 
tents, medical supplies and food (Halal).  A KC-10 carrying 
relief personnel and a NATO 707 with medical teams and 
supplies also arrived at Chaklala air field.  Ten U.S. 
military helicopters completed 65 sorties, transporting 
216,000 lbs. of relief supplies and evacuating 557 injured 
passengers.  The U.S. Contingency Response Group (CRG) 
supported four (4) Afghan National Army helos on 14 sorties 
on October 14, transporting 12,000 lbs of supplies and 65 
injured passengers.  The State Department-funded NAS Air Wing 
Helos flew 19 sorties on October 14, carrying 8400 kg of 
relief supplies and evacuating 88 passengers.  Two U.S. 
C-130s conducted air drops operations in the Muzzafarabad 
area on October 15; given the dangers of low-altitude flying 
in the mountain terrain surrounding many villages, additional 
planning will be required before operations can begin to drop 
rations to survivors isolated in these areas. 
 
Incoming Air Assets 
------------------- 
 
5. (C)  Additional helicopter support is in the pipeline, 
giving the U.S. military Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) a 
window to identify alternate air fields for operations.  The 
first three of an expected twenty-four (24) CH-47s are 
scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on October 21.  One 
NAS-funded MI-17 arrived in Pakistan the morning of October 
15; a second is expected later the same day.  With the 
arrival of these helos, the DAC will reach full capacity for 
the space allotted at the Qasim and Chaklala air fields. 
ODRP and DAC representatives are working to bring Pakistan 
Air Force (PAF) and Army coordinators together to expedite 
the process of selecting alternative venues for helo basing 
and operations. 
 
Other U.S. Military Assets 
-------------------------- 
6. (C)  Additional U.S. military relief supplies will begin 
arriving at the port of Karachi on October 17, with the 
morning arrival of the commercial vessel Northern Lights, 
followed by the U.S.S, Pearl Harbor later the same afternoon. 
  The ARCENT 831st Transportation Battalion will receive, 
off-load and transfer the cargo (relief supplies and heavy 
earth-moving and engineering equipment) to trains for 
transport north to the quake zone. 
 
Media Coverage 
-------------- 
 
7. (SBU)  With a live feed from Chaklala air field, CNN 
broadcasts throughout October 14 were filled with images of 
U.S. helicopters moving relief supplies north and returning 
with injured survivors, who were then carried to a PAF field 
hospital for treatment on the side of the taxi-ways.  During 
CNN's live interviews with the Ambassador and RDML Lefever, 
U.S. ground crews could be seen off-loading fixed wing cargo 
planes from around the world.  State and military public 
affairs officers have been directing Pakistani and 
international journalists onto U.S. helos to ensure coverage 
of the relief campaign and its results.  Before departing 
Chaklala air field, the Ambassador pressed a senior Pakistani 
military official to put Pakistani media onto Pakistani 
military helos, particularly those pushing deep into isolated 
areas from forward operating bases in Kashmir. 
 
 
CROCKER