US embassy cable - 03ROME409

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 000409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, IO A/S HOLMES, EUR/NE, EUR/WE, 
 
STATE PASS TO USDA FAS 
SA/INS, IO/EDA WINNICK 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILSWORTH 
USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER 
D/DCHA/OFDA BMCCONNELL, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS 
JOINT STAFF FOR J3/J4/J5 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
BRUSSELS FOR USEU 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
USUN FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND MLUTZ 
 
E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 02/03/2012 
TAGS: AORC, EAGR, EAID, ECON, KUNR, PREF, AID, WFP 
SUBJECT: USAID/DCHA TEAM DISCUSSES POSSIBLE IRAQ 
HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE WITH FAO - JANUARY 24, 2003 
MEETING IN ROME 
 
REF: (A) ROME 00371 (B) 02 ROME 6133 (C) 02 ROME 6072 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B 
) AND (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. USAID/DAA/DCHA BILL GARVELINK AND D/FFP LAUREN LANDIS 
VISITED FAO ROME HEADQUARTERS ON JANUARY 24 TO REVIEW FAO'S 
SIZABLE OIL-FOR-FOOD (OFF)-FINANCED OPERATIONS IN IRAQ - AND 
ITS CAPABILITY TO DEVELOP AN AGRICULTURE-RELATED HUMANITARIAN 
RESPONSE MECHANISM FOR IRAQ IN THE EVENT OF OUTBREAK OF 
CONFLICT.  FAO STRESSED THAT ANY SUCCESSFUL POST-CONFLICT 
HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION MUST BE FOCUSED ON URGENT REVIVAL 
OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.  FAO CURRENTLY HAS A TOTAL OF 72 
INTERNATIONAL AND 600 NATIONAL STAFF WORKING WITHIN IRAQ. 
PARTICULARLY IN THE THREE NORTHERN GOVERNORATES, WHERE FAO 
SPENDS SOME U.S. DOLLARS 70 MILLION/ANNUM AND IS DIRECTLY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGION'S AGRICULTURE 
PROGRAM, IT IS CLEAR THAT FAO WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN 
AGRICULTURAL REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION.  IN US 
MISSION'S VIEW, IT IS URGENT THAT FAO CONTINUE TO BE STRONGLY 
FACTORED INTO THE IRAQ HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE OPERATIONAL 
DIALOGUE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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2.  USAID/DAA/DCHA BILL GARVELINK AND D/FFP LAUREN LANDIS 
VISITED FAO ROME ON JANUARY 24 TO REVIEW FAO'S SIZABLE 
OIL-FOR-FOOD (OFF)-FINANCED OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND ITS 
CAPABILITY TO DEVELOP AN AGRICULTURE-RELATED HUMANITARIAN 
RESPONSE MECHANISM OR IRAQ IN THE EVENT OF OUTBREAK OF 
CONFLICT.  PRINCIPAL INTERLOCUTORS FROM FAO INCLUDED 
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL HENRI CARSALADE; ANNE BAUER, 
DIRECTOR, SPECIAL RELIEF OPERATIONS SERVICE (TCOR); SENIOR 
TCOR OPERATIONS OFFICER, LAURENT THOMAS; AND IRAQ TECHNICAL 
SPECIALISTS RODRIQUE VINET AND FRANCESCO DEL RE. 
 
3.  SINCE 1997, APPROXIMATELY U.S. DOLLARS 800 MILLION WORTH 
OF AGRICULTURE INPUTS AND EQUIPMENT HAVE BEEN IMPORTED INTO 
IRAQ EVERY YEAR UNDER THE OFF PROGRAM TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD 
PRODUCTION.  OF THIS AMOUNT, APPROXIMATELY U.S. DOLLARS 730 
MILLION/ANNUM ARE SPENT IN THE CENTER/SOUTH WHERE THE PROGRAM 
IS IMPLEMENTED DIRECTLY BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ (GOI) AND 
U.S. DOLLARS 70 MILLION/ANNUM IN THE NORTH WHERE FAO IS FULLY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVISION OF AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AND 
REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES ON BEHALF OF THE GOI. 
 
4.  FAO CURRENTLY HAS A TOTAL OF 72 INTERNATIONAL AND 600 
NATIONAL STAFF WORKING IN IRAQ AS FOLLOWS:  19 INTERNATIONAL 
AND 116 NATIONAL STAFF IN THE CENTER/SOUTH REGION AND 53 
INTERNATIONAL AND 484 NATIONAL STAFF IN THE THREE NORTHERN 
GOVERNORATES. 
 
5.  IN THE NORTHERN GOVERNORATES OF DOHUK, IRBIL AND 
SULEIMANIYAH, WHERE THE GOI WITHDREW ITS PUBLIC SERVICES IN 
1991, FAO ACTIVITIES TARGET A WIDE RANGE OF AGRICULTURAL 
SUB-SECTORS, INCLUDING WATER RESOURCES AND IRRIGATION, PLANT 
PROTECTION AND PRODUCTION, FORESTRY AND EROSION CONTROL, 
MECHANIZATION, AGRO-INDUSTRY, ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH, 
ETC.  NOTE: CEREAL YIELDS IN NORTHERN IRAQ REACHED 600,000 
MTS IN 2002, THE HIGHEST IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.  THE RATE OF 
POULTRY PRODUCTION IN THE NORTH NOW STANDS AT 39,900 MTS OF 
POULTRY MEAT/ANNUM AND 375 MILLION EGGS/ANNUM. END NOTE. 
 
ACTION AS-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  CTME-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00 
      EXME-00  EUR-00   E-00     VC-00    FRB-00   TEDE-00  INR-00 
      IO-00    ITC-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  T-00 
      USIE-00  PMB-00   DRL-01   G-00     SAS-00     /008W 

P 031147Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7962 
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY 
USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 3095 
AMEMBASSY AMMAN 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 
AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION USNATO 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK