US embassy cable - 03ROME542

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ROME 000542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, IO A/S HOLMES, EUR/NE, EUR/WE, 
SA/INS, IO/EDA SWINNICK 
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: DECL: 02/10/2008 
TAGS: EAID, AORC, PREF, EAGR, ECON, KUNR, UN, WFP 
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) DISCUSSES WFP 
PROGRESS IN PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE IRAQ HUMANITARIAN 
EMERGENCY OPERATION - FEBRUARY 4, 2003 MEETING IN ROME 
 
REF: A. (A) ROME 00371 
 
     B. (B) 02 ROME 6133 
     C. (C) 02 ROME 6072 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL FOR REASONS L.5 (B 
) AND (D) 
 
 1. (C) ON THE HEELS OF A TRIP TO THE PERSIAN GULF, MEMBERS 
OF THE INTER-AGENCY HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) VISITED 
WFP HEADQUARTERS ON FEBRUARY 4 TO REVIEW WFP PROGRESS ON 
GEARING UP ITS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE MECHANISM FOR IRAQ IN 
THE EVENT OF OUTBREAK OF CONFLICT.  DISCUSSIONS INCLUDED AN 
UPDATED APPRAISAL OF WFP'S OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND THE 
AVAILABILITY OF HUMANITARIAN FACILITIES (PORTS, STORAGE, ICT, 
PARTNERSHIPS, ETC.) AND ITS PLAN FOR AUGMENTED/NEW CAPACITY. 
SEVERAL KEY ISSUES EMERGED:  A) HOW QUICKLY SHOULD WFP PLAN 
ON BEING ABLE TO MOVE CARGOES BY TRUCK INTO THE 18 
GOVERNORATES; B) PROCEDURES FOR ADDRESSING POTENTIAL 
IN-COUNTRY CBW CONTAMINATION OF TRUCKS; C) CLARIFICATION ON 
POCS FOR BORDER CONTROL ISSUES - INSPECTION REGIMES AND 
CUSTOMS PROCEDURES; D) FEASIBILITY OF HUMANITARIAN SHIPPING 
IN THE GULF AND MODALITIES FOR ESTABLISHING AIR CORRIDORS FOR 
HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS; AND E) THE NEED TO FINALIZE A COMMON 
DEFINITION OF WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A SAFE AND SECURE 
ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD PERMIT UN HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL TO 
DEPLOY/RE-DEPLOY INTO IRAQ.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
2.  (C)  MEMBERS OF THE  HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) - 
ANDREW WYLLIE, STATE /PRM; RAY EIRIZ, CENTCOM; ROGER 
CORNERETTO, JCS; AND DAVID TARANTINO, OSD - VISITED WFP 
HEADQUARTERS ON FEBRUARY 4 TO REVIEW WFP PROGRESS ON GEARING 
UP ITS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE MECHANISM FOR IRAQ IN THE EVENT 
OF OUTBREAK OF CONFLICT.  PRINCIPAL INTERLOCUTORS FROM WFP 
INCLUDED KHALED ADLY, REGIONAL MANAGER FOR THE NEAR EAST; 
DAVID MORTON, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORT; AMIR DAOUDI, WFP CHIEF 
LOGISTICS OFFICER FOR THE IRAQ OPERATION; AND DAVID KAATRUD, 
TRANSPORTATION UNIT CHIEF RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE 
UNITED NATIONS JOINT LOGISTICS CELL (UNJLC) FOR THE IRAQ 
OPERATION.  DAA/DCHA GARRETT GRIGSBY, DCHA/FFP JIM THOMPSON 
AND US MISSION HUMANITARIAN ATTACHE TIM LAVELLE REPRESENTED 
USAID. 
 
3.  (C)  STRESSING THAT ALTHOUGH NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN 
MADE TO UNDERTAKE MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ, AND THAT TIME FOR 
HUMANITARIAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING IS RUNNING SHORT, THE HPT 
EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR WFP TO VERIFY WITH UNSECOORD THE 
COMPLETENESS OF DATA PROVIDED TO THE USG ON WFP ASSET 
LOCATION WITHIN IRAQ, INCLUDING OFFICES, WAREHOUSING 
FACILITIES, TRUCK DEPOTS, NAMES OF PERSONNEL EMPLOYED, ETC. 
WFP AGREED TO DO SO.  IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT, IN MANY OF THE 
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT WAREHOUSING COMPLEXES IN THE CAPITALS 
OF THE 18 GOVERNORATES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE OFF RATION 
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WFP HAD ACCESS TO/KNOWLEDGE OF ONLY 
THOSE PARTS OF THE COMPLEXES WHICH DEALT WITH FOOD STORAGE 
AND MOVEMENT.  THE HPT EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR THE USG TO 
HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THE 
SENSITIVITY OF HAVING IT PASSED TO THE USG BY WFP. 
 
--------------- 
ISSUES REVIEWED 
--------------- 
 
4.  (C)  MAJOR ISSUES REVIEWED INCLUDED: 
 
A)  COORDINATION STRUCTURES:  IMMEDIATE IDENTIFICATION OF 
CENTCOM POCS FOR LOGISTICS RELATED QUESTIONS/ISSUES; THE ROLE 
OF THE HOC(S); AND PLANS FOR SATELLITE HOCS IN OTHER 
 
ACTION IO-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   CEA-01   CIAE-00  COME-00 
      CTME-00  USNW-00  DODE-00  DOTE-00  PERC-00  SRPP-00  EAP-00 
      EB-00    EUR-00   EXIM-01  OIGO-00  E-00     FAAE-00  VC-00 
      FRB-00   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   ITC-01   LAB-01   L-00 
      VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   DCP-01   NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OES-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  ACE-00   SP-00    IRM-00   STR-00 
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  SA-00    EPAE-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   G-00 
      NFAT-00  SAS-00     /012W 

P 110532Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8175 
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY AMMAN 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA 
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 
AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION USNATO 
USEU BRUSSELS 3105 
USMISSION GENEVA