US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1062

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KUWAIT 001062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W 
STATE FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN, HMANN, ZKHALILZAD, QUANRUD AND BRYZA 
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/RMT, DCHA/FFP 
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA 
USAID FOR USAID/AA:NATSIOS 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA:WGARVELINK, BMCCONNELL, KFARNSWORTH 
USAID FOR ANE/AA:WCHAMBERLAIN 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH 
DOHA FOR MSHIRLEY 
ANKARA FOR AMB WRPEARSON, ECON AJSIROTIC AND DART 
AMMAN FOR USAID AND DART 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, MOPS, PREL, ASEC, AMGT, OTRA, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  HUMANITARIAN/RECONSTRUCTION SITUATION REPORT #1 24 
MARCH 2003 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  This is the initial USG Disaster Assistance Response 
Team (DART) daily cable that will report on the humanitarian 
situation within Iraq from Kuwait City.  End Summary. 
 
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DART ARRIVALS 
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2.  Team West is fully constituted with the arrival of 
NGaertner and JAcree.  On 22 March the following DART 
members arrived in Kuwait: SHodgson, JPonte, CGarrett, 
SBrown, and JGeran. 
 
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FOOD 
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3.  There are several outstanding issues concerning the 
Australian contribution of 100,000 metric tons (MT) of 
wheat.  A shipment of 50,000 MT was diverted to Muscat, 
Oman.  The second half of the shipment arrived in Muscat on 
24 March.  The Government of Australia is discussing the 
possibility of donating the 100,000 MT to the World Food 
Program (WFP) once the emergency operation (EMOP) is issued. 
Ongoing negotiations between Canberra and WFP continue over 
support costs, estimated at between 15 and 25 million USD. 
 
4.  There is significant interest in having the USG's 
financial support in this first shipment of wheat.  The 
USG's role will be to contribute the missing support costs 
and secure the double billing (US-Australia) of this 
donation.  The arrival of these two wheat shipments, and the 
enormous interest in the Persian Gulf region to demonstrate 
that an efficient process is in place to move incoming food 
quickly into Iraq, will accelerate the timetable for gaining 
humanitarian access. 
 
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OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES (OTI) 
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5.  Radio Sawa is operational on the AM band and will 
eventually switch to the FM band.  Reporting stringers and 
radio specialists have been identified to highlight the 
USG's overall humanitarian efforts within Iraq.  OTI 
officers briefed DART/Kuwait staff on the role of Abuse 
Prevention Officers (APOs) on 23 March. 
 
6.  On 22 March, the DART APOs met with representatives of 
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and 
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in Kuwait City.  Several 
weeks of coordination and collaboration with representatives 
of both organizations had taken place in Washington, D.C. 
prior to the APOs' deployment.  ICRC and PHR representatives 
stressed their support of the DART's Abuse Prevention 
strategy and intend to work closely with APOs in Iraq. 
Close coordination also continues between the DART and the 
Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) 
in order to develop plans for preventing, deterring, and 
responding to human rights abuses within Iraq.  Another 
coordination meeting with NGOs AND ORHA is being scheduled 
for the week of 23 march.  The APOs are also actively 
engaging with U.S military Civil Affairs units and are 
arranging a meeting with Generals Garner and Kern to discuss 
their initiatives. 
 
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REFUGEES 
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7.  There are no significant refugee flows out of Iraq to 
date; however, more than 400 third country nationals (TCNS) 
have crossed into Jordan.  The International Organization 
for Migration facilitated the repatriation of 160 Sudanese 
TCNS on 21 March, and an additional 160 Sudanese were 
expected to return to Sudan on 22 March. 
 
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MILITARY LIASION UNIT 
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8.  Approximately 70 people, including Coalition Forces Land 
Component Command (CFLCC) Civil Affairs Officers and 
representatives from the United Nations, international 
organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 
attended the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) briefing 
on 22 March.  The following information was provided at the 
briefing: there have been no major population movements 
around Basra; UNSECOORD is weighing the possibility of going 
to Phase 5 due to potential chemical threats from Iraqi 
surface-to-surface missiles; the missile threat has been 
reduced following forward ground movements deeper into Iraq. 
 
9.  The CFLCC C9 Commander stated that Maneuver Commanders 
will make the decision to allow DART teams into permissive 
environments within their AOR.  He also had no problems 
allowing DART to work with Maneuver CA elements doing damage 
assessments. 
 
10. The Liaison Officer from the 354 CA HQ plans to locate 
at the DART Hotel location after the last serial leaves.  A 
CA Liaison Officer will be embedded with the DART staff to 
facilitate information, coordination, and movement forward 
with CA elements throughout Iraq. 
 
11. According to Military Liaison Officer (MLO) reports, the 
Kuwaiti Red Crescent was prevented from crossing into Iraq 
on 22 March.  ICRC agreed with the order, stating that it 
was the role of ICRC and not the Kuwaiti chapter. 
 
12. The Dart/Kuwait MLO will facilitate with the marine 
expeditionary force (MEF) and the U.K. third Commando on 
DART movement into Umm Qasr when the Dart Leader is 
satisfied that security has been established at the port. 
 
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CIVIL AFFAIRS ASSESSMENT OF UMM QASR/SAFWAN 
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13.  Civil Affairs assessment teams conducted a rapid 
assessment of the Port of Umm Qasr between 19 March and 22 
March.  The loading cranes have been maintained and are 
functioning.  There was also a functioning fire truck in 
excellent condition among more than 20 civilian vehicles, 
indicating the potential for vehicle maintenance. 
 
14.  The port facility comprised multiple buildings and 
warehouses, all containing civilian vehicles.  Reports 
indicated that the port was fully functional, by Iraqi 
standards. The local commander stated that the port 
contained sea mines, but was unaware of any land mines. 
However, one land mine was visible in the field outside of 
the base. 
 
15. The port contains countless standard-sized containers, 
both on rails and on the ground. No equipment to manage and 
move this equipment was noted. There were also blue cranes, 
three in one frame, approximately 100 plus feet high, as 
well as several stationary cranes, approximately 50 plus 
feet high. The main high power lines, running west from the 
port to Safwan, appear intact. These high power lines are 3 
levels high. 
 
16.  Outside of Umm Qasr towards Safwan, several homes were 
visible from the road.  The homes were inhabited by poor 
Bedouins prior to the assault, and the local people are 
reported to have begun returning. 
 
17.  As of 1100 hours 23 March, the road to Safwan from Umm 
Qasr was completely intact.  The Gas Oil Separation Plant 
along the route also appeared intact, as did the homes in 
and around Safwan.  The people of Safwan appeared healthy, 
although extremely poor.  No internally displaced persons 
were seen. 
 
18.  No additional humanitarian assessment information is 
available. 
 
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ANE - RECONSTRUCTION 
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19.  On March 23, Ambassador Jones introduced ORHA Director 
Garner, Relief Coordinator George Ward, and USAID's Lewis 
Lucke to high-ranking Kuwaiti officials from the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and the Kuwait Fund FOR ARAB ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT to describe the USG's plans for relief and 
reconstruction in Iraq.  The Kuwaiti officials described 
their own process of economic recovery after the 1991 
liberation and spoke of the importance of economic sector 
reform in Iraq.  Kuwait may prove an early source of 
investment for post-conflict Iraq. 
 
20.  Responsibility for leads in Iraqi Ministries has been 
re-delegated by ORHA on instructions from the Department of 
Defense (DOD).  The inter-agency process had previously 
assigned responsibility for Iraqi Ministries among various 
U.S. Departments and Agencies.  USAID was tasked for the 
lead for the Ministries of Planning, Transport and 
Communication, Agriculture, Education, Health, Housing and 
Construction, Labor and Social Affairs, Irrigation and the 
Electricity Commission.  Under the new ORHA plans, 
individuals are recruited from various agencies, 
predominantly State and DOD, to serve as the senior 
Ministerial liaisons.  This group will include five 
Ambassadors.  These individuals will report to the 
appropriate ORHA function coordinator, either Lewis Lucke or 
Michael Mobbs.  The liaisons reporting to Lewis Lucke are as 
follows: a) Planning - Ambassador Dave Dunford-Robert 
MacLeod/USAID to serve as interim; b)Transportation and 
Communication - Dick Beard/State - Mike Moskowitz/DOD to 
serve as interim; c) Finance - David Nummy/Treasury; d) 
Agriculture - Lee Schatz/USDA; e) Education - USAID 
Contractor - Dorothy Mazaka/USAID to serve as interim; f) 
Health - Skip Burkle, USAID; g) Housing and Construction - 
TBD - Mark Held/COE to serve as interim; h) Labor and Social 
Affairs - TBD - Karen Walsh/USAID to serve as interim; i) 
Irrigation - TBD - Stephen Browning/COE to serve as interim; 
j) Central Bank - George Mullinax/Treasury; k) Electricity 
Commission - TBD - Andy Bachus/COE to serve as interim. 
 
JONES