US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1242

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001242 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W 
STATE PLEASE REPEAT TO IO COLLECTIVE 
STATE FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE, NEA/NGA, IO AND SA/PAB 
NSC FOR EABRAMS, SMCCORMICK, STAHIR-KHELI, JDWORKEN 
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/RMT, DCHA/FFP 
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA:WGARVELINK, BMCCONNELL, KFARNSWORTH 
USAID FOR ANE/AA:WCHAMBERLIN 
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, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  TFIZ01: USAID/PRM DART UPDATES FROM SOUTHERN IRAQ 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  On 31 March, DART members, accompanied by Coalition 
forces, conducted a rapid assessment of Basra International 
Airport and a water treatment plant located on the airport 
property.  On 2 April, the DART received updates from 
Coalition forces on the status of Umm Qasr Port, as well as 
food and water distributions in southern Iraq.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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BASRA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND WATER TREATMENT PLANT 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
2.  On 31 March, DART members, accompanied by Coalition 
forces, traveled to Basra International Airport (BIA).  BIA 
is a modern facility with large amounts of ground handling 
equipment in good working order.  The DART noted two K- 
Loaders, one two-ton forklift, one one-ton forklift, and six 
to eight pallet trailers for moving commodities.  There are 
several tank and armored personnel carrier hulks that must 
be dragged back from the edge of the runway in order to meet 
minimum requirements.  The DART observed one small twin- 
engine aircraft at the northwest end of airport, but its 
condition was unknown.  There is also a fully intact air 
traffic control tower, reportedly in excellent shape. 
However, there was no electricity at the airport at the time 
of the DART assessment. 
 
3.  The runway is now clear, following debris removal, and 
will be ready for use by C-130 aircraft shortly.  No 
cratering on the surface of the runways was observed.  The 
DART drove the length of the main runway and observed little 
to no stress cracks or surface deterioration.  Hazardous 
materials, including leaking fuel tanks, spilled oil, and 
unexploded ordinance, were observed at the airport. 
 
4.  The DART also performed a rapid assessment of the water 
treatment plant located on the airport property, 
approximately 200 meters west of the administration 
buildings.  The DART felt that the plant contained an 
unusually complex and refined water treatment process for a 
drinking water treatment plant.  In addition, some 
unexpected hazardous chemicals were discovered at the site. 
Coalition Force engineers will be alerted to this assessment 
information. 
 
5.  There is also a second water treatment facility located 
on the eastern side of the airport that the DART was unable 
to visit for security reasons.  Coalition forces informed 
the DART that the facility produces 4,000 liters of water 
per day, delivered by tanker truck to accessible areas of 
Basra.  The water is drawn from the Al Basrah canal and the 
Al Aqi River, a tributary of the Shatt Al Arab. 
Disinfectants are currently not available to add to the 
water.  Drinking water pumped into trucks for transport into 
Basra is not treated, and according to a representative of 
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the 
current water quality is the same quality as it was before 
the war.  Analysis of a water sample collected at the second 
water treatment plant was positive for coliform bacteria. 
No organic chemicals were detected. 
 
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UMM QASR PORT 
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6.  On 2 April, DART members in Umm Qasr met with the 
Coalition's Chief Engineer for Umm Qasr Port.  Coalition 
forces are attempting to restart port and silo operations 
amidst the chaos of large-scale looting.  According to the 
Chief Engineer, looters have stripped the generators used 
for the silo operation and conveyor belts, taking 
alternators and all of the generator's batteries.  The 
residents appear to be emptying any containers they find to 
use for carrying water, often dumping coolant onto the 
ground, despite warnings from Coalition forces. 
 
7.  Coalition forces have restored electricity to 75 percent 
of the town.  Restoring electricity to the final fourth of 
the city is dependent upon a connection to Basra.  Coalition 
priorities are to get the silos between the old and new port 
operating.  Some level of operation in the silo facility is 
estimated in four to six weeks.  The forces are also trying 
to get two standby generators to function, which might allow 
the silos to be used to store grain.  Nothing appears to be 
missing from the silos, the conveyor belts are continuous, 
and there is no obvious damage to the assembly.  Coalition 
forces are optimistic that power can be restored to the 
facility so that the conveyor belts can be operated 
individually, if not automatically.  It is estimated that 
the silos, which are twelve stories high, have a storage 
capacity of approximately 45,000 metric tons of grain, if 
not more. 
 
8.  According to the Coalition Chief Engineer for the port, 
the combined capacity of the old and new ports is larger 
than the Port of Gibraltar, with five miles of waterfront 
and one and a half miles of berthing in each of the old and 
new facilities.  Although the rehabilitation of the ports is 
a long-term project, to facilitate their immediate use, 
Coalition forces are considering disconnecting the 
transformers and setting up a grid of approximately six 
generators, 200 to 500 kilovolts each.  Once the generators 
are fired up, it can be determined how many of the cranes 
and other equipment are usable.  In the opinion of the Chief 
Engineer, before the international community pours a lot of 
money into the Umm Qasr port, it should focus on Basra, 
which may be a better and even bigger port. 
 
9.  Within the next couple of weeks, the channel is expected 
to be de-mined.  However, another Coalition source told the 
DART that dredging the channel may be beyond the scope of 
the dredgers at the port.  Four mined hot spots have been 
identified in the channel, but to date only a 200-meter wide 
path has been cleared.  That path is not large enough to 
handle ships the size of the two carrying the Australian- 
donated wheat.  As a result, these ships may need to be 
diverted to Kuwait, or elsewhere, where the grain would be 
milled and then trucked into Iraq. 
 
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Food and Water Distributions 
---------------------------- 
 
10.  On 2 April, the DART met with Coalition forces and was 
informed that the proposed 3 April food distribution of food 
donated by the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society  will be 
postponed.  The DART members suggested a further delay of 
the planned food distribution in Umm Qasr as there is no 
immediate need for the relief supplies.  DART members also 
suggested that either the DART or the World Food Program 
might want to contribute jerry cans to Umm Qasr for water 
collection, but Coalition forces said that many residents 
have adequate means of collecting water.  Every two 
households in the town share a water tank, which might 
contain algae and other contaminants but are what the 
residents are accustomed to.  Coalition forces report that 
no residents appear to be suffering from dehydration.  With 
the opening of the water pipeline from Kuwait, Coalition- 
funded Iraqi drivers delivered 320,000 liters of water on 1 
April. 
 
11.  UNICEF has focused its water distribution on Az Zubayr, 
     allowing Coalition forces to concentrate water deliveries to 
     Umm Qasr, Safwan, Umm Khayyal, Al Faw and Az Zubayr. 
     However, the Coalition forces are anxiously awaiting the 
     arrival of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 
     international organizations (IOs) to take over the water 
     distribution. 
 
JONES