US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1661

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001661 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IRAQ TASK FORCE, ALSO NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, 
PRM/ANE, AND IO/UNP 
KUWAIT FOR HOC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL 04/07/13 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT:  TFIZ01: FRUSTRATED BY ICRC IDLENESS, UAE RED 
CRESCENT AUTHORITY DECIDES TO GO IT ALONE 
 
REFS: ABU DHABI 1602 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  (U) Classified by DCM Richard A. Albright for 
reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
2.  (C) Summary and comment: The UAE Red Crescent 
Authority (RCA) hosted on 4/6 in Abu Dhabi a forum of 
international aid organizations to discuss the 
humanitarian situation in Iraq.  This was the first 
major meeting of the International Federation of Red 
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), the 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 
the national societies of the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, 
Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar 
since the war in Iraq began.  Frustrated by the outcome 
of the meeting and ICRC's continued refusal to permit 
the national societies immediate entry into Iraq, the 
UAE RCA has decided to circumvent ICRC channels and 
organize a major humanitarian shipment (leaving the UAE 
for Umm Qasr on 4/8) directly through AmEmbassy Abu 
Dhabi and the HOC.  We continue to coordinate the 
details of this shipment with the HOC in Kuwait, 
CENTCOM, and NAVCENT, all of which recognize the 
political sensitivities and are helping us manage this 
delicate situation.  End summary and comment. 
 
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ICRC Refuses To Cooperate With National Societies 
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3.  (C) UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) Secretary 
General San'a Al-Kitbi confirmed to Econoff on 4/7 that 
the ICRC heretofore has sought to prevent national Red 
Crescent Societies from entering Iraq.  The ICRC argues 
that the security situation in many areas of Iraq is 
too dangerous for Red Crescent workers, and the Iraqi 
Government has refused access to regime-controlled 
areas.  (Note: ICRC typically requires permission from 
all parties to a conflict before it can begin 
humanitarian operations.  End note.) 
 
4.  (C) Al-Kitbi reported that ICRC had interdicted 
national societies' humanitarian convoys into Iraq, and 
taken possession of the humanitarian supplies at the 
border under the pretense that ICRC staff would 
distribute the items.  According to Al-Kitbi, it is 
well known that the ICRC has only minimal staff in Iraq 
and therefore warehouses the goods for later 
distribution.  "Our workers know the risks and dangers, 
but we must be with the people of Iraq," said Al-Kitbi. 
"This is the purpose of the Red Crescent." 
 
5.  (C) According to Al-Kitbi, the national societies' 
delegates convened in Abu Dhabi yesterday to insist 
that the ICRC allow them to enter Iraq.  The exchange 
between the ICRC and national societies reportedly was 
heated (Al-Kitbi said the societies are "fed-up" with 
the ICRC) and the delegates threatened not to 
coordinate with the ICRC in the future, if better 
cooperation is not forthcoming.  Although the ICRC 
finally agreed to ship (or to facilitate shipment) 
humanitarian supplies overland from Kuwait and Syria, 
it did not indicate when such shipments would begin. 
 
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UAE Red Crescent Decides To Act Now 
----------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) Although Al-Kitbi was pleased with the 
agreement reached yesterday with the ICRC, she believes 
it will be a number of days (or weeks) before ICRC 
acts.  As an alternate and last resort, the UAE 
Government has requested Embassy assistance to 
coordinate safe passage of a 700-ton shipment of RCA 
humanitarian supplies to Umm Qasr with the HOC.  Al- 
Kitbi noted that the RCA (as a fundamental part of its 
doctrine) does not work with militaries to provide aid, 
but the UAE leadership realizes that coordination with 
Coalition forces is crucial in this case to move and 
distribute the humanitarian supplies in Iraq. 
 
7.  (C) She noted that the ICRC is unaware of the 
shipment, and asked that the Embassy refrain from 
notifying the ICRC or the media of RCA plans to travel 
to Umm Qasr later this week.  Al-Kitbi noted that an 
ICRC representative she contacted directly (at the 
suggestion of the HOC) told her that the RCA ship would 
not be allowed to dock in Umm Qasr because of the 
security situation. 
 
8.  (C) Al-Kitbi noted that the Bahraini and Qatari Red 
Crescent Societies likewise are frustrated with the 
ICRC.  They understand that the UAE RCA plans to 
circumvent ICRC channels and send aid directly to Iraq, 
and asked Al-Kitbi yesterday about consolidating 
shipments for the region.  She thought it probable that 
-- if this first shipment to Umm Qasr proves successful 
-- similar requests for additional RCA shipments 
(perhaps including relief supplies from other national 
societies via the UAE RCA) would follow. 
 
Wahba