US embassy cable - 03ANKARA2781

UNCLAS ANKARA 002781 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE, EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR BHA/OFDA - WGARVELINK 
EUCOM FOR JE, JR, J5, SOJ7 AND POLAD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
CENTCOM FOR J3, J5 AND POLAD 
KUWAIT FOR HOC AND MDRO 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, MOPS, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT:  TFIZ01: Turkish Red Crescent Aid Shipment En 
Route to Baghdad 
 
Ref:  Ankara 2660 
 
 
(SBU) Early on April 29, Feza Ozturk, Department Head for 
International Political Organizations, contacted Mission 
Disaster Relief Officer (MDRO) to advise that the Turkish 
Red Crescent (TRC) convoy delivering medicines, food and 
water to hospitals in Iraq had changed its destination and 
would now deliver supplies directly to unspecified 
hospitals in Baghdad.  TRC had previously planned to 
deliver relief supplies directly to hospitals in Kirkuk 
and Mosul, although this was not coordinated with ICRC. 
Embassy had passed this itinerary to the Kuwait 
Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) on April 24 and 25. 
Instead, TRC delivered two truckloads of supplies to one 
hospital in Kirkuk, and decided early on April 29 to 
proceed to hospitals in Baghdad the same day.  MFA and TRC 
told us this had been done with the approval of U.S. 
military forces on the ground, but Embassy and Task Force 
North have not been able to verify this.  We also advised 
MFA and TRC that Baghdad was not a permissive environment 
and that the convoy would be exposing itself to 
considerable risks.  Ozturk told MDRO that as of about 
17:30 local time, the convoy, with five truckloads of 
supplies, was approximately 60 kilometers from Baghdad and 
was accompanied by a U.S. escort.  TRC confirmed this 
information, and said they had the permission of a General 
McDonald or MacDonald to proceed.  He said the TRC planned 
to deliver its supplies to three hospitals in Baghdad 
(Ibni El Nefs Cardiology Hospital, El Wahsati Plastic 
Surgery Hospital and the Central Children's Hospital), to 
overnight in Baghdad, and to return to Turkey on April 30. 
Pearson