US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1851

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KUWAIT 001851 
 
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: DART ASSESSMENT OF AL ANBAR 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  Between 26 and 29 April, DART Field Team West traveled 
more than 1,400 km inside Iraq conducting an assessment of 
communities in the western governorate of Al Anbar.  The 
DART conducted assessments in Ar Rutbah, Hadithah, Anah, and 
Heet.  The DART also stopped in Baghdad to talk with some 
community members.  Due to security concerns, the DART was 
unable to assess either Ar Ramadi, the governorate's largest 
population center, or the community of Al Qa'im, on the 
Syrian border. 
 
2.  In general, the DART found conditions in the communities 
assessed to be near pre-war levels in the areas of water and 
sanitation, food, and health.  The exception remains Ar 
Rutbah, although problems there could be addressed for the 
immediate term with a few targeted interventions.  The DART 
has already begun working with cooperative agreement 
partners to design appropriate interventions.  End Summary. 
 
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HEALTH 
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3.  With the exception of Ar Rutbah, health facilities in 
communities assessed were functioning close to pre-war 
levels.  Staff have returned to work (in some cases never 
leaving), facilities were undamaged and protected from 
looting by the communities, and supplies of emergency 
medical supplies are sufficient for the near-term.  These 
facilities will require re-supply within the coming 30 days. 
 
4.  Ar Rutbah is the exception to this.  The hospital in Ar 
Rutbah was destroyed by Coalition bombing.  Health services 
are now being offered in the town's primary health clinic, 
but this space is inadequate to provide the level of service 
previously offered in this remote region's only hospital. 
The DART is working with World Vision International to 
design a short-term intervention to address this need. 
 
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FOOD 
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5.  The DART found that the public distribution system (PDS) 
is functioning and wakils (PDS agents) are present and 
working in all communities assessed.  All wakils had their 
beneficiary lists intact.  Food stocks are considered 
adequate, and in some towns food deliveries from Ar Ramadi 
and ration distributions have resumed.  Markets were open in 
all towns visited.  Vegetables, meats, and starches are 
generally available.  The DART visited one flour mill that 
is fully operational.  The mill manager informed team that 
all four mills in Al Anbar are operating at pre-war levels. 
 
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WATER AND SANITATION 
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6.  With the exception of Ar Rutbah, water and sewage 
service in all communities assessed has returned to pre-war 
levels.  Even in Ar Rutbah, where most residents rely on 
septic tanks, sewage services have returned to pre-war 
levels. 
 
7.  In Ar Rutbah, normal water-in-house service has yet to 
be restored.   Water is being tankered to residences from 
deep water wells approximately 15 kilometers (KM) from town. 
This water is not being treated prior to distribution. 
Again, immediate emergency needs in water could be addressed 
in the short-term by a few targeted interventions.  The DART 
has begun discussions with CARE to potentially design an 
intervention to address immediate water needs. 
 
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SECURITY 
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8.  One of the primary concerns of residents in Al Anbar 
remains security.  In fact, the lack of security prevented 
the DART from visiting Al Qa'im and Ar Ramadi.  DART 
departed the village of Anah before completing its 
assessment due to security concerns. 
 
9.  Police have resumed work in all of the towns assessed; 
however, their presence is low and their ability to maintain 
law and order appears minimal.  Local residents reported 
that they continue to feel unsafe.  Things appear more 
stable where there is a Coalition presence such as in Ar 
Rutbah and Hadithah.  The DART also found that many 
interviewees remained uncomfortable in talking to the team. 
 
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COMMUNICATIONS 
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10.  Telephone service remains inoperable in most areas of 
Al Anbar.  Some towns (Hadithah and Anah) have local phone 
service, but they cannot make calls to neighboring 
communities.  Officials from local governorate services such 
as health and school officials have not been in contact with 
the governorate's administrative headquarters in Ar Ramadi. 
Schools have not re-opened despite a local willingness due 
in part to the lack of instruction from national or 
governorate level officials.  Health officials are unable to 
communicate with Ar Ramadi.  When they refer patients to Ar 
Ramadi for treatment, they must give instruction to 
ambulance drivers as they cannot speak directly to Ar Ramadi 
health officials.  They also have no idea when their supply 
chain will resume, or if things will continue to function as 
they did in the past. 
 
11.  The lack of communication is also a concern to people 
that are unsure of the well-being of family members in other 
parts of the country.  Some are looking for relatives who 
were in the military, and are unaware of the status of their 
loved ones.  Others are simply hoping to make contact with 
family members in other parts of the country. 
 
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INFRASTRUCTURE 
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12.  Western Iraq is served by a well-maintained road 
network.  Highway 10 leading from the Jordanian border to 
Baghdad is a six-lane divided highway.  Highway 12 leading 
northwest from near Ar Ramadi toward the Syrian border is a 
two-lane highway that is in good condition. 
 
13.  Coalition bombing destroyed some of the bridges on 
Highway 12.  Detours have been cleared and all forms of 
vehicles are currently able to transit this corridor. 
 
14.  Coalition bombing also partially destroyed one bridge 
and one over-pass on Highway 10.  The bridge (near Rutbah) 
has been reduced to one-lane traffic.  No by-pass has been 
developed.  This will become a significant problem as 
traffic, including the flow of oil tankers to Jordan and 
humanitarian relief (in particular the World Food Program), 
increases.  The destroyed over-pass has rendered the 
eastbound lanes of Highway 10 impassable.  No detour has 
been developed and the intermediate solution is two-way 
traffic on the normal westbound lanes for a couple of 
kilometers. 
 
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UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE 
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15.  The presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a 
significant problem in two of the communities that the DART 
visited.  Hadithah was the site of a large Iraqi military 
base, and was the scene of a major battle between Coalition 
and Iraqi forces.  As a result, the area is strewn with 
UXOs, weapons, and other military equipment.  Coalition 
forces in the area have been active in locating and 
destroying UXOs, weapons, and equipment.  Nevertheless, this 
remains a problem that will exist for some time.  As of 28 
April, four people had been injured as a result of UXOs in 
the town. 
 
16.  Ar Rutbah has a similar problem.  The Iraqi military 
abandoned stocks of UXOs, and Coalition military action left 
more UXOs scattered about the town.  The current Coalition 
presence is not equipped to address the UXO problem in Ar 
Rutbah.  To date, 12 individuals have been seriously injured 
in incidents involving UXOs in the town.  U.N. Mine Action 
Service has visited Ar Rutbah and has plans to return.  In 
addition, the Coalition forces present in Ar Rutbah have 
requested an ordnance disposal team, but there is no firm 
date for the arrival of such a team.  Team West is working 
with World Vision to incorporate UXO awareness and education 
activities into its future activities in Ar Rutbah. 
 
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COOKING FUEL 
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17.  One consistent problem in all of the towns visited by 
the DART was the shortage of cooking fuel.  Many residents 
had stockpiled propane and kerosene based on their 
experiences following the 1991 conflict.  But those stocks 
are running low, and normal re-supply of fuel from Ar Ramadi 
and Baghdad has not resumed.  In some villages residents 
reported that kerosene was still available in the local 
markets, while in others residents report that they have 
begun using wood and charcoal for cooking. 
 
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SCHOOLS 
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18.  The DART spoke to school officials and teachers in 
almost all of the villages assessed.  In those towns where 
the team did not speak directly to school officials, it did 
question residents about the conditions of schools. 
Consistently, the DART was informed that most schools were 
ready to reopen, that students were ready to return, and 
that most teachers were anxious to get started.  Some 
teachers (Ba'ath party members) are reportedly apprehensive 
about returning, but remain in town. 
 
19.  In every case, officials and residents alike reported 
that they are simply awaiting instruction on what to do. 
They have heard rumors that schools should not open for 
three months (some said six months).  This troubles them 
because most want to get back to life as normal, and having 
schools open would be a significant step forward in this 
respect.  (Note: Coalition forces in Ar Rutbah are working 
closely with local officials to get schools open in that 
town.  End note.)   The lack of communication with officials 
in Ar Ramadi and Baghdad is certainly adding to the problem. 
 
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MISCELLANEOUS 
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20.  A growing concern is the issue of salaries for civil 
servants.  People are very insecure and uncertain about when 
and how they are going to be compensated for their work. 
They are being instructed to keep track of their hours as 
they always have so that they can be compensated when a new 
government is in place. 
 
21.  Fuel supplies (gas and diesel) are running low in these 
communities.  It is still available (sometimes only on the 
black market), but prices have more than doubled in many 
cases.  Again, there is a general sense of uncertainty 
surrounding when things will return to normal.  For example, 
"when will the gas station have gas again and at what 
price?" 
 
22.  However, in some ways, life is coming back to the 
country.  Traffic on Highway 10 is picking up in the 
direction of Baghdad.  The line to cross the border from 
Jordan into Iraq is growing longer and longer.  Families are 
moving back, cars stacked high with suitcases, extra fuel, 
and satellite dishes, hundreds of which are pouring into 
Iraq from Jordan.  The DART observed several cars carrying 
up to ten satellite dishes on the roof as well as buses 
carrying several stacks of ten dishes each.  The DART also 
saw two trucks transporting approximately 20 cars into Iraq 
for sale -- a sign that someone has growing confidence in 
security along that road. 
 
JONES