US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT2788

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 KUWAIT 002788 
 
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 
ANKARA FOR AMB WRPEARSON, ECON AJSIROTIC AND DART 
AMMAN FOR USAID AND DART 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, PHUM, IZ, WFP 
SUBJECT:  DART TEAM WEST WAVE I FINAL REPORT: 14 JUNE 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.   From 26 April to 13 June, DART Team West traveled 
thousands of miles in Iraq, conducting assessments, liaising 
with local Coalition forces and Coalition Provisional 
Authority (CPA) personnel, identifying and funding emergency 
and community activities, facilitating humanitarian 
assistance, and encouraging the respect of human rights. 
DART Team West's area of responsibility (AOR) was Al Anbar, 
Babil, Karbala, An Najaf, Al Qadisiyah, Wasit, and Al 
Muthanna governorates.  By mid-June, the team found 
conditions in its seven western and south central 
governorates to be near or at pre-war levels in the major 
sectoral areas of water, sanitation, food, and health.  DART 
Team West has also observed reduced fuel lines, improved 
security, and reopened schools.  DART Team West witnessed 
and supported the resurgence of local judiciaries and the 
birth of human rights organizations in at least five of the 
governorates.  With DART Team West assistance, the Public 
Distribution System (PDS) resumed in June with only minor 
problems, thus allaying fears of disruptions to the food 
ration system that feeds the majority of Iraq's population. 
In close collaboration with DART Team West, NGO cooperative 
agreement partners have begun executing emergency response 
activities in each of the seven AOR governorates.  In the 
last several weeks, DART Team West has observed a growing 
emergence of non-governmental organization (NGO) and 
international organization (IO) involvement in responding to 
regional humanitarian problems.  Several United Nations 
agencies will be based regionally in Al Hillah by the end of 
June.  End Summary. 
 
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Food Security 
------------- 
 
2.   The Public Distribution System (PDS) continues to 
supply Iraqi beneficiaries in the west and south central 
governorates with full food rations during June without 
major disruptions.  DART Team West conducted the following 
food-security site visits: Al Hillah (daily), Karbala 
(thrice), An Najaf (thrice), Ad Diwaniyah (twice), As 
Samawah (once), and Al Kut (once).  However, DART Team West 
was unable to visit the capital of Al Anbar governorate, Ar 
Ramadi, due to insecurity, but it did visit several cities 
elsewhere in the governorate. 
 
3.   Reports from the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) and the 
Ministry of Trade (MOT) in DART Team West's AOR stated that 
food supplies are arriving regularly from the major supply 
pipeline corridors, and local food agents are collecting 
commodities for distribution.  All relevant pipeline 
dispatch data is maintained and distributed by WFP. 
The first post-conflict food distributions began on or about 
1 June in the south-central region through the operational 
and monitoring support of WFP, MOT, the Coalition forces, 
and USAID.  WFP is the lead agency providing oversight and 
management support to the MOT and has established national 
PDS teams in each governorate capital, as well as a WFP area 
office in Al Hillah. 
As expected, some PDS anomalies have developed, some endemic 
in the south-central region, some isolated to a particular 
governorate.  Most of these issues have been, or continue to 
be, resolved through collaborative and persistent efforts 
among the WFP, DART, MOT, and Coalition Civil Affairs (CA) 
staffs. 
 
------------------------------- 
Areas of Food Security Concerns 
------------------------------- 
 
4.   As the June distributions continue, DART Team West has 
identified several minor areas of concern that could present 
future hindrances in managing an efficient PDS: 
 
Communications: Links between the MOT offices in Baghdad and 
the MOT offices in each governorate need to be 
strengthened.  MOT warehouse managers, silo managers, grain 
board managers and re-registration/ration center managers do 
not have communication capabilities to receive instructions 
from, or communicate inquiries to, a central authority. The 
lack of adequate communication hampers the resolution of key 
PDS issues including: 
 
-- Instructions regarding the program for the reception, 
payment, and storage of locally grown wheat; 
 
-- Instructions to food agents, through MOT representatives, 
on transportation cost reimbursements, and any changes in 
distribution procedures; 
 
-- Instructions to MOT managers on procedures to provide 
overtime payments for appropriate warehouse and silo 
workers; and 
 
-- Instructions to MOT on general financial management 
procedures to manage operation funds, particularly with 
respect to the current $50,000 disbursement for MOT 
operations. 
 
Communication should flow in both directions and MOT should 
be able to consider the various governorate problems and 
react accordingly.  As the PDS becomes more reliable and 
less dependent on WFP in the coming months, MOT will need to 
communicate to the governorate offices on a regular basis, 
making timely communication an important part of efficient 
food delivery. 
 
5.   Collaboration: MOT management personnel need to 
understand the importance of collaboration and cooperation 
in conducting the business of the PDS during this initial 
phase of start up.  The MOT must cooperate more fully with 
WFP national staff requests to improve management methods or 
resolve problems.  DART Team West reports that in several 
governorates, MOT management have made commitments with WFP 
area office staff or WFP international staff, yet were 
reluctant to make changes or implement the required actions 
for improvement.  As the PDS continues, MOT personnel need 
to understand the importance of implementing required 
changes to the PDS management.  Establishing this precedent 
now will become a key aspect of future changes in PDS as 
Iraq becomes more economically stable and PDS phase-out 
plans develop. 
 
6.   Re-registering Beneficiaries: The June distribution 
will probably reveal weaknesses in the PDS.  Some of these 
weaknesses are known, others will be learned, but one 
probable concern will be identifying those Iraqi citizens 
that have fallen out of the PDS.  Although the MOT re- 
registration/ration centers are vigorously re-registering 
beneficiaries in all the governorates, there will be 
marginalized groups, such as prisoners of war, released 
prisoners, refugee returnees, internally displaced persons 
(IDPs), and others that missed the June ration for various 
reasons.  WFP will be monitoring distributions at the 
beneficiary level, but will need strong cooperation from MOT 
in order to address the PDS needs of those groups and 
individuals that missed the June distribution and to assure 
they are included in the PDS for future distributions. 
 
7.  Working Parameters: It is important to reiterate DART 
Team West's position within the current Coalition 
Provisional Authority (CPA) structure in Al Hillah.  DART 
Team West has performed a variety of reporting and liaison 
activities among the different agencies working within the 
PDS in this AOR and will continue to do so. (Note:  With 
DART Team West's departure from Al Hillah on June 13, a new 
DART Team South has been positioned in Al Hillah to continue 
humanitarian monitoring and programming activities for Al 
Anbar, Babil, Karbala, An Najaf, Al Qadisiyah, Wasit, Al 
Muthanna, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Al Basrah governorates.  End 
Note.)  The working relationships developed with CPA and 
military Civil Affairs units within DART Team West's AOR 
have been successful, in part, because of the understanding 
that DART Team West operates and reports within the 
parameters established earlier by USAID and CPA.  DART Team 
West's independence in determining priority activities and 
maintaining its reporting responsibilities is key to its 
value to ongoing operations in its AOR and imperative for 
its continued success in the region.  South central CPA has 
been very supportive of these conditions and the new DART 
Team South looks forward to continuing a strong and 
productive relationship with CPA in Al Hillah under these 
same conditions. 
 
--------------------------- 
Human Rights and Protection 
--------------------------- 
 
8.   Mass Graves: Dozens of mass graves have been uncovered 
since the fall of the former regime.  Most of these mass 
graves are a direct result of the killings that occurred in 
1991 when Shiite Muslims were massacred by Iraqi military 
forces after their uprising and buried within are the 
remains of men, women, and children.  Residents had been 
using their hands, shovels, and tractors to excavate the 
bodies.  Community members, who have been working at these 
sites and have been looking for the remains of family 
members, claim that most bodies had either been shot or 
buried alive; some had been tortured, and others were bound 
and blindfolded prior to being killed. 
 
9.   The community has been able to identify remains in 
three ways:  by photo identification (ID) card, by another 
ID card with a personal number (similar to a social security 
card), and by personal items such as clothing, jewelry, 
etc.  Bodies not yet identified are either put in piles or 
in plastic bags (two to three bodies per bag).  In some 
areas, the non-identified remains have been re-buried. 
Community members are eager to find the remains of their 
loved ones in order to provide a proper Shiite religious 
burial.  However, in many instances, they have agreed to 
leave these gravesites untouched until proper forensics 
teams can examine the areas and recover the remains 
appropriately.  For the most part, the community understands 
that uncoordinated exploitation of gravesites diminishes the 
probability of identifying the missing and may fail to 
preserve evidence that could bring perpetrators to justice. 
"INFORCE", a British forensics team, is beginning its 
assessments of the various gravesites in the region. 
Exhumations thus far by the local community continue to be 
relatively organized. 
 
10.  Human Rights Societies: There is an obvious absence of 
civil-society groups in the south-central region.  Ba'ath 
Party members had controlled most, if not all, of these 
groups (including the National Federation of Iraqi Women and 
local youth groups) during the former regime.  After the end 
of the recent conflict, human rights societies were stood up 
(mainly through the local lawyers' associations) in most of 
the governorates, according to many of the Coalition Civil 
Affairs units with whom DART Team West spoke.  Iraqis were 
eager to monitor, prevent, and respond to past and current 
human rights abuses.  Many explained they had been waiting 
for years to reclaim their rights and freedom. 
 
11.  DART Team West visited local human rights societies in 
Al Hillah, Karbala, and An Najaf.  Much of the work these 
organizations are doing is quite impressive.  The 
initiatives include: educating their communities on rights- 
based approaches to conflict and violence; working on de- 
mining and unexploded ordnance (UXO) prevention; locating 
mass graves and assisting the community in identification of 
loved ones; locating prisoners of war and missing soldiers; 
and recording war damages for future compensation.  These 
societies are also using local television, radio, and 
newsletters to educate local and international communities 
about their efforts.  However, despite all of the work that 
these societies are accomplishing, there is a potential 
problem that can hamper their effectiveness.  Communication 
is quite difficult with many of these societies not having 
working phones, and if they do, they can often only be 
operational within their local area.  This limits the amount 
of communication the societies can have with one another, 
leading to potential tension among one another, as there is 
a lack of standardization of activities and no clear 
headquarters. 
 
12.  Retribution/Revenge:  There is evidence of small 
pockets of hostility with regard to revenge and retribution 
in communities in the south central region.  However, with 
the help of religious leaders, human rights societies, and 
Coalition forces, these incidents have not escalated to a 
dangerous level.  For example, aides to a highly respected 
Shiite religious leader distributed a flier that admonished 
against any revenge violence and emphasized the need to work 
through proper judicial systems.  As long as the insecurity 
issue continues, however, the potential for escalating 
violence among Iraqis will increase. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Human Rights and Protection: Next Steps 
--------------------------------------- 
 
13.  DART Baghdad, DART Team South and DART Team North will 
need to continue to monitor human rights and protection 
issues in all of Iraq's 18 governorates.  DART Team West is 
providing a list of next steps for DART Baghdad, DART Team 
South and DART Team North staff to use: 
 
-- Continue to monitor and report any human rights incidents 
to proper Coalition forces, CPA, appropriate United Nations 
agencies, and to Iraqi human rights societies and relevant 
authorities; 
 
-- Continue liaising with the local community on the mass 
graves issue and ensure that organizations involved in 
protection and exhumation keep the communities informed of 
their activities and involved in any decision-making; and 
 
-- Provide human rights societies with the necessary 
capacity to enhance their work, including formal training on 
human rights monitoring and on the Geneva Conventions, as 
well as on organizational management.  Many also need basic 
"office in a box" assistance in order to continue their good 
work and to begin to forge links with other local and 
international human rights groups. 
 
------------------------------- 
Assistance to Vulnerable Groups 
------------------------------- 
 
14.  During the former regime, there was a small amount of 
assistance provided to vulnerable groups such as the poor, 
IDPs, widows, orphans, elderly, and the handicapped.  The 
Ministry of Labor and Social Services had provided a small 
stipend to many of these individuals depending on family 
size.  In Al Hillah, for example, the Ministry had provided 
its last quarterly payment of 15,000 to 22,500 Iraqi dinars 
(1,500 Iraqi dinars = USD 1) in December 2002.  These groups 
are already in a very vulnerable position.  Any long-term 
delay in assistance will exacerbate their vulnerabilities 
and will create undue hardships that can be avoided. 
 
15.  Despite what some may claim, many women and children 
are treated as second-class citizens in Iraq.  It will take 
time for women to reach an appropriate standard of living 
and gain full access to basic services.  Their own 
vulnerabilities are apparent, and it is critical to focus on 
their exigencies, especially education, health, and 
political participation.  Child labor is rife in Iraq, and 
participation in post-primary education is not a certainty, 
particularly for girls.  Poor economic conditions and 
cultural norms weigh heavily on childhood opportunities. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Protection of Vulnerable Groups: Next Steps 
------------------------------------------- 
 
16.  DART Baghdad, DART Team South and DART Team North will 
need to continue to monitor the protection of Iraq's 
vulnerable groups.  The DART teams should: 
 
-- Ensure assistance to vulnerable groups is included in 
CPA strategies and plans (short and long-term); 
 
-- Gather more information on the numbers and composition of 
vulnerable groups in each governorate; and 
 
-- Guarantee these vulnerable groups are being assisted in 
the short and long-term through NGOs, IOs, and/or CPA 
initiatives and programs. 
 
--------------- 
Refugee Returns 
--------------- 
 
17.  In preparation for possible repatriations to the south 
central region of Iraq, DART Team West discussed refugee 
repatriation issues with local leadership, NGOs, and WFP in 
its AOR govern orates.  Overall, most basic service sectors 
are up and running in the larger cities including water, 
electricity, security, food, and health.  When asked if 
refugees would be easily accepted back into the community, 
most residents seemed supportive of returning Iraqis who 
have either been expatriates, IDPs, or refugees, as long as 
they bring skills that can help improve the governorates 
where they relocate. If returnees have an identification 
card that shows they are returning Iraqi citizens, they are 
able to register with the governorate's ration center for a 
food ration card.  While many of the urban sectors in the 
south-central region are functioning at pre-war levels, 
rural areas continue to lack proper electricity and water 
and, in many cases, security, health, and sanitation are 
below standard requirements. 
 
--------------------------- 
Refugee Returns: Next Steps 
--------------------------- 
 
18.  For refugee returns to be successful in Iraq: 
 
-- It will be critical to understand the makeup of these 
returning refugees, including the number of extremely 
vulnerable individuals, the breakdown of urban and rural 
inhabitants, the composition of families, the numbers of 
males and females, and the percentage with family or 
relative support networks; 
 
-- Refugee repatriation should begin with a small number of 
returnees and with those who have local host family support; 
and 
 
-- Security will be an issue and assisting organizations, 
such as UNHCR, should liaise and inform Coalition forces, 
NGOs, and local community leaders to ensure that returnees 
will have adequate assistance during the first few days of 
relocation. 
 
--------------------- 
Transition Activities 
--------------------- 
 
19.  With the arrival in Al Hillah this past week of the 
Office of Transition Initiatives' (OTI) implementing 
partner, the International Organization for Migration, many 
projects already identified by Team West's OTI Officer are 
expected to commence.  Other possible OTI projects will also 
be considered for funding.  The Al Hillah projects include 
office, communications, and computer equipment for the Human 
Rights Association of Al Hillah and the Babil governorate 
courthouse.  These two refurbishment projects are underway 
after considerable OTI effort.  A funding level of $50,000 
was provided through the south-central CPA discretionary 
funding mechanism.  These projects are a good example of 
U.S. Government interagency cooperation to rebuild essential 
governance and civic community infrastructure.  Other OTI 
projects expected to be initiated in Al Hillah include: 
support to the women's association; an orphanage project; 
Internet connectivity at the Babylon University graduate 
school; a city street lighting project; environment and city 
clean up projects; repair of the telephone exchange; school 
and medical facility rehabilitation; and support to an 
independent newspaper, the local television station, and a 
radio station. 
 
20.  DART Team West developed an excellent working 
relationship with south central CPA, and was considered a 
full team participant.  This is also true of the various 
Coalition Civil Affairs personnel, and DART Team West's 
automatic inclusion in the Civil Affairs units as 
colleagues, working toward the same common goal.  Not enough 
can be said for the support and cooperation received and 
reciprocated in Al Hillah to make all U.S. Government work 
much easier. 
 
-------------------- 
Major Sector Updates 
-------------------- 
 
21.  Health: With some exceptions, most hospitals assessed 
in DART Team West's AOR are functioning at pre-conflict 
levels, albeit not at optimal standards.  Some governorate's 
have received drugs and supplies from the Ministry of Health 
in Baghdad, while others continue to wait.  For the first 
time since 1997, drugs are being issued for free.  The 
Ministry of Health's (MOH) dreaded "self-financing" system 
has largely ended.  As a result, some health facilities have 
seen a doubling in the number of patients being treated. 
 
22.  Through its cooperative agreement partners, DART Team 
West has delivered emergency health kits to six of the seven 
governorates in its AOR, and the NGO partners have begun 
health activities in Wasit, Karbala, An Najaf, and Al Anbar 
governorates.  Many governorates are holding first-ever 
elections for MOH positions from technical department heads 
to governorate-level general directors.  Babil governorate 
health professionals recently voted out of office its acting 
general director, a former Ba'athist party member. 
 
23.  Concern remains for health facilities in rural areas. 
DART Team West visited two rural, primary health centers 
(PHC) and found a dearth of drugs, spartan conditions, and 
abnormally high malnutrition rates among residents.  The 
Coalition Civil Affairs officer for health issues in An 
Najaf, recently traveled to several rural PHCs and "sub- 
clinics" and said conditions ranged from inadequate to 
abysmal.  "The farther we go out, the worse they get," he 
said.  DART Team South and its implementing partners must 
consider further assessments and interventions in these 
areas, particularly among pockets of displaced populations. 
 
24.  Water and Sanitation:  Water supply in the south 
central region appears to be mostly at pre-conflict levels, 
although years of neglect has significantly reduced the 
capacity and quality of water treatment systems and plants, 
both in the urban and rural areas.  Conflict-affected 
electrical systems limited the supply of water in many urban 
areas, though water supply problems abated with recent 
improvements in electrical output.  Chronic procurement and 
funding challenges prior to the recent conflict proved to be 
a major contributor to significant numbers of childhood 
diarrhea cases.  Each hospital representative who DART Team 
West interviewed reported that diarrhea was the number one 
childhood health problem.  Some health facility 
professionals stated that nearly all admitted children 
suffered from some form of diarrhea, with roots abetted by 
poor water and sanitation and exacerbated by malnutrition. 
 
25.  DART Team West's implementing partners are conducting 
emergency water interventions in Wasit, Babil, An Najaf, and 
Al Anbar, and will soon begin work in Al Qadisiyah and 
Karbala governorates.  While NGOs have the capacity to carry 
out relatively large-scale urban water projects, they are 
perfectly suited to contribute in outlying urban and rural 
areas.  With DART funds, CARE is rehabilitating the water 
treatment system in Al Hillah that provides water to 750,000 
people.  When completed, the water quality will be improved 
and the plant's overall capacity will increase from 16 to 75 
percent.  In rural areas, DART has a number of partners 
active in emergency responses.  The International Rescue 
Committee is rehabilitating the majority of all compact 
water units in An Najaf, and Mercy Corps International is 
improving water systems in villages surrounding Al Kut. 
Most major city sewage systems are functional, but there are 
isolated problems that need to be addressed, such as system 
blockages at hospitals.  Overflowing septic systems, which 
provide sewage needs for up to 70 percent of some city 
populations, have caused health hazards in isolated 
neighborhoods and could be addressed by NGOs in the short- 
term. 
 
26.  Electricity: Electricity supplies have increased five- 
fold in some neighborhoods of Al Hillah compared to before 
the conflict, yet improved or optimal capacity has not been 
reached in all areas in the south central region, and may 
actually have diminished in some governorates.  Karbala and 
Al Hillah will likely see reduced electrical supply by the 
end of June given changes to and re-prioritization of the 
regional and national electrical grid.  In some areas, 
residents are receiving power in lieu of local factories. 
Karbala's major industries are shutdown, yet residents are 
getting more power than prior to the conflict.  Al Kut's 
largest employer, the textile factory, is not operational 
for lack of power. 
 
27.  Fuel: During its first week in Al Hillah, DART Team 
West observed vehicle lines at gasoline stations of up to 
one kilometer in length.  Tempers flared and security became 
a major concern.  Coalition forces were dispatched at 
gasoline stations to prevent further violence.  During the 
last two weeks in Al Hillah, the gasoline crisis appears to 
have receded.  The Coalition has paid for tankers to provide 
fuel throughout the south-central region.  However, less 
than half of the regional gasoline requirements are being 
met.  Diesel fuel, on the other hand, is relatively 
plentiful.  Since the conflict began on March 20, the 
primary fuel for cooking, liquid propane gas (LPG), has been 
extremely scarce throughout DART Team West's AOR.  The 
largest propane gas supplier in the region sold 10,000 
cylinders per day before the conflict.  By mid-May, the 
supplier was selling none.  The fuel pipelines from northern 
and southern Iraq were not functioning, and no LPG tankers 
were providing relief.  People were using kerosene as an 
alternative, if it was available.  In some places, the cost 
of LPG was beyond the means of many.  Others resorted to 
cooking with wood, causing the partial denuding of urban 
tree coverage in some cities and towns.  During the last two 
weeks, the Coalition has funded the provision of LPG 
deliveries, offering some immediate relief, but not 
alleviating the serious shortage in the south-central 
region. 
 
28.  Education: Most schools have been open for more than 
one month, and nearly all students and teachers have 
returned.  However, for security reasons, many schools are 
holding abbreviated sessions and conclude early in the 
afternoon.  Some teachers have left the classroom or are 
working additional jobs to survive because of the small 
amount paid in salaries.  In most governorates, April 
salaries have been paid to all government workers, and a USD 
20 emergency payment has been made.  A significant number of 
May salaries have been paid by the Coalition, or are 
expected to be paid by mid-June. 
 
-------- 
Security 
-------- 
 
29.  The number one problem reported to DART Team West at 
every assessment has been insecurity.  Prior to the 
conflict, crime was minimal even in Baghdad.  Following the 
conflict, there was looting in every governorate in the DART 
Team West's AOR.  Hospitals, warehouses, private businesses, 
vehicles, orphanages, electric transmission lines, and 
nearly everything of any value were susceptible to theft. 
At the time of DART Team West's entry into Iraq on 26 April, 
schools were closed, emergency services were limited at 
health facilities, and businesses opened with restricted 
hours and wary eyes.  Since the end of April, the team 
observed a significant increase in trained police officers 
on patrol and guarding essential facilities.  As of 7 June 
in Al Hillah, Coalition forces had trained and armed 584 
local Iraqi police officers in four-day police academies. 
Although more police training is ongoing, the Iraq people's 
fear of insecurity appears to be waning, though they are 
still not completely comfortable with current security 
conditions. 
 
30.  UXOs and mines continue to be problematic, although 
some awareness programs are underway.  UXO and mine- 
awareness posters are visible in public areas, NGOs, 
Coalition forces, the United Nations, and other agencies are 
beginning education activities.  The El Hideria health 
clinic, 40 kilometers north of An Najaf, has received more 
than 30 patients injured by UXOs since the end of the 
conflict, including three who sustained injuries last week. 
By early May, Ar Rutbah in Al Anbar governorate also had 30 
victims of injuries sustained by UXO accidents. 
 
------------------------- 
The Need for Coordination 
------------------------- 
 
31.  All organizations and groups conducting humanitarian 
and development activities in the western and south central 
regions of Iraq need to begin exchanging information and 
providing mutual support.  Of vital importance is also to 
include Iraqi departmental heads in all planning dialogues. 
Iraqi participation in planning will help empower local 
officials, increase their levels of responsibility, and most 
likely provide the best sources of information.  DART Team 
West has observed very limited involvement of local 
officials in the humanitarian decision-making process.  DART 
Baghdad, DART Team South, and DART Team North must encourage 
more local involvement whenever and wherever possible. 
 
32.  In the early stages of DART Team West's assessments 
within Iraq, nearly all humanitarian responses were being 
conducted by Coalition Civil Affairs units.  They are still 
doing the majority of the humanitarian work on the ground, 
with relatively little funding.  A growing number of NGOs 
and international relief organizations have opened offices 
or begun field assessments in south-central Iraq, including 
various U.N. agencies.  The World Food Program (WFP) has 
been the only exception.  WFP's Iraqi staff has been 
operating effectively for weeks.  USAID and CPA contractors 
based in Al Hillah, including Bechtel and the Research 
Triangle Institute, are visiting and assessing all south- 
central governorates and are planning response initiatives. 
To avoid redundancy, and for planning purposes, there must 
be more interaction and information sharing among all 
parties involved in the restoration of Iraq.  The DARTs can 
help facilitate this coordination. 
 
------------------ 
Waiting and Hoping 
------------------ 
 
33.  When DART Team West's translator was asked to provide 
his viewpoint on the condition of Iraq, he responded by 
stating that conditions were improving in Iraq, yet people 
were waiting for more livelihood improvements and were 
apprehensive about the future.  He is content with the 
changes the Coalition forces have brought to the residents 
of Al Hillah and the surrounding governorates.  "My family, 
my friends, we feel it is better," he said.  "You liberated 
us from Saddam Hussein.  This is a better thing."  He 
continued, "If there is a central, democratic government, I 
hope it'll be okay.  (With) our oil, our wealth, our land, I 
think it'll be fine."  But, there is a long way to go. 
"Believe me there are some problems." 
 
34.  The DART Team West translator said people accept the 
Coalition forces, for now.  "The Shia don't hate the 
Coalition forces," he said, "because you're the people who 
rid us of Saddam Hussein.  But we're waiting for you to do 
your promises.  We're waiting for you to help us rebuild 
Iraq, and have elections, and then leave.  Some people are 
afraid they will never leave us.  People here are very poor 
people.  If you don't hurt them, they will never hurt you. 
If you help them, they will help you."  Before accepting the 
translator position with the DART, he asked his local cleric 
if it was acceptable to work with the Coalition forces.  "If 
they're working for the Iraqi people," the cleric said, "you 
can work for them."  However, the DART translator added, 
there was some suspicion among Iraqis of Coalition motives. 
"We don't know what (is) hidden in your mind," he said. 
 
JONES