US embassy cable - 03ANKARA4243

UNCLAS ANKARA 004243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/NGA, EUR/SE AND PRM 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ENRG, ETRD, IZ, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: HABUR BORDER CROSSING CLOSED TO OCPA CONTRACTORS; 
SLOWDOWN  IN WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SHIPMENTS 
 
REF: ANKARA 4232 AND PREVIOUS 
 
 
1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
2. (SBU) Following the U.S. detention of Turkish special 
forces in 
northern Iraq, the GOT closed the lone Turkey - Iraq  border 
crossing at 
Habur to U.S. contractors.  UN traffic has also been 
impacted.  Kellogg, 
Brown and Root's (KBR's) representative in Adana told us that 
the border 
closed to KBR shipments into Iraq as of 18:00 on July 4, 
though the GOT 
is allowing empty trucks with Turkish drivers to return to 
Turkey.  KBR 
stopped loading benzine and LPG on July 5.  About 1000 trucks 
are now 
idling, and another 200 to 300 are loaded with benzine and 
LPG and 
waiting at the border for permission to cross.  KBR told us 
that Baghdad 
is out of LPG, though the situation is not as dire for 
benzine.  The 
World Food Program's (WFP) Ankara representative told us that 
the border 
is not formally closed to humanitarian aid shipments, but the 
flow has 
slowed dramatically to 20 to 30 trucks daily.  Empty trucks 
are being 
permitted to cross back into Turkey.  WFP has not stopped 
loading its 
trucks, but might take this step on July 7, as it is 
concerned about 
possible demurrage charges by Turkish trucking companies. 
WFP advised 
that it plans to raise these issues with the Turkish MFA at a 
meeting 
scheduled for July 7. 
PEARSON