CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS PREPARES FOR WAR IN IRAQ;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 005296 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),NEA/NGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC EAID IZ PHUM ETTC EAID IZ VT VTPREL SUBJECT: CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS PREPARES FOR WAR IN IRAQ; CRITICIZES SANCTIONS AND PREDICTS HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) A CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS (CI) DELEGATION LED BY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 05296 01 OF 02 291503Z THE DIRECTOR OF CARITAS' BRITISH OFFICE (CAFOD) HAS RETURNED FROM A FIVE-DAY VISIT TO IRAQ TO ASSESS IRAQ'S CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO POTENTIAL HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN THE WAKE OF MILITARY ACTION. CARITAS PREDICTED THAT MILITARY ACTION WOULD CAUSE A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE, AFFECTING CHILDREN THE MOST, AND URGED THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BE DONE TO AVOID WAR. CARITAS' ACCESS TO IRAQ WAS DEPENDENT IN PART ON PROVIDING ADVOCACY REGARDING CURRENT PROBLEMS ATTRIBUTED TO U.N. SANCTIONS. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO RELEASE AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT SHORTLY THAT WILL IN TURN HELP SHAPE THE HOLY SEE'S OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF WAR. CI HAS CALLED A MEETING AT ITS VATICAN HEADQUARTERS DECEMBER 17-18 TO DISCUSS ITS OFFICIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE STRATEGY IN THE EVENT OF WAR IN IRAQ. END SUMMARY. -------------- ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF WAR AND SANCTIONS -------------- ¶2. A CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS DELEGATION LED BY CARITAS' BRITISH OFFICE HEAD, AND INCLUDING CI'S GLOBAL ISSUES DESK OFFICER, IRAQ OFFICE DIRECTOR (BASED IN AMMAN, JORDAN),AND MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA OFFICE DIRECTOR FROM BEIRUT MET WITH CHURCH OFFICIALS, IRAQI DEPUTY PM TARIQ AZIZ AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DURING A RECENT VISIT TO IRAQ TO ASSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF MILITARY ACTION AND CURRENT SANCTIONS. CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS IS A 154-MEMBER FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES OPERATIVE IN 198 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, HEADQUARTERED IN VATICAN CITY BUT INDEPENDENT FROM THE HOLY SEE. ITS VATICAN CITY OFFICE PROVIDES A FORUM FOR EXCHANGE AND DIALOGUE AMONG MEMBER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 05296 01 OF 02 291503Z AGENCIES AND ADVOCACY SERVICES IN INTERNATIONAL FORA. ¶2. (SBU) CI TOLD US "OFF THE RECORD" THAT ENTRY TO IRAQ WAS CONDITIONAL ON CARITAS SUBSEQUENTLY ACTING AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE IRAQI CAUSE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA. THE IRAQIS DID NOT WANT CI CONDUCTING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED. HOWEVER, CI 
BELIEVED IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GAIN ACCESS TO IRAQ AND SO TOOK THE MIDDLE ROAD BY PROMISING ADVOCACY ASSISTANCE WHILE CHECKING IRAQ'S PREPAREDNESS FOR ANY MILITARY ACTIVITY THAT MIGHT RESULT IN A FURTHER HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY. DURING THE VISIT, THE DELEGATION WAS PERMITTED TO BRING IN A PHOTOGRAPHER -- WHOSE ACTIVITIES WERE CLOSELY MONITORED. THE GROUP ENCOUNTERED SOME IRAQI OPPOSITION TO THE PRESENCE OF THE CI OFFICIALS FROM AMMAN AND BEIRUT BECAUSE THEY SPOKE ARABIC -- DISPENSING WITH THE NEED FOR AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT INTERPRETER. ¶3. (SBU) IN AN UNOFFICIAL INITIAL ASSESSMENT RELEASED TO POST, THE CI DELEGATION REPORTED THAT WOMAN AND CHILDREN WERE IN "BAD CONDITION" CLAIMING ONE IN THREE CHILDREN IS MALNOURISHED. CARITAS MAINTAINS THAT SANCTIONS ARE TO BLAME FOR 75 PERCENT OF THE IRAQI POPULATION EXPERIENCING "POOR LIVING CONDITIONS" WITH THE AVERAGE INCOME BETWEEN $3 AND $5 PER DAY -- "NOT EVEN ENOUGH FOR BASIC NECESSITIES." CI CLAIMED THAT WATER ACCESS AND SECURITY HAS DETERIORATED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, QUOTING UN FIGURES THAT ONLY 43 PERCENT OF THE RURAL POPULATION HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER. CI'S ASSESSMENT WILL SUGGEST THAT A MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAQ WOULD CAUSE "TREMENDOUS PROBLEMS," WITH CHILDREN BEING THE MOST AFFECTED. PREVIOUS CARITAS DELEGATIONS TO IRAQ HAVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 05296 01 OF 02 291503Z MADE SIMILAR ASSESSMENTS. ¶4. (U) CI INSISTS THAT EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE TO PREPARE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF A MILITARY STRIKE, BUT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY "MUST ALSO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID WAR." CI CLAIMS MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ WOULD CAUSE A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CIVILIAN POPULATION. FOLLOWING UP ON THE VISIT, CI HAS CALLED A MEETING AT ITS VATICAN CITY HEADQUARTERS FOR DECEMBER 17 AND 18 TO DISCUSS ITS OFFICIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE STRATEGY FOR IRAQ. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) CI'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON ITS DELEGATION'S VISIT TO IRAQ WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THIS STATEMENT IN TURN WILL BE USED BY THE HOLY SEE IN DEVELOPING ITS OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE MORAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ. CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN ANY EVENTUAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4992 PAGE 01 VATICA 05296 02 OF 02 291503Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NEA-00 NSAE-00 PER-00 TEST-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /002W -------------- 000059 291531Z /38 R 291345Z OCT 02 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE INFO AMEMBASSY AMMAN UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005296 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),NEA/NGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ETTC EAID IZ PHUM ETTC EAID IZ VT VTPREL SUBJECT: CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS PREPARES FOR WAR IN IRAQ; CRITICIZES SANCTIONS AND PREDICTS HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE IRAQ. CI'S CRITICAL VIEWS ON SANCTIONS DERIVE IN PART FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II'S BROADLY STATED POSITION THAT SANCTIONS GENERALLY ARE WRONG BECAUSE THEY IMPACT MOST ON THE VULNERABLE AND WEAK. EMBASSY WILL ENGAGE WITH CI DIRECTLY TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SANCTIONS RESTS WITH SADDAM AND HIS VIOLATION OF UN RESOLUTIONS. EVEN WITH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 05296 02 OF 02 291503Z A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, HOWEVER, CI IS LIKELY TO MAINTAIN ITS VIEW THAT MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ WILL RESULT IN INCREASED SUFFERING FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE -- AT LEAST OVER THE SHORT-TERM. NICHOLSON UNCLASSIFIED > 2002VATICA05296 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED