TFIZ01: FRUSTRATED BY ICRC IDLENESS, UAE RED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001661

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IRAQ TASK FORCE, ALSO NEA/ARP, NEA/RA,
PRM/ANE, AND IO/UNP
KUWAIT FOR HOC

E.O. 12958: DECL 04/07/13
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV PHUM IZ TC
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: FRUSTRATED BY ICRC IDLENESS, UAE RED
CRESCENT AUTHORITY DECIDES TO GO IT ALONE

REFS: ABU DHABI 1602 AND PREVIOUS


1. (U) Classified by DCM Richard A. Albright for
reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).


2. (C) Summary and comment: The UAE Red Crescent
Authority (RCA) hosted on 4/6 in Abu Dhabi a forum of
international aid organizations to discuss the
humanitarian situation in Iraq. This was the first
major meeting of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS),the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),and
the national societies of the UAE, Jordan, Turkey,
Iran, Syria, SAUDI Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar
since the war in Iraq began. Frustrated by the outcome
of the meeting and ICRC's continued refusal to permit
the national societies immediate entry into Iraq, the
UAE RCA has decided to circumvent ICRC channels and
organize a major humanitarian shipment (leaving the UAE
for Umm Qasr on 4/8) directly through AmEmbassy Abu
Dhabi and the HOC. We continue to coordinate the
details of this shipment with the HOC in Kuwait,
CENTCOM, and NAVCENT, all of which recognize the
political sensitivities and are helping us manage this
delicate situation. End summary and comment.

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ICRC Refuses To Cooperate With National Societies
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3. (C) UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) Secretary
General San'a Al-Kitbi confirmed to Econoff on 4/7 that
the ICRC heretofore has sought to prevent national Red
Crescent Societies from entering Iraq. The ICRC argues
that the security situation in many areas of Iraq is
too dangerous for Red Crescent workers, and the Iraqi
Government has refused access to regime-controlled
areas. (Note: ICRC typically requires permission from
all parties to a conflict before it can begin
humanitarian operations. End note.)


4. (C) Al-Kitbi reported that ICRC had interdicted
national societies' humanitarian convoys into Iraq, and
taken possession of the humanitarian supplies at the
border under the pretense that ICRC staff would
distribute the items. According to Al-Kitbi, it is
well known that the ICRC has only minimal staff in Iraq
and therefore warehouses the goods for later
distribution. "Our workers know the risks and dangers,
but we must be with the people of Iraq," said Al-Kitbi.
"This is the purpose of the Red Crescent."


5. (C) According to Al-Kitbi, the national societies'
delegates convened in Abu Dhabi yesterday to insist
that the ICRC allow them to enter Iraq. The exchange
between the ICRC and national societies reportedly was
heated (Al-Kitbi said the societies are "fed-up" with
the ICRC) and the delegates threatened not to
coordinate with the ICRC in the future, if better
cooperation is not forthcoming. Although the ICRC
finally agreed to ship (or to facilitate shipment)
humanitarian supplies overland from Kuwait and Syria,
it did not indicate when such shipments would begin.

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UAE Red Crescent Decides To Act Now
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6. (C) Although Al-Kitbi was pleased with the
agreement reached yesterday with the ICRC, she believes
it will be a number of days (or weeks) before ICRC
acts. As an alternate and last resort, the UAE
Government has requested Embassy assistance to
coordinate safe passage of a 700-ton shipment of RCA
humanitarian supplies to Umm Qasr with the HOC. Al-
Kitbi noted that the RCA (as a fundamental part of its
doctrine) does not work with militaries to provide aid,
but the UAE leadership realizes that coordination with
Coalition forces is crucial in this case to move and
distribute the humanitarian supplies in Iraq.


7. (C) She noted that the ICRC is unaware of the
shipment, and asked that the Embassy refrain from
notifying the ICRC or the media of RCA plans to travel
to Umm Qasr later this week. Al-Kitbi noted that an
ICRC representative she contacted directly (at the
suggestion of the HOC) told her that the RCA ship would
not be allowed to dock in Umm Qasr because of the
security situation.


8. (C) Al-Kitbi noted that the Bahraini and Qatari Red
Crescent Societies likewise are frustrated with the
ICRC. They understand that the UAE RCA plans to
circumvent ICRC channels and send aid directly to Iraq,
and asked Al-Kitbi yesterday about consolidating
shipments for the region. She thought it probable that
-- if this first shipment to Umm Qasr proves successful
-- similar requests for additional RCA shipments
(perhaps including relief supplies from other national
societies via the UAE RCA) would follow.

Wahba