TFIZ01: UAE RED CRESCENT: READY TO DO MORE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001978 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, NEA/NGA, PRM/ANE, AND IO/UNP KUWAIT FOR HOC AND ORHA E.O. 12958: DECL 04/26/08 TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV PHUM IZ TC SUBJECT: TFIZ01: UAE RED CRESCENT: READY TO DO MORE REF: ABU DHABI 1938 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) Classified by DCM Richard A. Albright, for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶2. (C) In a 4/26 meeting with Econchief, UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) Secretary General San'a Al- Kitbi confirmed press reports that an RCA ship loaded with 700 tons of food and medicine and 12 ambulances left the UAE 4/25 for Umm Qasr. RCA teams already operating in southern Iraq will distribute the aid. This was the second such shipment from the RCA to Iraq, with the first having arrived on 4/11. Al-Kitbi said that the RCA is in the process of loading supplies for a third shipment to Umm Qasr. ¶3. (C) Although Al-Kitbi is pleased that the RCA is aiding the Shi'ite Muslims in southern Iraq, she noted that the Red Crescent must assist all needy Iraqis -- including the Sun'ni and the Kurds. She reaffirmed the RCA's desire to airlift supplies to Baghdad, but added that the RCA would be prepared to send aid to Mosul, as well. For supplying Baghdad, Al-Kitbi asked our opinion of the overland route via Kermanshah in Iran. She said the Iranian Red Crescent has invited the RCA to fly into Kermanshah and will waive any fees or tariffs incurred during the transport of the cargo to Iraq. Econoff later informed Al-Kitbi that the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) in Kuwait said the overland route from Iran is feasible, and noted that the ICRC and the UN currently truck supplies to Baghdad via Kermanshah. ¶4. (C) Comment: Al-Kitbi undertook to inform us when the RCA initiates a third shipment to Umm Qasr, or transports humanitarian supplies to Kermanshah and overland to Baghdad. We will inform the HOC and CENTCOM of these RCA operations when we receive the details. Subsequent to our meeting with Al-Kitbi, we were apprised that Baghdad International Airport is now open to humanitarian flights. We have passed this welcome news, plus details on modalities for securing clearances, to the RCA. We expect that we will shortly receive requests to facilitate flights into Baghdad, and will work closely with the HOC to obtain clearances for the RCA to deliver humanitarian supplies via charter or UAE military aircraft. End comment. Wahba