MFA REQUESTS SMALLPOX/ANTHRAX VACCINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000944 SIPDIS SECDEF FOR OUSD-P/ISP/TSPCP/CTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2008 TAGS: AMED ASEC AMGT MARR PREL TU SUBJECT: MFA REQUESTS SMALLPOX/ANTHRAX VACCINES REF: A. 02 STATE 256691 ¶B. 02 STATE 256701 (U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) (C) Polmiloff delivered refs A and B to MFA Iraq desk officer Ferhat Alkan on December 13 and subsequently learned that the information had been passed to MFA's International Political Organizations Department. Meeting with Econoff on February 4, Feza Ozturk, MFA Department Head for International Political Organizations, provided the GOT's response to ref B offer of access to U.S. smallpox and anthrax vaccines. Ozturk stated that the GOT would like to receive vaccines for 30,000 persons for smallpox and 70,000 persons for anthrax. The GOT would dedicate vaccine for 20,000 military personnel for both smallpox and anthrax from these amounts, and would also be interested in receiving a civilian/military expert team to discuss the vaccines. Ozturk also requested confirmation that there would be no charge to Turkey for the vaccines. PEARSON