TFIZ01: ITALY TO DEPLOY FIELD HOSPITAL TO BAGHDAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001660 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID MOPS IZ IT IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY TO DEPLOY FIELD HOSPITAL TO BAGHDAD IN 10 TO 15 DAYS REF: ROME 1646 CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM TOM COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 B, D. ¶1. (U) THIS CABLE CONTAINS ACTION REQUESTS. PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPH 4. ¶2. (C) LATE APRIL 17 ECONOFF RECEIVED A READOUT ON THE LATEST MEETING OF THE GOI IRAQ TASK FORCE MEETING FROM ITS DEPUTY COORDINATOR, LUIGI MACCOTTA. MACCOTTA SAID THAT THE TASK FORCE DECIDED TO DEPLOY WITHIN 10 TO 15 DAYS A MODULAR, 100-BED FIELD HOSPITAL PROVIDED BY THE ITALIAN RED CROSS. THE HOSPITAL WILL BE STAFFED BY APPROXIMATELY 72 PEOPLE AND BE COMPRISED OF 27 TENT UNITS COVERING A SURFACE AREA OF BETWEEN 7 AND 10,000 SQUARE METERS. THE GOI INTENDS TO DEPLOY THE HOSPITAL TO THE AREA BETWEEN THE AL NOUMAN GENERAL HOSPITAL AND THE KHADIMIA PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL (NEAR SADDAM CITY). THE GOI INTENDS FOR THE HOSPITAL TO BE SENT BY ITALIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY TO BAGHDAD AND BE PROTECTED BY A COMPLEMENT OF 50 TOSCANIA TROOPS (AIRBORNE BRIGADE). ¶3. (C) ON APRIL 22, THE GOI WILL SEND A TECHNICAL TEAM TO CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS IN IRAQ WITH THE PURPOSE OF PROPOSING FUTURE PROJECTS FOR THE TASK FORCE TO UNDERTAKE. THE TEAM WILL BE COMPRISED OF TWO MEDICAL EXPERTS, A CHEMICAL EXPERT, AND THREE ENGINEERS SPECIALIZING, RESPECTIVELY, IN INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, AND WATER/SANITATION. THIS TEAM WILL BE SENT TO KUWAIT CITY ON ITS WAY TO IRAQ. COORDINATION WITH ORHA AND DART IS BEING HANDLED BY ITALY'S AMBASSADOR PARTI IN KUWAIT. ¶4. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUESTS. THE GOI TASK FORCE HAS CLEARLY SEIZED ON OUR HOSPITAL REQUEST TO SWING INTO ACTION. BY SENDING THEIR OWN EVALUATION TEAM, THE GOI IS SHOWING THAT IT WILL NOT WAIT FOR INPUT ON NEEDS THAT IT CAN MOBILIZE TO MEET. MACCOTTA SPECIFICALLY NOTED THAT THE 50 TROOPS BEING SENT TO PROTECT THE HOSPITAL WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE WITH AND BE COMPLEMENTED BY CENTCOM PATROLS IN THE ZONE WHERE THE HOSPITAL WILL BE LOCATED. POST REQUESTS ANY GUIDANCE THAT WOULD FACILITATE THIS COORDINATION OR OTHER LOGISTICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A SMOOTH DEPLOYMENT TO BAGHDAD WITHIN THE 10 DAY WINDOW NOTED. SPECIFICALLY, PLEASE CONFIRM THAT THE GOI-PROPOSED LOCATION FOR THE FIELD HOSPITAL IS ACCEPTABLE TO CENTCOM. END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUESTS. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01660 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL