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

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2003ROME01660 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL