IRAQ HUMANITARIAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000372 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2007 TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL IO IT WFP SUBJECT: IRAQ HUMANITARIAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING REF: A. SECSTATE 22216 ¶B. ROME 5742 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00372 301937Z CLASSIFIED BY: ECMIN SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) EMBASSY DELIVERED REFPOINTS TO ATTILIO IANNUCCI, THE MFA'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE. IANNUCCI SHARED THAT THE GOI WAS "THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES" AS THE USG ON PLANNING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN THE EVENT OF A WAR WITH IRAQ. IANNUCCI SAID THAT ITALY IS ALREADY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE IOM, ICRC AND WFP. FURTHERMORE, THE GOI IS PREPARED "TO TAKE DECISIONS WITHIN HOURS" AS TO WHAT SPECIFIC CONTINGENCIES WOULD REQUIRE ITALIAN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND THROUGH WHICH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE DELIVERED. IANNUCCI WAS NOT ABLE TO QUANTIFY THE GOI'S COMMITMENT, BUT DREW A PARALLEL TO AFGHANISTAN, WHERE ITALY, AFTER INITIALLY STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AT THE TOKYO DONOR'S CONFERENCE, WOUND UP EXCEEDING ITS PLEDGE OF EUROS 47.3 MILLION FOR THE YEAR (REF B). SKODON CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME00372 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL