TAJIKISTAN AND USCENTCOM COOPERATE TO DELIVER DISASTER

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001733

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID MOPS PK TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN AND USCENTCOM COOPERATE TO DELIVER DISASTER
ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN



1. (U) With airlift support by the U.S. Central Command and the
U.S. Air Force, the Government of Tajikistan shipped 25 tons of
humanitarian assistance to Pakistan via separate sorties on
October 20 and 22. The Tajik contribution included food,
medicine, blankets, and clothes. At the request of the Tajik
Government, Embassy Dushanbe's ODC and DAO coordinated closely
with the Central Command for the C-130 airlift.


2. (U) Embassy Dushanbe's ODC chief, LTC Kelsey Harris-Smith
accompanied the first flight, which included a video crew from
Tajikistan State TV and other Tajik officials.


3. (U) Tajik officials told us this was the first significant
humanitarian relief gesture they had made in recent memory.


4. (U) Embassy Dushanbe coordinated and released a joint press
statement with the Government of Tajikistan:

BEGIN TEXT:

On October 20 and 22, the Government of Tajikistan will send 25
tons of humanitarian aid to help the people of Pakistan who were
injured and left homeless as a result of the devastating
earthquake.

The Tajik Government will provide food items, medicine,
blankets, clothes, and other items.

The United States Government will provide transport aircraft to
deliver the humanitarian aid from Dushanbe to Islamabad,
Pakistan. This joint humanitarian action is another example of
the growing partnership between the United States and Tajikistan.

END TEXT.


5. (U) COMMENT: Given the presence of the Russian military in
Tajikistan and its lift capability in general, it would have
seemed natural for Dushanbe to have turned to Moscow for
cooperation with this humanitarian airlift. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND


NNNN