REO BASRAH EAC MEETING ON 10/20/2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000165 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS, DS/DSS, DS/ITA/NEA, DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/OPO/HTP E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2016 TAGS: ASEC PTER AMGT IZ SUBJECT: REO BASRAH EAC MEETING ON 10/20/2006 REF: A) BASRAH 15; B) BAGHDAD 3559; C) BASRAH 159; D) BASRAH 163; E) BAGHDAD 3912 CLASSIFIED BY: Bryan T. Bachmann, RSO, REO Basrah, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (g) ¶1. (C) The Regional Coordinator (RC) chaired a meeting of the Emergency Action Committee (EAC) on October 20, 2006, to discuss moving to a minimized staffing level due to the severe IDF threat against the Regional Embassy Office (REO) and the general security situation. Attending the meeting were the Regional Security Officer, Management Officer, Political Officer, ORA chief, representatives from Strategic Counter-Intelligence Directorate, and Kellogg Brown and Root leadership. ¶2. (C) The RC explained the REO's proposed plan for minimal staffing and the request in Ref E to use empty UN facilities on the Basrah Palace compound for hard cover sleeping accommodations. The REO has consulted closely with Embassy Baghdad on the further reduction of personnel, and the plan envisions a much-reduced footprint with smaller numbers of security and support staff, reduced DOS personnel and the relocation of SCID personnel and the remaining USACE representative. The REO will still be operational, at a reduced level of effectiveness, though stripped of most of its associated offices. The most significant impact of the proposed reduction is the temporary suspension of the just-started overhead cover project until the IDF threat subsides. As much as REO and Embassy management would like to see this important project move ahead, the EAC decided that it would force the REO to keep its numbers at too high a level to provide security and support for the additional 120 contractors needed for the project. The EAC expects that the request to use the empty UN buildings on the Basrah Palace compound will be approved, and this will provide temporary living and working quarters for many REO personnel. ¶3. (C) The RSO explained the nature of the continued IDF threat, ongoing activities in the city and plans for counter-IDF operations. An EAC meeting will be held every 30 days to review the threat level, safety of personnel and status of continued REO operations. Security at the REO and the safety of REO personnel is assessed on a daily basis in conjunction with Embassy Baghdad. GROSS