REO BASRAH EAC MEETING ON 01/08/2007

S E C R E T BASRAH 000004 SIPDIS SIPDIS DS/DSS, DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, NEA/EX, NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/8/2017 TAGS: ASEC PTER AMGT IZ SUBJECT: REO BASRAH EAC MEETING ON 01/08/2007 REF: BASRAH 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Bryan T. Bachmann, RSO, REO Basrah, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (g) ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: REO Basrah's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) convened on 01/08/07 to address the recent volley of rocket attacks that injured 3 U.S. Chief of Mission personnel and 3 British personnel. In order to mitigate the security threat posed by frequent indirect fire (IDF),the EAC agreed to relocate the few offices remaining under soft cover to hard cover, mandated that no one spend more that 20 minutes in their trailer at a time, limit the number of times we fly in and out of the Palace, and that all personnel will wear PPE when outside of hard cover. In addition, post will re-evaluate staffing needs and supervisors will look for signs of stress or other mental health issues in the staff. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Regional Director (RD) chaired a meeting of the Emergency Action Committee (EAC) on January 8, 2007, to discuss the latest attacks on the Basrah Palace Compound (BPC). Attending the meeting were the regional security officer, management officer, ORA chief, and representatives from the Strategic Counter-Intelligence Directorate (SCID) and KBR. ¶3. (S) REO Basrah was attacked by IDF three times in the past 24 hours. (Note: The latest and heaviest attack today took place just 15 minutes after Iraqi Major General Latif, the 10th ID Commander, departed the REO compound. END NOTE.) Two of the attacks consisted of heavy volleys of 107mm rockets, which resulted in six impacts on the REO compound. During the third attack, two U.S. Army National Guard soldiers assigned to SCID and one local national KBR employee sustained non-life threatening injuries. One soldier suffered lacerations to his head and back caused by flying debris, and the other suffered a minor cut on his chin and some loss of hearing. The soldiers were treated by REO medical staff and transported via helicopter to the British Army hospital at the Shaiba Logistics Base in Basrah. (Note: Both soldiers were in the process of relocating the SCID office from a soft to hard cover structure when the attack occurred. End note.) The local national (LN) employee sustained an injury to his leg from shrapnel. He was treated by REO medical staff and released. REO medical staff will continue to monitor his injury. (NOTE: REO medical staff determined it was not necessary for the LN to seek further medical treatment at a local hospital where he could be targeted by militia. End note.) The British military reported three non-life threatening injuries on their compound as well. ¶4. (S) Through our cooperation with the UN, REO Basrah has ensured that all personnel (American and third country national) are sleeping, eating, and exercising under hard cover. ¶5. (S) The following actions are to be taken as a result of today's EAC meeting: 1) Relocate the few remaining offices under soft cover to hard cover; 2) Instructed every section to re-evaluate their staffing needs; 3) RD and RSO mandated that no one spend more that 20 minutes in their trailer at a time, and only for the purposes of personal hygiene; 4) RD directed each supervisor look for signs of stress or other mental health issues in the staff; 5) RD and RSO mandated that all personnel will wear PPE when outside of hard cover on January 7th after the first attack. (Previously, personnel were required to wear PPE from 1800-0600) 6) The EAC concurred with the KBR Flight Ops Coordinator that we should limit the number of times we fly in and out of the Palace. 7) REO Basrah EAC will reconvene in a few days time to reassess the situation. ¶6. (S) REO Basrah will continue to work closely with MND-SE on their countermeasure efforts to reduce the threat of indirect fire, and with Embassy Baghdad to address the recently elevated security concerns. BONO