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