IRFFI DONORS FIELD TRIP FAILS TO DELIVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001615

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/3/2018
TAGS: PGOV EFIN EAID PREL IZ
SUBJECT: IRFFI DONORS FIELD TRIP FAILS TO DELIVER

Classified By: Acting CETI Minister Todd Schwartz for reasons 1.4(b) an
d (d)


1. (SBU) The International Reconstruction Fund Facility for
Iraq (IRFFI) held a donors field trip conference, hosted by
the Italian-led REO Hillah Provincial Reconstruction Team
(PRT),at the Dhi Qar Mittica Training Center on the Talil
Airbase in An Nasiriyah Province May 18-19. Attending the
conference were representatives of the European Parliament,
the European Commission, Denmark, Japan, Italy, the United
Nations, the United States, and IRFFI. According to IRFFI
Co-Chair Ambassador Gianludovico de Martino, the conference
was designed to demonstrate to major IRFFI donors the good
work that IRFFI is accomplishing in Iraq through the World
Bank and the United Nations. No World Bank representative
was present.


2. (C) Opportunities to interact with Iraqis was limited to
welcome speeches by Dhi Qar Governor Aziz Alwan, Provincial
Council Chairman Ihsan At-Taei, and Iraqi Army 10th Division
Commander Major General Habib. Following these speeches, at
the request of the United Nations presenters and European
Commission Ambassador to Iraq Ilke Uusitalo, the Iraqis
present at the conference were asked to leave. Italian REO
Hillah PRT Leader Anna Proust was so "outraged and
embarrassed" at the unexpected removal of the more than 75
Iraqi dignitaries and notables she had invited to the
conference that she too left the conference. She told
Econoff that the UN representatives asked the Iraqis to leave
was that they were worried the Iraqis would contradict their
presentations of accomplishments. (Note: United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Deputy Coordinator Guy
Siri later told Econoff that Ambassador Uusitalo requested
the Iraqis leave the meetings due to the "hard questioning"
the EC was receiving from European Parliamentarian Paulo
Casaca. End note.)


3. (C) UNICEF Coordinator Sareer Ara, UN-Habitat Program
Manager Sudiipto Mukarjee, UN NATIONAL Project Manager Darbaz
Fadhil, WHO Basra Coordinator Samson Samuel, and UNAMI's Siri
all made presentations on their organizations' efforts in Dhi
Qar Province and other areas in Iraq. Siri also made a
presentation prepared by the World Bank. The UN
organizations, except for UNAMI, were criticized by European
Parliamentarian Casaca and Embassy of Japan Minister
Counselor Kansuke Nagaoka for not establishing an official
presence in Baghdad. UN-Habitat's Mukarjee noted the
problems the UN has had recruiting STAFF to work in Iraq due
to SECURITY and other hardship issues.


4. (C) European Parliamentarian Casaca was also sharply
critical of the conference planners for not incorporating any
site visits to projects that have been funded by the EC.
IRFFI's de Martino noted the logistical issues involved in
planning SECURITY for a delegation of more than 20 people
with differing personal SECURITY details and requirements.
He offered to arrange site visits to IRFFI projects for a
smaller delegation in conjunction with the upcoming IRFFI
Donors Conference on July 5 in Baghdad.

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