USAID IRAQ MISSION WAIVERS AND EXCEPTIONS

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003731 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP, DS/IP/NEA, DS/PSP/PSD, DS/C/PSD; AID FOR SEC BLACKSHAW, M/OMS NAGLE, MANE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC AMGT ABLD EAID SUBJECT: USAID IRAQ MISSION WAIVERS AND EXCEPTIONS REQUEST REFS: (A) 12 FAH-6 H-114.4; (B) 12 FAH-5 H-200; (C) THE FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FY 2000 AND 2001 (AS ENACTED IN PUBLIC LAW 106-113) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: USAID/Iraq requests waivers to collocation and setback requirements required by the Secure Embassy Construction and Counter-Terrorism Act (SECCA) of 1999. Additionally, USAID/Iraq requests exceptions to the following OSPB standards: 12 FAH-5 H-433.1-1 paragraph (c),clear zone. A New Embassy Compound (NEC) has been completed in Baghdad and will be fully occupied by the end of the first quarter of FY 2009. Between the design of the new embassy and the build-out, both Embassy and USAID staffing have increased considerably and the need to accommodate personnel from the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) has arisen. There is now insufficient office and residential space available to accommodate all personnel. In consultation with the Deputy Chief of Mission and Regional Security Officer, a decision was made to allow USAID to remain at its current location, a separate compound approximately three miles from the NEC. USAID personnel will relocate to the embassy compound when sufficient COM/MNF-I staffing decreases permit provision of both office and residential accommodation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Since 2004, USAID/Iraq has occupied the current compound in the International Zone of Baghdad under a Temporary Property Use License (TPUL) first granted by Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) in July 2003 and subject to renewal every six months. The current agreement was to expire in December 2008. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been negotiated among USAID, Department of State (DOS),and MNF-I which replaces the TPUL and provides for USAID's use of the current compound for a period of five years, with continued occupancy and use subject to discussion and recertification annually thereafter. ¶3. (SBU) The USAID compound currently provides office and work space for 143 USAID employees Qd 20 life-support contractor personnel and residential space for up to 135 people. Until recently, the USAID compound had 31 double-occupancy trailers. These are in the process of being replaced by more secure housing. Seventeen trailers have been removed and the 
remaining fourteen will be removed when the new housing construction is complete. Once construction is complete, USAID will have 73 hardened single- occupant residences, 11 double-occupant residences and 40 duplex studio units. Currently, in addition to the 93 USAID personnel who are housed on the compound, accommodations are provided for 10 life-support contractor personnel, two security site leads, 6 Foreign Service National (FSN) employees of various sections of the Embassy, plus approximately 20 TDY personnel. ¶4. Overall, post staffing has increased significantly since the NEC plans were finalized and construction begun. Requirements for provision of office space to additional segments of the military were not anticipated when plans were finalized and have added to the severe space constraints which, even without USAID personnel, require double-occupancy of cubicle and living spaces designed for single-occupant use. -------------- - Security Survey -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) The Baghdad RSO and DS/PSD/PCB desk officer conducted an updated comprehensive security survey on September 21, 2008 and found the current USAID compound location meets the physical security Qcompound location meets the physical security standards for office and residential use with the exception of setback and clear zone standards for critical threat posts as follows: the USAID compound does not meet the 100-foot critical threat setback or clear zone standards on one side of the compound, the southeast side of the building which abuts Chute Road and the MNSTC-I construction compound. Note: At the time of submission of this cable, the MNSTC-I barracks construction project next to the USAID compound has been terminated and USAID has requested the return of the property which was originally part of the USAID compound. This will mean that the USAID compound will abut the Japanese Embassy Compound. The Japanese Embassy will, subject to conclusion of a Memorandum of Agreement, take control of the Chute Road. End note. ¶6. A comprehensive project is underway to improve the security of all exterior walls. See paras 13 and 19a below for blast mitigation security upgrades currently being conducted or contracted for. ¶7. (SBU) In accordance with 12 FAH-6 H-114, the following information is provided: the USAID compound, which is an unclassified facility, is located on the northeast portion of the International Zone, adjacent to the Tigris River (U.S. Military Grid Reference System: 38S MB 4489 8675.) The USAID compound is situated on 16 acres with a perimeter wall that varies from 11' high T-walls to 9' high Alaska barriers. There is a main administration building (Hammurabi),84 residences, one security site lead house, 14 trailers, dining hall, laundromat, two warehouses, gym, VIP meeting room, and a computer training facility, with additional residential units under construction. Construction of this compound commenced circa April 2003 and is ongoing. To the north of the compound is the United Nations (UN) Compound. A U.S. Military compound that is comprised of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) is located west of USAID; south, there is a Department Of State MWR facility known as "Liberty Pool." The former U.S. Chancery is located southeast of USAID; however, in June 2008, this property was transferred to the Japanese Embassy and is currently being renovated. A former section of the USAID compound that was referred to as the GSO warehouse area directly borders the southeast portion of the USAID compound. This property had been acquired by MNSTC-I which was constructing a barracks compound that would have consisted of five structures with the capacity to house upwards of 1,200 personnel (see note, end para five.) Further southeast is the GoI compound known as "Little Venice." This location is controlled entirely by Iraqi personnel. The primary access road for the USAID compound runs along the western boundary and is known as "Bob Johnson Road." This connects to a somewhat narrower road that runs along the northern boundary between USAID and the UN Compound. In turn, this road connects to the "River Road" which runs along the banks of the Tigris. At the northeast corner of the USAID compound, the River Road is blocked by the USAID Service Compound Access Control (CAC) and at the southeast corner, next to the MNF-I barracks property, it is blocked by a locked chain link gate with concertina wire atop. The River Road continues past the MNF-I barracks and the Japanese Embassy (where there is also a CAC) to the area known as "Little Venice." -------------- -------------- USAID Hammurabi Office Building -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) This single story cast in place reinforced concrete administration building was completed circa May 2005 and exceeds blast requirements as set forth by DOS/DS Foreign Affairs Handbooks 5 and 6; DS provided the threat level (critical) and blast standards to contractor Baker Engineering and risk consultants who built to those standards. The building has a working area of approximately 12,000 square feet. It was made of reinforced concrete, the roof was constructed with a twin layer to mitigate IDF Qroof was constructed with a twin layer to mitigate IDF vulnerability, and there is a full Public Access Control (PAC) with two Forced Entry/Ballistic Resistant (FE/BR),entrance/exit, and exterior doors leading to two additional internal ballistic resistant doors. With the exception to an FE/BR-provided window at the primary building entrance/exit there are no other windows in this building. Fifteen 15 Min FE/BR interior walls were provided at the primary egress and 60 Min interior walls were provided along the interior safe haven room. Inside, there are approximately 114 cubicles, 22 offices and a 20 feet by 40 feet "hardened" conference room (which serves as the safe haven.) There are emergency exits FE/BR doors that are alarmed, located in each corner of the building (totaling four.) There is an emergency exit door in the safe haven conference room. The 12-feet high ceilings have a drop ceiling and are equipped with fluorescent lights with metal reflectors. The building is equipped with a fire suppression system consisting of sprinklers and smoke detectors. ¶9. (SBU) Security is provided by DOS-contracted guards. These guard positions operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The guards provide security and screen visitors/workers for proper badges. There is a guard booth inside the building that is manned by two Triple Canopy (TC) guards and a supervisor. There are five closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitors in the guard booth that control 38 cameras that are distributed throughout the USAID compound. The CCTV room also contains first aid supplies, emergency and communication equipment. A complete renovation/replacement of the CCTV system has been planned and will be implemented starting in December 2008 with completion scheduled for February 2009. ¶10. (SBU) There are 84 residences on the compound. Eleven have been divided to accommodate two individuals. The remaining 73 units house one individual each. Each is approximately 550 square feet and composed of concrete, brick and steel. A center hallway area and the bathroom provide limited safe havening in the residences. Each residence has seven windows that are covered with Mylar on both sides. Each residence has a hard-line telephone through which duck and cover and other emergency notifications are transmitted. Each residence is equipped with a fire extinguisher and smoke detectors. The residences have a continuous occupancy rate of approximately 99%. ¶11. (SBU) There are 14 trailers on this location. Ten have one bedroom measuring approximately 190 square feet, and four trailers have two bedrooms measuring approximately 280 square feet. Each trailer is surrounded by a 4 1/2 inch high, 6-inch wide, concrete wall to absorb shrapnel in the event of an Indirect Fire (IDF) attack. Each trailer has two windows that have two layers of Mylar. The trailers have a hard-line telephone that has "Selectone" capability. They also have a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector. The trailers currently have an occupancy rate of approximately 90%. -------------- -------------- USAID Palm Tree Cafe, Gym, Laundry, and VIP Meeting Room -------------- -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The Palm Tree Cafe, laundry, and the gym/VIP meeting room are separate buildings on the compound. These buildings are composed of concrete. All of the windows have a double layer of Mylar. The gym has a speaker mounted on the wall to enhance the "Selectone" system. All buildings have telephones with "Selectone" capability. Each building has the appropriate number of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. There are seven duck and cover bunkers that surround the buildings or are situated in very close proximity. -------------- -------------- Perimeter -------------- -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The northern and western perimeters of the USAID compound, along the Bob Johnson Road and the UN Compound Road are both composed of a double line of 11-foot T-walls. The area between the T-walls is backfilled with soil to the top to provide an effective barrier between 6 and 8 feet thick. The barrier wall is topped by multiple strands of Qbarrier wall is topped by multiple strands of concertina wire. All of the T-walls are linked by a double-length 3/4 inch steel cable to provide additional stability. This barrier system replaces a system of single-thickness T-walls and will be completed by the end of November 2008. Each T-wall is 11 feet high, 6 1/2 feet wide, with a base equal to the width of the wall plus 2 1/2 feet to allow the wall sections to stand independent of each other. The southern perimeter is lined with a single line of T- walls along its entire length. One approximate hundred foot segment of this wall also a permanent brick wall approximately ten feet tall. The USAID compound is currently separated from the MNSTC-I barracks property by T-walls. If this property is returned to USAID, those T-walls will be moved to line the perimeter along the Japanese Embassy Compound. The northern perimeter of the compound, along the River Road, is lined with T-walls on the river side of the road and another line of T-walls on the compound side of the road. The T-walls along the river are topped with concertina wire. There are CCTVs that are distributed all along the perimeter of the USAID compound. As noted earlier, a project is underway to renovate the CCTV system, which currently has 38 cameras monitored 24 hours per day, seven days per week by security guards in the CCTV room. ¶14. (SBU) The vehicle and pedestrian entrance and control points are available through two CACs. The CACs are used to gain access to the USAID compound. Both CACs were built to DS-approved standards. ¶15. (SBU) Perimeter lighting consists of halogen sodium, 1000-watt lights. The lights are on a timer and the majority are situated on the east side of the compound. There are additional perimeter lights in front of the Hammurabi Building and in the southeast corner of the Palm Tree Cafe. Outside lighting is supplied by halogen 400-watts (for the five large Cummins generators),while 250-watts and e-40 radium 240-watts are used to illuminate other locations and structures throughout the compound. Types of lighting include fluorescent and normal 60-watt light bulbs inside the structures. Emergency lighting and back-up power generators are used on this compound in the event power is lost. -------------- -------------- Communications -------------- -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Communications are managed from the communications center, which houses the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) USAID network, voice and data and microwave link to the palace (currently U.S. Embassy property) and the NEC. -------------- -------------- Generators -------------- -------------- ¶17. (SBU) There are five Cummins generators, totaling 5.5 megawatts, located on the east side of the USAID compound; they are protected by two concrete, overhead slabs that are spaced approximately one meter apart. Two Cummins generators, 0.85 megawatts each, are located east of the Palm Tree Cafe and have the same overhead concrete covering as the five larger generators. The Tata generator is located at the base of the radio tower, south of the Hammurabi Building. This generator has no protection. ¶18. (SBU) Six, 50,000-liter diesel fuel tanks located beside and north of the five Cummins generators provide 300,000 liters in total fuel storage capacity. The tanks are approximately 10 feet below the surface, in a concrete encasement, further protected with evenly spaced, overhead concrete slabs. Two additional 250-liter diesel fuel tanks located adjacent to the two Cummins generators provide an additional 5,000 liters of capacity and are protected with the same overhead concrete protection as the rest of the generators. The generators are tested at least weekly. -------------- -------------- Continued Construction/Physical Security Upgrades -------------- -------------- Q -------------- -------------- ¶19. (SBU) The USAID compound currently does not meet all the setback and clear zone physical security standards. There are 14 double-occupancy trailers which were identified by USAID as not having sufficient blast protection. Quotations were received for overhead cover for the existing trailer units (at a cost of approximately $6 million USD) and for construction of replacement housing that would meet physical security standards (approximately $3 million USD). These trailers will be removed as soon as residential construction is completed, estimated now on or before May 2009. USAID has contracted and is proceeding with construction of replacement housing to eliminate the trailer accommodations. The balance of the existing housing on the USAID compound was designed and contracted to meet the specifications and security requirements at the time they were built, including a double layer roof and a secure safe-haven area (the bathroom) area. As part of USAID's ongoing maintenance program, each residence is being checked by structural engineers and, funds permitting, steps may be taken to strengthen security for the existing units, including fortifying doors and overhead cover (roofing.) Work on these existing housing units should be completed before the end of FY 2009. ¶A. Perimeter Wall Standard: On all but the river side area of the compound, T-walls have been or are being doubled up and sand is being used to fill these walls in for blast mitigation. All walls are, or will be, cabled together with at least 3/4 inch cable. The tops of all Alaska-type walls will be squared off using concrete forms. Outriggers will be produced for the tops of the perimeter wall where needed and new double-strand concertina wire will be installed. ¶B. Compound Access Control Standard: Both CACs are DS-approved and built to standard. ¶C. Setback Standard: Setback is met on all sides with the exception of the area directly across from the Multi National Security Transition Command-Iraq's new construction zone. If this property is incorporated into the USAID compound as anticipated, this side will also meet setback standards. ¶D. Clear Zone Standard: All foliage, both inside and outside the compound, has been trimmed back to afford visibility. Due to the shrinking footprint of the compound, clear zone can not be met on a number of sides near the perimeter wall, most especially the area along the Chute Road. ¶E. Parking Standard: Standard has been met. ¶F. Lighting Standard: Lighting has been inspected and found to be below standards. This is being rectified and lighting will meet or exceed standards before the end of the second quarter of FY 2009. ¶G. Closed-circuit Television (CCTV): The CCTV system has been inspected and USAID/SEC has scheduled technicians to be assigned to upgrade and augment that system. The system will be completely replaced and this work will be completed on or before the end of February 2009. ¶H. IDF/Blast Mitigation: Angle iron structures have been manufactured onsite and have been placed in front of all windows of the compound building which are all covered by Shatter Resistant Window Film (SRWF). These structures are stacked with sandbags and provide a defense against shrapnel splash. ¶I. Mantraps: Mantraps for both CACs have been designed and will soon be contracted for; plans for the construction of these mantraps were furnished to USAID by DS. ¶J. Pedestrian Egress: T-walls were placed in front of the pedestrian exit/turnstile in order to shield this area in case of IDF attacks and to prevent the ability of civilians to look straight into the compound. ¶K. Guard Towers: Five all-weather, elevated, blast- resistant guard towers have been identified on COM property and have been assigned to USAID. The scope Qproperty and have been assigned to USAID. The scope of work for moving and reinstalling the towers has been completed and is currently being evaluated. Subject to funds availability and RSO approval, this work will be completed before the end of the second quarter of FY 2009. -------------- -------------- Setback/Access Concerns -------------- -------------- ¶20. (SBU) MNSTC-I: This DOD unit was building a compound adjacent to the USAID compound. This project has now been cancelled and construction terminated. The Chute Road, which provides access from Bob Johnson Road to the barracks site, will be transferred to the Japanese Embassy to serve as the primary access route for their embassy compound upon completion of a Memorandum of Agreement under which the Japanese Embassy would agree to ensure that access control for the chute road meets DS access point security standards. The U.S. Embassy and USAID have agreed to provide support and assistance to the Japanese Embassy to ensure that DS standards are met. The Chute Road was originally a Baghdad city street, but it was blocked when USAID occupied the compound. MNSTC-I reopened the road in conjunction with the now- cancelled construction project. ¶21. (SBU) The Japanese Embassy is next to the USAID compound. Discussions have been held with the Japanese Embassy regarding joint security measures and the USAID RSO and the security contractor for the Japanese Embassy meet regularly to coordinate security and address mutual security concerns. -------------- -------------- Supporting Documentation -------------- -------------- ¶22. (U) Additional supporting documentation with site maps, diagrams, and digital photos will be submitted under separate cover. -------------- -------------- DCM and RSO Statements -------------- -------------- ¶23. (SBU) Deputy Chief of Mission Patricia A. Butenis and Embassy Regional Security Officer Mark Hipp recommend and endorse this request to waive the collocation and setback standards. USAID, with DS/RSO assistance and AID/SEC support, has taken all possible steps to maximize the degree of protection afforded the USAID compound and the RSO agrees that current and projected security measures are appropriate and sufficient to protect COM personnel. It is USAID's intent, supported by the Embassy, to move to the New Embassy Compound when office and residential space sufficient to accommodate all USAID personnel in Baghdad are available. USAID has submitted details justifying this waiver deeming it to be in the best interests of the United States Government. ¶24. (U) Post appreciates the continuing support of the Department Of State Diplomatic Security Bureau and looks forward to an expeditious resolution of this request. CROCKER