ESTABLISHMENT OF QATARI INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000578 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2037 TAGS: PINS PGOV EAID ASEC SOCI QA SUBJECT: ESTABLISHMENT OF QATARI INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PERMANENT COMMITTEE; SUPPORT TO PLANNED UPGRADED RESPONSE CAPABILITY Classified By: Ambassador Joseph LeBaron; E.O. 12958; Reason 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: Qatar is rapidly building a world-wide disaster response and humanitarian relief capability, part of the Qatari leadership's efforts to carve out a larger regional and international role for their country. To better coordinate these efforts, a recent Emiri decree established a permanent interagency committee for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and recovery to be maintained and chaired by Qatar's Internal Security Force (ISF),or "Lakhwia," which will act as the principal responder to natural and manmade disasters, both internationally and domestically. The Director of the ISF's Training Department (and member of the GOQ interagency C-17 acquisition committee) claimed that Qatar has negotiated to receive one of two purchased Boeing C-17s earlier than originally planned and was negotiating to do the same with one of four C-130's. The advanced, long-range military transport aircraft were being purchased primarily for direct support to Qatar's international humanitarian assistance response capability, and to remedy previous problems ISF encountered with use of civil aviation assets. END SUMMARY ¶2. (C/NF) RSO and PolOff met August 4 with Colonel Mahdi Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, ISF Director of the Training Department, to discuss the announced establishment of a permanent interagency committee for humanitarian assistance (HA) and disaster relief and recovery (DR). Al-Qahtani provided Emboffs with a brief overview of past ISF HA/DR operations abroad in Pakistan, Lebanon, Somalia, and Indonesia, since the 2003 creation of the ISF Search and Rescue Teams (SRT). He discussed the future consolidation of authority for HA/DR operations under the permanent committee, the acquisition of two C-17 and four C-130 aircraft for direct support to ISF operations, and purchase of 17 off-road search and rescue vehicles that are C-130 transportable. In addition, Al-Qahtani felt the creation of a permanent committee under ISF will provide the ISF authority to better organize and respond to future disaster relief operations; such as directing Qatari medical and charitable relief agencies and coordinating logistical requirements with civil and military aviation assets. The ISF would also welcome additional training and cooperation with USG humanitarian assistance organizations as possible partners in future relief operations. -------------- COMMITTEE MISSION & ORGANIZATION -------------- ¶3. (U) According to Emiri decree number 16 of 2008, the Committee will be responsible for strategies and plans necessary for rescue and relief operations, assessing the level of damage and relief requirements, recommending the deployment of humanitarian assistance teams, supplies and equipment to affected areas, providing general supervision of the rescue and relief operations and the provision of humanitarian assistance, and coordinating Qatari efforts with international humanitarian assistance organizations (governmental and non-governmental). ¶4. (U) Sheikh Abdallah bin Nasser Al-Thani, ISF Commander and Minister of State for Internal Affairs, will appoint the head, deputy head, and other ISF members of the committee, which will be further organized with an Assistant Committee Chair for Humanitarian Assistance and Supply (Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities); Assistant Committee Chair for Medical Affairs (Hamad Medical Corporation); and representatives from the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Public Health; the Qatar News Agency; and the Civil Aviation Authority. The members of the committee have not been named; however, members outside the ISF are required to be department-level managers or equivalent. The term of the membership in the Committee will be for three years, renewable for similar periods. ¶5. (U) The Committee will be required to submit a detailed report on its activities to the Commander of the ISF after completion of a rescue or relief mission, as well as an annual report which includes the results of relief operations, difficulties encountered, and recommendations to fix problems. The Commander of the ISF will submit an annual report and recommendations to the Council of Ministers. -------------- C-17 EARLY ACQUISITION: ISF DIRECT SUPPORT -------------- DOHA 00000578 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C/NF) Al-Qahtani stated he was a member of the GOQ interagency C-17 acquisition committee, and revealed that Qatar negotiated to receive one of two recently contracted Boeing C-17s earlier than originally planned, and was negotiating to do the same with one of four C-130's. He claimed Qatar would receive a C-17 in fall 2008 vice mid- to late-2009, and that the aircraft would be primarily used for direct support to Qatar's international humanitarian assistance response capability. During previous HA/DR operations, the ISF had run into problems contracting civilian cargo aircraft and getting equipment and humanitarian supplies from Doha to the affected areas. The wait encountered was sometimes several days after ISF SRT and Qatari humanitarian personnel arrived in country, and the organic airlift capability will allow ISF to deploy with their equipment and supplies and maintain operational control of the asset. (NOTE: Al-Qahtani may have misspoken; according to Embassy information from the Qatar Armed Forces and Boeing, Qatar will receive the first C-17 in September 2009, vice an original plan of 2010, not in 2008 vice 2009. END NOTE.) -------------- PURCHASE OF 17 OFF-ROAD VEHICLES -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In late 2007, ISF purchased 17 off-road search and rescue vehicles from Fresno, California-based Sportsmobile West that are currently in transit by ship to Qatar and expected to arrive by September 2008. The 17 Elite Search & Rescue Vans consist of one command vehicle, two support vehicles, two K-9 vehicles (8 dogs per van),and 12 transport vehicles. Each of the 12 transport vehicles will accommodate 12 passengers each, for a total of 144 people at any one time. All of the vehicles are based on a Ford Econoline (E350) chassis; all are C-130 transportable and painted in red ISF colors. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) The establishment of the permanent committee is an attempt to unify command and focus ISF humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in the future. Qatar is rapidly building an assistance and relief capability to respond world wide. For a country slightly smaller than the size of Connecticut, with an indigenous population around a quarter of a million, Qatari efforts to build a response capacity appear to be part of the leadership,s strategic goal of being seen as a regional and international player; and using their wealth as a tool in extending their political influence and enhancing bilateral relations. LeBaron