DEMARCHE REQUEST-AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 108966 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL IZ AS SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST-AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ PRTS REF: BAGHDAD 3050 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 3. Purpose -------------- ¶2. (U) Embassy Baghdad would like to selectively expand international participation in the Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) program (reftel) and has identified agriculture as an element of the PRT program appropriate for partners, participation. Australia has a proven record in addressing complex agricultural issues, especially in irrigation management and farm and processing mechanization, which have parallels in Iraq. We believe Australian agricultural specialists could make a significant contribution. Department would like to invite Australia to participate in the Iraq PRT program. Objectives -------------- ¶3. (U) Department requests Embassy Canberra demarche the GOA, in pursuit of the following objectives: -- Request the GOA provide agricultural specialists in irrigation management and farm and processing mechanization to work in the Iraq PRT program. -- Request these agricultural specialists, in coordination with Embassy Baghdad,s Office of Provincial Affairs (OPA), develop strategies to address Iraq agricultural issues in irrigation management and farm and processing mechanization. Deadline -------------- ¶4. (U) Department requests Post report the results of this demarche via cable by October 14--please slug NEA DAS Richard Schmierer and NEA/I Aja Bonsu. NEA plans to follow up with the Australian Embassy on October 16. Background -------------- ¶5. (U) Australia,s potential participation in the Iraq PRT program was informally discussed with the Australian delegation to the Friends of Iraq Conference, June 17-19 in Abu Dhabi. On a separate occasion in Baghdad, Ambassador Crocker also informally discussed GOA,s potential participation in the Iraq PRT program with Australia,s Ambassador to Iraq and Minister of Defense. Australian officials in Abu Dhabi agreed to consider the proposal if the U.S. would provide a more detailed request for participation. Reftel provides background on Iraq,s needs and how Australia,s agricultural experience and expertise could meet this need. Post may also find the following information useful: -- Despite the size and potential of Iraq,s agriculture industry, Iraq is not food-secure. Iraq suffers from years of infrastructure neglect, lack of up-to-date technologies, and policies that are not conducive to increasing productivity and competing in world markets. Australian participation in the Iraq PRT program could alleviate some of these issues. -- Australian officials have agreed to consider a proposal requesting the GOA provide agriculture specialists for some PRTs. However, they requested more details, including the number of specialists needed, the types of expertise required, and the locations where these specialists would be deployed. Department believes that at least six agricultural specialists in irrigation management and farm and processing mechanization, deployed initially for one year, would be optimum. Department anticipates the specialists in irrigation management would be deployed in Iraq,s Najaf, Ninawa, and Diwaniya provinces. Department anticipates the specialists in farm and processing mechanization would be STATE 00108966 002 OF 002 deployed in Iraq,s Baghdad, Erbil, and Najaf provinces. Point of Contact -------------- ¶6. (U) Please contact Aja Bonsu (NEA,s Office of Iraq Provincial Reconstruction, Transition, and Stabilization Affairs; 202-647-5919; BonsuAC@state.gov or BonsuAC@state.sgov.gov) with any questions or concerns about this demarche. RICE