BAGHDAD BOMBINGS: USG ASSISTANCE COORDINATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002877 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2010 TAGS: EAID ASEC PGOV PTER IZ SUBJECT: BAGHDAD BOMBINGS: USG ASSISTANCE COORDINATION WORKING GROUP'S EFFORTS Classified By: DCM Robert Ford for Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Post has established an interagency working group to coordinate assistance to the GOI following the October 25 car bombings at several GOI buildings, including the Ministry of Justice (MOJ),Ministry of Interior (MOI), Higher Judicial Council (HJC),Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works (MMPW),the Baghdad Provincial Council Office and the Baghdad Governorate. Embassy law enforcement personnel and explosives experts visited the bomb sites to collect forensic evidence and assess the damage, at the GOI's request. Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) also sent explosive detonation analysts to the scene and have been consulting with Iraqi military leadership. Post will continue to provide assessments of our assistance capabilities and coordination with other embassies and the United Nations. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Following the October 25 car bomb attacks on Baghdad government offices, Post created an interagency working group to coordinate efforts on providing assistance to the GOI. The attacks, which killed over 140 people, damaged the MOJ, MOI, HJC, MMPW, the Baghdad Provincial Council Office and the Baghdad Governorate. We are meeting with GOI counterparts to assess immediate and long term needs, and to streamline possible funding sources. We have also contacted the UN and other missions including the British, Japanese, and Italian embassies. All responded that no assistance has yet been determined, but they are consulting with their capitals. ¶3. (U) Post's civilian assistance working group is led by the Director for Assistance Coordination and includes representatives from the Office of Transition Assistance, Rule of Law (ROL),International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL),USAID, Political, Political-Military, Economic, Iraq Transition Assistance Office (ITAO),Office of Provincial Affairs (OPA),Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)-Baghdad, Justice, FBI, ATF, and MNF-I civilian affairs officers. USG points of contact have been identified for each GOI entity affected by the bombing. They will work with their GOI counterparts to determine the extent of damage, the impact on operational capacity, and the potential needs the GOI may identify in the coming days and weeks, and will report this information back in daily working group meetings. ¶4. (SBU) Embassy law enforcement personnel (ATF Attache) and explosives experts from ATF, FBI and DOD assigned to Task Force Troy,s Combined Explosives Exploitation Cell (CEXC) visited the scenes of both attacks on the evening of October 25 at the MOI's request (reported septel). The team collected forensic evidence from areas of the blast crater and surrounding walls to obtain explosive residue and examined possible suspect vehicles. On October 26, Embassy law enforcement personnel again visited the bombing scenes to reassess the damage, communicate with MOI investigators, and collect forensic evidence that could not be obtained the night before. ¶5. (C) MNF-I and its subordinate elements immediately sent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Quick Reaction Forces to the bomb sites on October 25, and szGQgn5Q02 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002877 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2010 TAGS: EAID ASEC PGOV PTER IZ SUBJECT: BAGHDAD BOMBINGS: USG ASSISTANCE COORDINATION WORKING GROUP'S EFFORTS assistance at this time. HILL assistance at this time. HILL