ALEXANDRIA: IMPROVING THE NEIGHBORHOODS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALEXANDRIA 000373 E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: PGOV KISL EG SUBJECT: ALEXANDRIA: IMPROVING THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND (BY) MOVING OUT THE FUNDAMENTALISTS ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IS UNDERTAKING A MAJOR PROGRAM TO IMPROVE HOUSING AND GENERAL LIVING CONDITIONS IN MANY OF ITS POORER NEIGHBORHOODS. ONE PROGRAM ELEMENT, INVOLVING THE RELOCATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS, IS IN PART INTENDED TO ROOT OUT AND ISOLATE EXTREMISTS AND THEIR FUNDAMENTALIST SYMPATHIZERS. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SURVEYING NEIGHBORHOODS AND PREPARING LOCAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS ALSO SEEK TO IDENTIFY FUNDAMENTALIST TROUBLEMAKERS, WHO ARE THEN RELOCATED TO AREAS AWAY FROM THEIR LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) THE OFFICIAL PRESS MAY 10 REPORTED THAT THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA WAS ENGAGED IN A 186 MILLION L.E. (ABOUT USD 55 MILLION) PROGRAM OF NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS. TARGETTED AT FIFTY-SIX POOR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY, THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO IMPROVE HOUSING, ROADS, SEWAGE FACILITIES AND WATER SUPPLIES. ¶3. (LOU) A LOCAL COUNCIL MEMBER AND A DISTRICT MAYOR WHOM WE SPOKE WITH SEPARATELY WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE PROGRAM. BOTH EMPHASIZED THE CARE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WAS TAKING TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY CLAIMED THAT SOCIAL WORKERS HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH VISITING THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO SURVEY THE NEEDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND THEN HELP PLAN A SUITABLE PROGRAM. IN AREAS WHERE HOUSING IS COMPLETELY UNSUITABLE, RESIDENTS WILL BE PREMANENTLY RELOCATED TO HOUSING ELSEWHERE, SUCH AS IN THE NOW-LARGELY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT OF AMREYA, NEAR THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY. WHERE HOUSING IS NOT SO BAD, OR WHERE ROAD, SEWER, AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS HAVE TO BE MADE, RESIDENTS MIGHT BE RELOCATED FOR A SHORT TIME TO TEMPORARY FACILITIES. ¶4. (LOU) OUR CONTACTS STRESSED THE ATTENTION WHICH IS BEING PAID TO THE NEEDS OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOCIAL WORKERS DETERMINE THAT RESIDENTS TO BE RELOCATED INCLUDE LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN, SCHOOLS WILL BE BUILT IN THE NEW HOUSING AREAS. ALSO, IF LARGE NUMBERS OF WORKERS ARE DISPLACED FROM CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEIR JOBS BY THE RELOCATION, ATTENTION WILL BE GIVEN TO IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. ¶5. (LOU) BOTH OFFICIALS DISCOUNTED THE POSSIBILITY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. FIRST OF ALL, THE RESIDENTS ARE BEING MOVED TO MUCH-IMPROVED HOUSING. SECONDLY, OUR CONTACTS CLAIMED, MOST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE TARGETTED NEIGHBORHOODS ARE MIGRANTS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. THEY HAVE LITTLE LONG-TERM ATTACHMENT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. ¶6. (C) OUR CONTACTS BOTH VOLUNTEERED THAT THERE IS A SECURITY ASPECT TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THOSE WHO ARE CHARGED WITH SURVEYING THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ALSO IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL TROUBLEMAKERS, SUCH AS FUNDAMENTALISTS, WHO ARE OF CONCERN TO SECURITY OFFICIALS. THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE OF CONCERN WILL BE RELOCATED TO AREAS AWAY FROM LIKE-MINDED NEIGHBORS OR TROUBLEMAKERS FROM OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: ALEXANDRIAS AMBITIOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS UNDOUBTEDLY PART OF A NATIONAL EFFORT TO TARGET SOME SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CAUSES OF FUNDAMENTALIST EXTREMISM. THOSE OFFICIALS WITH WHOM WE SPOKE, WHO HAVE IN THE PAST HAVE SHOWN A KEEN SENSE AND CONCERN FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS NEEDS, SEEM GENUINELY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT; THE DISTRICT MAYOR SAID HE HOPED TO SEE REAL PROGRESS IN SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. IT IS INTERESTING THAT OUR CONTACTS FREELY DISCUSSED THE SECURITY ASPECTS OF THE ALEXANDRIA PROGRAM, ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEED TO ROOT OUT AND ISOLATE EXTREMISTS WHILE ELIMINATING THE REASONS FOR AND SOURCES OF THEIR LOCAL SUPPORT. END COMMENT. FISHBEIN