VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGB #2900/01 3021617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291617Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5272
INFO RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 0619
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002900 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ASEC PGOV PTER IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD BOMBINGS: USG ASSISTANCE COORDINATION 
WORKING GROUP - OCTOBER 29 UPDATE 
 
REF: A) BAGHDAD 2877 B)BAGHDAD 2883 C) BAGHDAD 2884 
     D) BAGHDAD 2889 E) KUWAIT 1030 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Baghdad's Assistance Coordination Working 
Group continues to meet daily to assess the damage and 
respond to needs following the October 25 bombings. INL has 
delivered 12 vehicles and several work stations to the Higher 
Judicial Council (HJC) and is expediting delivery of 
additional computer equipment. Baghdad PRT and MND-Baghdad 
have sent cadaver dogs in the recovery effort. USAID has 
identified five generators for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) 
and Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works (MMPW).  The 
Council of Ministers has responded with damage assessment 
allocations totaling $13.7 million with the possiblity to 
consider reallocation of funds from its 2010 budget for 
reconstructing the affected ministerial offices. The Ministry 
of Health (MOH) has requested anesthetic from the World 
Health Organization, but reported it otherwise has sufficient 
medical supplies and blood banks. Potable water and raw 
sewage services near the bombing site have been restored. 
End Summary. 
 
USG Support Continues 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Baghdad's Assistance Coordination Working Group 
continues to meet daily to assess the damage and respond to 
needs following the October 25 bombings. On October 28, INL 
delivered its emergency loan of 12 vehicles to the HJC, 
permitting HJC staff to marshal resources and deliver them to 
their continuity operations cell at the Old Karkh courthouse. 
 On October 29, INL also delivered and helped HJC staff build 
work stations at Al Karkh, with plans for delivery of laptops 
in the next few days. This will ensure that judicial 
throughput continues uninterrupted at courthouses nationwide. 
 INL has agreed to expedite development of its 
software/hardware package to help the MOJ manage internal 
data and link the MOJ to the HJC and MOI. The previously 
agreed package includes $60,000 of servers, computers, 
scanners, and printers that we expect to deliver in early 
December. INL has also instructed its subcontractor to 
expedite approximately $40,000 worth of training for the MOJ 
IT sections. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) MOJ's Deputy Minister has told us his staff is 
assessing the use of the National Security Council building 
as temporary office space in the next few days.  The DGs for 
Juvenile Welfare, Notary, and Implementation will work from 
their satellite offices for the time being. The DG for 
Administration and Finance has requested assistance in 
furnishing its offices with equipment and computers. MOJ has 
asked for vehicles, most of which were destroyed in the 
bombing. We are working to determine if any additional 
vehicles can be provided. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) USAID has identified five generators for delivery, 
including three to the MMPW and two to the MOJ. It also 
delivered previously-committed furniture, computers, IT 
equipment and two vehicles to the Ministry of Finance, which 
suffered substantive losses after the August 19 bombing. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On October 29, Baghdad PRT and MND-Baghdad provided 
two cadaver dogs and two bomb dogs to the Iraqi Civil Defense 
Directorate (ICDD) (per ICDD's request) for the MOJ bomb 
site. Gulf Region Division engineers conducted safety checks 
prior to the dogs entering the site. We will provide updates 
on the results of these activities. 
 
GOI Provides Funds, Restores Water 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) On October 27, the Council of Ministers (COM) 
authorized a transfer of $6 million to the MMPW and $7.7 
Qauthorized a transfer of $6 million to the MMPW and $7.7 
million to the MOJ to assess damages to the buildings. If the 
structural assessments require rebuilding, the COM would have 
to consider reallocation of funds within the 2010 budget, 
which is currently with the Council of Representatives (COR) 
for approval. (Note: Reallocations could also be made after 
the COR approves the budget, up to a certain percentage of 
the respective capital budget. End Note).  Per reftel D, 
engineers hired by the local government are evaluating the 
Baghdad Governorate and Provincial Council Building. The 
Provincial Council Administrative Committee Chairman told us 
it would take a minimum of two weeks before they could return 
to their office. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The World Health Organization (WHO) representative 
has reported that the Ministry of Health (MOH)'s Emergency 
Plan was effectively implemented on October 25 and subsequent 
days. MOH senior officials supervised the medical evacuation, 
 
triage, transfer and recovery operations throughout Baghdad's 
hospitals, with 97 ambulances mobilized for evacuation 
operations. Physicians from outside Baghdad have also been 
called upon to assist. MOH reported that its supply of 
medical supplies and central blood bank stocks were 
sufficient. An emergency buffer stock of 180 bottles of blood 
was supplied to various hospitals on the day of the bombing. 
In response to MOH's request, WHO is shipping 75,000 vials of 
anesthetic early next week. WHO also reported it has eight 
sets of surgical kits for 200 cases stored in Baghdad ready 
for deployment if needed. Per reftel E, the Government of 
Kuwait has also offered to provide treatment at Kuwaiti 
hospitals for 20 Iraqis. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) After requesting MND-B's contractor to switch off 
the Jadriya pump station on October 25 due to damage to the 
raw water trunk main near the blast area, Baghdad Water 
Authority reported on October 29 that it has now restored 
both potable and raw water services near the explosion site. 
HILL