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DE RUEHDG #0011/01 0131629
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131629Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0523
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHWSR/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMCSUU/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC MARR AMGT HA DR
SUBJECT: SANTO DOMINGO EARTHQUAKE SITREP 1 
 
SUMMARY 
 
 
 
¶1.  Embassy Santo Domingo Earthquake Sitrep 1: 
 
 
 
n  The Haiti earthquake caused tremors in the Dominican Republic, 
but minimal damage. 
 
 
 
n  Wardens report no Americans missing or casualties. 
 
 
 
n  President Fernandez told Charge that the Dominican Government is 
prepared to provide military and civilian resources to assist 
Haitian relief efforts. 
 
 
 
n  Dominican Defense Minister is at the southern border town of 
Jimini to view the situation and set up a command center. 
 
 
 
n  Dominican Air Force assets are on stand-by to fly to Haiti. 
 
 
 
n  Embassy recommends that any air evacuation of Embassy Haiti 
personnel and Amcits to Santo Domingo enter via San Isidro military 
airport rather than Las Americas International Airport. 
 
 
 
DR SUFFERS MINIMAL DAMAGE 
 
 
 
¶2.  According to Civil Defense officials and the media, the 
Dominican Republic suffered minimal damages from the Haiti 
earthquake.  A major electricity line in the southern region was 
disrupted, but quickly repaired.  Strong tremors were felt in the 
major cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago, but no buildings were 
reported as collapsing.  The Santo Domingo metro was temporarily 
closed as a precautionary measure, and Tsunami alerts were issued 
for 18 of the 32 provinces. 
 
 
 
AMCITS OK 
 
 
 
¶3.  The full warden network responded quickly to the crisis and 
reported to the Consulate that no registered Amcits in their areas 
of responsibility appear to have been adversely affected by the 
earthquake. 
 
 
 
DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO HELP 
 
 
 
¶4.  Charge spoke with President Leonel Fernandez the evening of 
1/12/10, and the President provided assurances that the Dominican 
Government (GoDR) is prepared to provide military and civilian 
resources to assist in Haiti relief efforts.  Presidential Press 
Spokesman Rafael Nunez held a press conference that same evening to 
announce that the GoDR's Emergency Operations Center has been 
activated and that resources were being prepared for dispatch to 
Haiti. 
 
ARMED FORCES GEARING UP 
 
 
 
¶5.  DATT and MAAG have been in constant contact with Dominican 
military sources and report: 
 
 
 
n  The Dominican Air Force is prepared to send four Huey II 
helicopters, two Casa 212 fixed-wing cargo aircraft, and a limited 
search and rescue team (dogs and medics) to Haiti as soon as it 
gets the green light that it can land these assets in Port au 
Prince. 
 
 
 
n  Defense Minister Gen. Pena Antonio flew to the southern border 
town of Jimini the morning of 1/13/10, with three Huey IIs, to view 
the situation on the border and set up a command center there. 
 
 
 
n  Military officials have offered to support USG relief efforts. 
 
 
 
n  Military resources in the border region are being strengthened 
to assist in relief efforts as needed. 
 
 
 
n  The Armed Forces are in communication with the Dominican 
Ambassador and DATT in Haiti. 
 
 
 
EVACUATION OF EMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PERSONNEL AND AMCITS 
 
 
 
¶6.  Post understands that an air evacuation of Embassy Port au 
Prince personnel and Amcits from Haiti will go via Santo Domingo. 
We suggest that such an evacuation be staged through the San Isidro 
military airport (MDSI) in Santo Domingo, rather than through the 
Las Americas International Airport.  It will be easier to provide 
any necessary assistance and perform security checks at San Isidro, 
and it will also be easier to handle charter flights from there. 
Should onward evacuation to the U.S. be via commercial flights, it 
will be a simple process to hire busses to take passengers from San 
Isidro to the nearby Las Americas airport. 
 
 
 
¶7.  Port au Prince Minimize Considered. 
Lambert