Cablegate: Unami Donor Briefing Addresses Iraq Security And

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000387

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID IZ JO UNSC
SUBJECT: UNAMI DONOR BRIEFING ADDRESSES IRAQ SECURITY AND
REENTRY PLANS

REF: AMMAN 8022

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) A January 13 UNAMI donor briefing addressed security
and UN strategic planning. While UNSECOORD provided a
dismally pessimistic assessment of the current security
situation in Iraq, UNAMI officers were optimistic about a
return to Iraq in the future. They also expressed concern
that appropriate coordination take place between the UN and
Iraqi authorities on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
The UNDG Strategic Planning Advisor briefed attendees about
the UN's ambitious strategic plan for Iraq. End Summary.

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UNAMI SECURITY BRIEFING: PESSIMISTIC
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2. (SBU) The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) held its
second donor briefing on January 13 in Amman. UNSECOORD
Field Security Coordination Officer, Jean Luc Massart,
assessed the current security situation throughout Iraq.
Massart presented a dismal security assessment, based on
ethnic tensions in Erbil, increases in attacks against
Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) forces in the Sunni
triangle area, more sophisticated forms of attacks and
expansion in the number of attacks on aircrafts. Massart
added that there are growing fears that a light plane or
helicopter packed with explosives may be used in the future
as an attack device as well as a high-profile kidnap threat
which could prove highly embarrassing to the CPA. He
concluded by saying that the level of insurgents'
determination is on the increase, Saddam's capture has not
translated into the expected decrease in attacks and that he
did not foresee significant improvements in the situation.
Massart added that the UN will conduct a detailed security
assessment at the end of January.

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UNAMI OFFICERS OPTIMISTIC
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3. (SBU) At a post-briefing meeting, UNAMI coordinator Maggs
Mac Guiness said she was more optimistic than she had been in
early December. She believed the naming of Special
Representative Ross Mountain was a positive step and was
looking forward to his Amman visit in late January. She
expected Mountain to arrive in Larnaca, Cyprus on January 24.
She expressed hope that a clearer picture for the UN effort
in Iraq would result after the January 19 Security Council
meeting. In spite of the gloomy UNSECOORD briefing, Mac
Guinness said the UN has a history of working under tough
security conditions and was sure proper security measures
could be in place in Iraq to allow UN personnel to return
eventually.

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STRATEGIC PLANNING: PROGRESS
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4. (SBU) UN Development Group Strategic Planning Advisor
Michael Dalton shared preliminary results of the ongoing UN
strategic planning exercise. He outlined the focus of UN
rebuilding in Iraq as a program of "10 UN clusters" each
headed by a task manager. The clusters are: 1. Education and
Culture; 2. Health; 3. Water and Sanitation; 4.
Infrastructure and Housing; 5. Agriculture, Water Resources
and Environmental projects; 6. Food Security; 7. Mine Action;
8. Internally Displaced People/Refugees; 9. Governance and
Civil Society; and 10. Human Development/Poverty Reduction.
Along with these ten clusters, the strategic plan will also
include five working themes: 1. Security; 2. Human Rights; 3.
Gender; 4. Environment; 5. Employment Generation. Mac
Guinness is worried that there could be confusion throughout
Iraq if the UN does not coordinate its efforts with other
humanitarian agencies and NGO's.

5. (SBU) Mac Guinness expressed interest in obtaining a
breakdown of the Iraq Reconstruction Budget, after learning
that Admiral Nash, Director of the Program Management Office
for the Reconstruction of Iraq, had been in Amman. The
Embassy's Iraq Support Unit Officer, who had been one of
Admiral Nash's control officers, advised Mac Guinness that
the budget consisted of USD 6 billion for "Non-Construction"
efforts (Goods and Services) and USD 12 billion for
"Construction", i.e., oil, water, electricity, security,
justice, buildings, and health.
COMMENT
6. (SBU) Mac Guinness was appreciative of the U.S. Embassy
interest in attending the UNAMI briefings. She confided that
dealing with CPA Baghdad is a challenging prospect and hoped
the U.S. Embassy in Amman would be able to provide the
necessary contact information and access they require in the
future. As cluster groups broaden beyond UN-only meetings,
we recommend that CPA and/or relevant Iraqi ministries send
personnel to participate in these Amman meetings. End
Comment.
7. (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered.

Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET
home page.
GNEHM

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