Cablegate: Tfha01: Haiti Earthquake Task Force Situation Report

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RUEHRY/AMEMBASSY CONAKRY IMMEDIATE 3415
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE IMMEDIATE 0646
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 010166

SENSITIVE SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA
SUBJECT: TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT
NO. 53

STATE 00010166 001.2 OF 003

VIP TRAVEL
----------

1. (SBU) A 22-member congressional delegation is planning a
four-hour stopover in Port-au-Prince February 5. (TF1/WHA-EX
e-mail)

SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR)
----------------------

2. (SBU) Twelve Fairfax County SAR staff will remain on
standby in Port-au-Prince. (TF1/DART Team e-mail)

3. (SBU) A SAR team has recovered remains believed to be
those of a Lynn University student. Consular Affairs is in
contact with the family. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call)

COMMODITY FLOW
--------------

4. (SBU) Three food facilities will open February 1. DART
teams are assessing additional potential sites.
(TF1/Interagency Conference Call)

EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LE STAFF WHEREABOUTS
--------------------------------------------- --------

5. (SBU) As of 1400 EST, 625 American evacuees and family
members departed Port-au-Prince February 1; a total of 14,382
have been evacuated to date. There are 300 Americans and
family members inside the Embassy and 100 outside. As of 1400
EST, 100 potential evacuees arrived at the Embassy. A total
of 22,500 potential evacuees have been accounted for.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail)

6. (SBU) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed a
"pre-departure" team to authenticate American citizen travel
documents and verify identities. CBP efforts now have
extended to include legal permanent residents. (TF1/Haiti CAT
e-mail)

7. (SBU) There are approximately 30 potential evacuees
outside the airport terminal and 150 at the alternative
landing zone on the tarmac waiting to board outgoing flights.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail)

8. (SBU) There are no updates on LE Staff whereabouts.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail)

MEDICAL RESPONSE
----------------

9. (SBU) Defense Department medical assets have treated a
total of 2,304 patients. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call)

10. (SBU) USTRANSCOM resumed evacuation of Haitian patients
to the United States on a limited basis. The first patient is
being medevacked to Palm Beach, Florida. (TF1/Interagency
Conference Call)

INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS
-----------------------------------

11. (SBU) The Colombian government will transport three
Haitian patients triaged at a Colombian military field
hospital in Port-au-Prince to Bogota February 2 for medical
treatment. (TF1/Embassy Bogota e-mail)

DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS
------------------------------------

12. (SBU) USS Carl Vinson, USS Bunker Hill, and USNS Henson
have been released by Secretary Gates to depart from Haiti.
Ten helicopters from the USS Carl Vinson will remain to assist
with relief efforts. (TF1/USSOUTHCOM TF1 Representative)

13. (SBU) USNS Dwayne Williams arrived in Port-au-Prince
January 31 with a 150-bed temporary Expeditionary Medical
Facility. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call)

HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE
------------------------------------

14. (SBU) Bank and wire transfer facilities are operating.
An inbound cash shipment from HSBC to the Haitian Central Bank
is scheduled to arrive February 1. (TF1/Interagency
Conference Call)

15. (SBU) As of 0900 EST, 578 orphans departed Haiti while
Citizenship and Immigration Services processed 775 parole
cases (34 medical, 602 humanitarian, and 139 other). (TF1/DHS
e-mail)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
----------------------

16. (SBU) Haiti's Chief Prosecutor reported charges were
filed against the ten American citizens arrested January 31.
The AmCits were charged for abduction of minors, illegal
trafficking of children, and organized malfeasance. Embassy
Port-au-Prince has been in contact with the arrested AmCits.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail)

17. (SBU) Ambassador Merten will raise several orphan cases
with PM Bellerive. Embassy Port-au-Prince intends to process
approximately 44 orphan cases pending Bellerive's approval. A
total of 178 orphan cases are being processed.
(TF1/Interagency Conference Call)

18. (SBU) Some Haitian parliamentarians are proposing
President Preval postpone upcoming elections and extend
parliament's term by two years. The initiative is pending
legislative consideration and has been opposed by key
parliamentarians. The initiative might be unconstitutional.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince)

19. (SBU) Interior Minister Bien-Aime and other political
figures called for President Preval's resignation amidst
increasing criticism of the GoH's response to the earthquake.
(TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince)

20. (SBU) Chilean President Bachelet will be the UN
Development Fund (UNIFEM) international spokesperson for the
women and children of Haiti. (El Mercurio)

21. (U) Additional updates are available through our
Intellipedia portal on the unclassified system at:
http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_Ha iti_Earthquake.

22. (U) Minimize considered.
CLINTON

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