Cablegate: State Department-Funded Ngo Clears Unexploded

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

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003490

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IZ KHDP PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: STATE DEPARTMENT-FUNDED NGO CLEARS UNEXPLODED
ORDINANCE FOUND WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL ZONE

1. (U) On August 26, MNF-I Joint Area Support Group-Central
(JASG-C) called on the Iraqi Mine/UXO Clearance Organization
(IMCO), a State Department-funded NGO tasked with clearing
mines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) throughout Iraq, to
assist with the disposal of UXO discovered in the
International Zone.

2. (U) PolMilOff accompanied the IMCO team to the site, a
sewage canal within the International Zone being cleaned up
in connection with a sewer reconstruction project. Upon
initially discovering the UXO, the cleanup team had refused
to do further work. A Coalition EOD team had cleared the
ordinance initially found at the site on August 24, but was
unable to provide additional ongoing support because of other
commitments. The IMCO team then offered its support and began
working on this project August 27. JASG-C staff welcomed
IMCO,s proposal. After the sewage canal cleanup is
completed, estimated for twelve days, the IMCO team will
destroy the UXO. The sewage canal is located on the edge of
the International Zone, running parallel to Route Irish.

3. (U) In their first day of work the IMCO demining crew
discovered:
-3 ct. RPG Type 69 Bounding
-1 ct. 60 mm mortar HE
-3 ct. RPG rocket mortars
-1 ct. RPG ) 7M
-1 ct. 125 mm tank propelling charge
-Assorted UXO scrap material

4. (U) IMCO, founded and sponsored by the State Department
since September 2003, trains Iraqi nationals to U.S.
standards in mine detection, clearance and demolition. It was
the first NGO created in Iraq, and is headed by Brigadier
General (retired) Zahim. There are a total of 171 IMCO
personnel, with the majority of their focus on demining in
Basra and training of personnel at their site in the Baghdad
International Zone. The organization's personnel have cleared
5,600,000 square meters of land, finding and destroying 4,944
mines in Basra alone.

5. (U) The organization consistently clears land to
humanitarian standards, specifically focusing on agricultural
and residential areas of Iraq. All operations are fully
funded by the Department of State contract, and any payment
received by IMCO is automatically used to fund further tasks.
Demining operations have not occurred in Baghdad because of
security concerns.
Khalilzad

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