Best Practice (using Python) in order to convert a CSV file (with malformed lines) to XML file format

I am relatively new to Python. I am seeking guidance and advice on the best practice/strategy to attack this file (excerpt below):

['"1","12/28/1966 18:48","66BUENOSAIRES2481","Embassy Buenos Aires","UNCLASSIFIED","66STATE106206","P R 281848Z DEC 66', 'FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES', 'TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY', 'INFO USCINCSO', 'CINCLANT', 'AMEMBASSY RIO DE JANEIRO', 'AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO', 'AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO', 'AMEMBASSY QUITO', 'AMEMBASSY LIMA', 'AMEMBASSY MEXICO', 'AMEMBASSY OTTAWA', 'AMEMBASSY LONDON', 'STATE GRNC","UNCLASSIFIED BUENOS AIRES 2481 ', ' ', 'Original Telegram was Confidential but has since been ', 'de-classified ', ' ', '--------------------------------------------- ---- ', 'Copy from the National Archives ', 'RG 59: General Records of the Department of state ', '1964-66 Central Foreign Policy File ', 'File: POL 33-4 ARG ', '--------------------------------------------- ---- ', ' ', 'E.O. 12958: DECL: DECLASSIFIED BY NARA 09/02/2009 ', 'TAGS: EFIS, PBTS, AR ', 'SUBJECT: EXTENDED NATIONAL JURISDICTIONS OVER HIGH SEAS ', ' ', 'REF: STATE 106206 CIRCULAR; STATE CA-3400 NOV 2, 1966 ', ' ', ' ', '1. PRESS REPORTS AND VARIETY EMBASSY SOURCES CONFIRM ', 'NEW ARGENTINE LEGISLATION UNILATERALLY CHANGING SEAS JURIS- ', 'DICTION NOW UNDER ADVANCED REVIEW. REPORTEDLY LAW WOULD ', 'ESTABLISH SIX MILE TERRITORIAL SEA, PLUS ANOTHER SIX MILES ', 'OF EXCLUSIVE FISHING JURISDICTION, PLUS ANOTHER EXTENDED ZONE ', 'OF \"PREFERENTIAL JURISDICTION\" FOR FISHING PURPOSES. DRAFT- ', 'LAW UNDER CONSIDERATION IN ARGENTINE SENATE BEFORE JUNE 28 ', 'COUP WOULD HAVE DEFINED ZONE OF PREFERENTIAL JURISDICTION ', 'AS \"EPICONTINENTAL SEA OUT TO 200 METER ISOBAR\". IN SOUTHERN ', 'ARGENTINA THIS ZONE SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES WIDE AND BLANKETS ', 'FALKLAND ISLANDS. ', ' ', '2. NAVATT STATES ARGENTINE NAVY THINKING OF PREFERENTIAL ', 'JURISDICTION OUT TO 200 MILES (AS IN PERU, ECUADOR, CHILE) ', 'RATHER THAN EPICONTINENTAL SEA. 200 MILE LIMIT DOES NOT ', 'RPT NOT REACH FALKLANDS. ARGENTINE NAVY OFF TOLD NAVATT ', '\"200 MILE LIMIT SOON WILL BE STANDARD THROUGH HEMISPHERE\". ', ' ', '3. FONOFF OFFICIALS REFERRING TO RECENT BRAZILIAN AND US ', 'LEGISLATION HAVE INFORMALLY INDICATED DECISION ALREADY ', 'FINAL RE SIX MILE TERRITORIAL SEA PLUS SIX MILE EXCLUSIVE ', 'FISHING JURISDICTION, BUT THAT \"PREFERENTIAL JURISDICTION\" ', 'STILL UNDER STUDY. TWO FONOFF MEN VOLUNTARILY AND INFORMALLY ', 'SOUGHT EMBASSY REACTION TO POSSIBLE EXTENDED PREFERENTIAL ', 'JURISDICTION BY SUGGESTING THAT US IN FACT HAS ACCEPTED ', 'UNILATERALLY CREATED ECUADORIAN, PERUVIAN AND CHILEAN 200 MILE ', 'LIMITS. EMBOFF REJECTED IDEA US ACCEPTS THESE LIMITS IN ANY ', 'WAY AND POINTED OUT 1965 AMENDMENTS TO AID LEGISLATION AIMED ', 'AT FURTHER PROTECTING US FISHING RIGHTS. ', ' ', '4. FONOFF LEGAL ADVISOR CONCEDES DISTINCTION BETWEEN ', '\"EXCLUSIVE\" AND \"PREFERENTIAL\" FISHING JURISDICTION A SEMANTIC ', 'NICETY. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT IN ZONE OF \"PREFERENTIAL\" JURIS- ', 'DICTION ARGENTINA WOULD CLAIM RIGHT TO TAX, LICENSE AND OTHER- ', 'WISE CONTROL ALL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO EXPLOITATION OF ', 'RESOURCES OF SEA. ', ' ', '5. DRAFT LEGISLATION ON SEAS JURISDICTION LAY DORMANT UNTIL ', 'SUDDEN AND SUBSTANTIAL IN FISHIN ARGENTINE EPICONTINENTAL SEAS ', 'BY CUBAN AND EAST EUROPEAN (ESPECIALLY SOVIET) VESSELS PAST ', 'SIX MONTHS ALARMED ARGENTINE ARMED FORCES. (SEE NAVATT IR ', '5-804-0-140-66 OF NOV 18) NOT RPT NOT ALL SOVIET VESSELS WERE ', 'FISHING OR FACTORY TYPES. FONOFF SOURCES INFORMALLY STATE ', 'ARMED FORCES PRESSURE MAKES EMISSION NEW LAW IMPERATIVE, QUITE ', 'POSSIBLY APPEARING WITHIN NEXT FEW WEEKS. WHEN ASKED BY FONOFF ', 'MEN ABOUT \"SECURITY PROBLEMS CREATED BY SOVIET TRAWLERS OFF US ', 'COAST\", EMBASSY OFF REPLIED US DID NOT RPT NOT SEE THAT ', 'UNILATERAL ATTEMPT TO EXTEND SEAS JURISDICTION OFFERED ANY ', 'REALISTIC SOLUTION FOR POSSIBLE SECURITY PROBLEMS, WHILE SUCH ', 'ACTION COULD CREATE NEW SOURCES POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING AND ', 'CONFLICT. ', ' ',