VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRL #0619 0861233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271233Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7657
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BERLIN 000619
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/AGS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON AMGT OTRA ASEC PARM PREL GM
SUBJECT: BERLIN: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR GLOBAL
PARTNERSHIP WORKING GROUP
REF: STATE 36139
1. (SBU) Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance to
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrew Semmel, Foreign
Affairs Officer David L. Evans, Senior Policy Advisor Gerald
Stacy, and William F. Menold, Jr., to participate in the
Global Partnership Working Group and Nonproliferation
Directors Working Group meetings, from March 28-April 2,
2007.
2. (SBU) The control officer for this visit will be Global
Affairs Officer Richard Crandell, who can be reached at
office telephone 49(30)8305-2309, fax 49-30-8305-2339, home
phone 49(30)2300-4475, mobile phone 49 (0) 174-945-4720 and
email CrandellR@state.gov.
3. (SBU) Per reftel, Post confirmed your reservations at the
Hilton Berlin. Post will assist with ground transportation
for the meetings. Crandell will meet you on March 29 and 30
at your hotel at 08:45 both days with Embassy transportation.
Post also understands that all delegation members hold Top
Secret security clearances.
SIPDIS
4. (U) Neither Post nor German authorities have any
information that could affect the safety and security of your
visit to Germany.
5. (U) The Department of State assesses the risk in German
cities with a U.S. diplomatic presence as high for
transnational terrorism and low to medium for criminal
activity. The Mission Germany Regional Security staff stays
up to date on all terrorism and crime-related issues within
Germany and evaluates how these issues might affect both
official and private Americans either living or visiting
Germany.
6. (U) Sporadic incidents of violence occur throughout
various areas of Germany that are linked to right-wing
extremist groups, targeting immigrant and refugee
communities. Left-wing groups are also active throughout
Germany staging large protests, normally without violence.
Protesters rarely cause property damage, but there have also
been isolated cases of arson against American interests. The
recent trend of anti-globalization related protests and
demonstrations seen throughout Europe is present in Germany
as well. These demonstrations have turned violent in the
past in some European countries.
7. (U) While there have been no recent significant domestic
terrorist attacks, Germany continues to be a potential venue
for transnational terrorism. A heightening of the Middle
East confrontation, U.S. arrest and jailing of Middle East
terrorists, or a serious incident between the U.S. and a
terrorist-supporting nation could change the terrorist threat
assessment at short notice. These and other indictors
continue to be closely monitored by U.S. officials. The
arrest of key Usama bin Laden (UBL) supporters, the discovery
that the lead cell for the September 11th attacks was located
in Germany, the ongoing terrorist trials currently taking
place, along with the German law enforcement community
continuing to make arrests of suspected terrorists in all
parts of Germany, adds credence to concerns about possible
UBL initiatives in Germany.
8. (U) Visitors to Germany should practice the same
common-sense personal security practices that are an everyday
part of life in U.S. cities. German law enforcement agencies
are professional and extremely supportive to the U.S.
government and all of our concerns.
9. (U) The countrywide police emergency telephone number is
110. The fire department and ambulance service may be
reached at telephone 112. The U.S. embassy in Berlin reports
current threat information for American citizens at
030-832-9233.
10. (U) Assessment updates are available from mission-wide
Regional Security Offices in Berlin at 49-30-8305-1400,
Frankfurt at 49-69-7535-2444, or Munich at 49-89-2888-625.
KOENIG