INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Berlin: Country Clearance Granted to U.S.

Published: Thu 19 Apr 2007 07:31 PM
VZCZCXYZ0031
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRL #0801 1091931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191931Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7988
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BERLIN 000801
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR JEANENE HARRY
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ASEC GM OTRA PARM PREL
SUBJECT: BERLIN: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO U.S.
DELEGATION FOR GPWG
REF: SECSTATE 51693
1. Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance to Acting
Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrew Semmel, Foreign Affairs
Officer David L. Evans, and Senior Policy Advisor Gerald
Stacy to attend the G-8 Global Partnership Working Group
meeting from April 21-25, 2007. Per reftel, hotel
reservations at the Berlin Hilton are confirmed.
2. 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) 173-945-4720 and email
CrandellR@state.gov.
3. Post understands that all delegation members hold Top
Secret security clearances.
SIPDIS
4. Neither Post nor German authorities have any information
that could affect the safety and security of your visit to
Germany.
5. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
TIMKEN JR
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