Cablegate: Spain Country Clearance for Codel Lieberman

VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #2298 3601112
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261112Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4002
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0325
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0153
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1028

UNCLAS MADRID 002298

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE
H AND RM/F/DFS/FO/AA/CAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ASEC OREP AFIN
SUBJECT: SPAIN COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL LIEBERMAN

REF: SECSTATE 167066

1. Embassy grants country clearance and warmly welcomes
Senator Joseph Lieberman, and accompanying delegation to
travel to Madrid, Spain on or about January 10 to January 14.
The purpose of travel is for matters pertaining to the
authorizing committee.

2. Mark Marrano is the point of contact and can be reached
at embassy number 34 91 587 2247, blackberry number 616 000
859 and email address is MarranoMF@state.gov. A copy of the
proposed schedule will be forwarded via email.

3. Hotel reservations have been made at the Hotel Gran Melia
Fenix Hotel located on Hermosilla, 2 28001 Madrid, telephone
number is 34 91 431 6700 and fax number is 34 91 576 0661.
The room rate is $272.00 and it does not include breakfast.
The breakfast buffet is $40.40 per person. The perdiem rate
for Madrid is $272 for lodging and $151 for M&IE.

4. Visitors are reminded that bearers of diplomatic and
official passports coming to Spain on official business need
to obtain a Spanish visa prior to arrival to Spain.

5. Post can provide DoS email access via OpenNet
(unclassified system) to State Department travelers who have
active OpenNet accounts. Post can also support users who wish
to access their email accounts using FOBs or OWA. Exchange
5.5 users (ask your system manager to provide Exchange server
version) who have to use remote login to access their
exchange email accounts will need to provide Post's IM
section with the name of their DoS Domain and their Exchange
Server name and/or IP address.

6. THREAT ASSESSMENT:

In general, Spain is safe. However, Madrid, Barcelona and
other large cities in Spain -- including resort/convention
areas such as Benidorm -- attract a large number of criminals
and pickpockets and frequent incidents of crime of
opportunity against the unwary do occur. Carry only
essential items including a photocopy of your passport's
photo page. Visitors can protect themselves against crime by
being street-smart, alert and aware of their surroundings.
In the event you are victimized by crime, or experience any
security-related incident, please contact the Embassy's
Regional Security Office at 91-587-2550 or after hours at
91-587-2355. Official visitors to the Embassy in Madrid or
the Consulate General in Barcelona are encouraged to receive
a security briefing from the RSO office at their earliest
convenience. Additional information regarding safety and
security in Spain is available on the U.S. Department of
State's website (www.embusa.es).

Travelers are encouraged to review the most recent Worldwide
Caution issued by the Department of State. As the Department
of State continues to develop information on any potential
security threats to Americans overseas, it shares credible
threat information through its Consular Information Program
documents, available on the Internet at
http://travel/state.gov. In addition to information on the
Internet, U.S. travelers can hear recorded information by
calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at
202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive
information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from
their fax machine.
AGUIRRE

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