VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKO #0091/01 0110402
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110402Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 7115
RUEHKO/USDAO TOKYO JA PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0892
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
UNCLAS TOKYO 000091
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DOD OF OSD/APSA SHINN/SEDNEY/HILL/BASALLA/MORALES
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA PREL JA KS
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR DAVID SEDNEY, SUZANNE
BASALLA, RUSSELL MORALES, RICHARD WEIR, LEONARD KOSINSKI,
RICHARD MOREFIELD AND PETER BATTEN
REF: SECDEF 091314Z JAN 08
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.
1. (U) Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance for the
January 13-18, 2008, visit to Japan by David Sedney, Suzanne
Basalla, Russell Morales, Richard Weir, Leonard Kosinski,
Richard Morefield and Peter Batten for the purpose of
consultations with Embassy, USFJ, and GOJ officials.
2. (U) Control Officer for the Sedney, Basalla, Morales,
Weir, Kosinski and Morefield will be Political Officer Chris
Gunning. He can be reached at:
Office phone: (81-3)3224-5342
Home phone: (81-3)3224-6910
Mobile phone: 81-80-5479-4214
Fax: (81-3)3224-5322
E-mail: GunningCJ2@state.gov (unclassified)
3. (U) Control Officer for Peter Batten will be Rod Tanaka
of the Mutual Defense Assistance Office. He can be reached
at:
Office phone: (81-3)3224-5420
Mobile phone: 81-90-6198-1831
E-mail: RTanaka@san.osd.mil (unclassified)
------------------
Hotel Reservations
------------------
3. (U) Tokyo hotel reservations have been made at the Hotel
Okura 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8416, Tel:
(81-3) 3582-0111 Fax: (81-3) 3582-3707. Details as follows:
David Sedney
Arrive: 14 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072562
Suzanne Basalla
Arrive: 13 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072564
Russell Morales
Arrive: 13 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072565
Richard Weir
Arrive: 13 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072566
Leonard Kosinski
Arrive: 13 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072567
Richard Morefield
Arrive: 14 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072568
Peter Batten
Arrive: 14 January
Depart: 18 January
Conf. No.: K00072571
-------------------------------
Airport to Hotel Transportation
-------------------------------
4. (U) Pol Control Officer will meet SES Sedney at the
arrival gate and assist to an USFJ vehicle.
----
Visa
----
5. (U) Holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports must
have a Japanese visa to enter Japan. Travelers on a U.S.
tourist passport may enter Japan as a tourist without a
Japanese visa for up to 90 days. As of November 20, 2007,
all foreign nationals entering Japan, with the exemption of
certain categories, are required to provide fingerprints and
a facial photograph at the port of entry. This requirement
does not replace any existing visa or passport requirements.
Official U.S. travelers will have to submit to the photograph
and fingerprinting requirement unless they travel with a
valid diplomatic or official visa or a Note Verbale. The
nature of the passport onto which the visa is pasted is not
relevant, i.e. a tourist passport holder with a diplomatic or
official visa will not have to submit to the biometrics
collection process. SOFA personnel are exempt under SOFA
Article 9 (2) from the new biometrics entry requirements.
----------------------
Embassy Laptop Policy
----------------------
6. (U) Official visitors are reminded that personally owned
or non-controlled USG-issued electronic equipment (including
all PDAs, cell phones, pagers, radios, records) may not enter
the controlled access areas. Additionally, all classified
and sensitive materials must be secured at the embassy visit
control office upon arrival in country.
-----------------
Threat Assessment
-----------------
7. (U) U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a
heightened state of alert. As the U.S. Government has
reported in public announcements over the last several
months, U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at
increased risk of terrorist actions from extremist groups,
which may target civilians and include suicide operations.
The Department maintains information about potential threats
to Americans overseas which is available to travelers on the
internet at the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page:
http://www.travel.state.gov. The Embassy takes all threats
seriously. U.S. Embassy Tokyo can be contacted 24 hours a
day at 03-3224-5000 (locally) or 81-3-3224-5000
(internationally).
8. (SBU) The general threat from crime in Tokyo and
throughout Japan is low. Crime is at levels well below the
U.S. national average. Violent crime is rare, but does
exist. The Japanese National Police report continued
problems with pick-pocketing of foreigners in crowded
shopping areas of Tokyo. Although street crime is low,
common sense security measures are advised for all American
citizens traveling in Japan.
9. (U) Also be advised that under no circumstances may
weapons be brought into Japan. Carrying a pocketknife
(including Swiss Army-style knife, craft or hunting knife,
box cutter, etc.) in public is forbidden. Under Japanese
law, carrying any such item in public, with a size exceeding
8 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width or 2 mm in thickness, can
subject the person to arrest or detention.
DONOVAN