VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLM #1077 3330703
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280703Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8989
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2432
UNCLAS COLOMBO 001077
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/RD/SCA, DS/DSS/ITA, CA AND SA/INS
NEW DELHI FOR RSO AND LEGAL ATTACHE'
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC PTER
SUBJECT: EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETS ON 11/28/2008 RE MUMBAI
ATTACKS
REF: A. DS/TIA/ITA EMAIL TO SCA REGIONAL SECURITY
OFFICERS DATED 11/27/08
B. COLOMBO 1046
1. (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency
Action Committee (EAC) meeting on November 28, 2008. The EAC
discussed post's security posture in light of the terrorist
attacks in Mumbai, India on November 27. The EAC concurred
that there was no threat information indicating that the
incidents in Mumbai would directly affect the security
posture for the official and expatriate American communities
in Sri Lanka. The EAC did not recommend any changes or
upgrades to post's security posture. End summary.
2. (SBU) On November 28, 2008, AmEmbassy Colombo convened a
meeting of the core EAC. Present for the meeting were the
Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission, Regional Security
Officer, Regional Affairs Officer, Political Officer,
Economic Officer, Management Officer, Consular Officer,
Public Affairs Officer, USAID Director's designate, Defense
Attache', and Office of Defense Cooperation Chief. The agenda
item for the meeting was the security posture for the
official and expatriate American communities in light of the
terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
3. (SBU) Even as the EAC met, events were still unfolding in
Mumbai. Some attackers were still at large and holding
hostages. Therefore, the EAC felt that it was too early to
accurately determine the perpetrators' motives. However, all
available information indicated that the perpetrators were
members of an Islamic extremist group. The EAC concurred that
there was no information available from EAC members' various
GSL sources, or from USG sources, that would indicate a
threat to the American official and exptriate communities
from sympathetic Islamic extrmist groups. The EAC noted that
Sri Lanka securiy services were already on high alert,
expecting iberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to conduct
attacks in the South, in reprisal for the GSL's mlitary
successes in the LTTE-controlled "Wanni" n Northern Province
(ref B). The Chancery and Amrican Center compounds, as well
as many official USG residences and five-star hotels, are
located ithin or near high security zones in which GSL
scurity services intensely scrutinize, and often serch,
pedestrians and vehicles transiting these znes. The EAC
concurred that due to the lack of a direct threat to
Americans (from either LTTE or Ilamic extremist groups), and
the intense security measures already in place in and around
Colombo, additional warnings or security measures were not
required.
4. (U) Post will continue to monitor the security environment
and report further developments, if any, septel. POC for
this message is RSO Michael V. Perkins, who may be contacted
at 94.11.249.8885, 94.11.249.8888 (MSG Post 1 after regular
business hours), or via the classified and unclassified email
systems.
Blake