TFIZ01 (EAC): ABU DHABI SITREP NO. 6, MARCH 25

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001437 SIPDIS NOFORN STATE FOR IRAQ TASK FORCE, ALSO NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, CA/OCS/NEASA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/IP/NEA, DSERCC, AND M E.O. 12958: DECL 03/24/13 TAGS: ASEC AMGT KHLS PTER PREL EAID PGOV TC SUBJECT: TFIZ01 (EAC): ABU DHABI SITREP NO. 6, MARCH 25 REF: ABU DHABI 1399 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) Classified by DCM Richard A. Albright, for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). -------------- General Overview -------------- ¶2. (U) COM convened Abu Dhabi's Iraq Task Force/core Emergency Action Committee (EAC) at 1000 local time, 3/25. Embassy Abu Dhabi, FCS (located outside of the Embassy compound),and the USGS office in Al Ain are open 3/25 with full staffing. -------------- Consular Issues -------------- ¶3. (U) The Consular Section noted an increase in visa services but reported no calls from concerned AMCITs. -------------- UAEG Actions/Statements -------------- ¶4. (U) ECON confirmed UAEG approval of the establishment of a World Food Program warehouse in Dubai for humanitarian assistance to Iraq. ECON noted that the UAEG is gearing up for a major humanitarian assistance effort, to be coordinated via the Red Crescent Society. PAO mentioned that Dubai TV and radio are broadcasting a 12-hour fundraiser today to raise charitable donations for humanitarian relief in Iraq. DCM directed ECON to report on the latest developments. (See septel). -------------- Security -------------- ¶5. (C) RSO reported that security inspection of American and FSN employees at the Embassy began today without any problems. Inspections will continue on a random, but reoccurring basis. ¶6. (C) Currently on spring break vacation, the American Community School will reopen on Saturday, March 29. The DCM directed ADMIN and RSO to talk with school officials to assess and recommend a security plan. ¶7. (C) RSO reported Abu Dhabi police responded to two generic bomb threats within the past few days at the Meridian Hotel and the Ajman College. Police advised the buildings were not evacuated, but were searched with nothing found. ¶8. (S/NF) ORCA reported an e-mail sent to the police in Dubai threatening to kill U.S., U.K. and Australian citizens if they did not leave Dubai. The threat was not deemed credible. The PAO in Kuwait confirmed to ORCA that Jamail Ishmail, an Abu Dhabi TV correspondent formerly with Al-Jazeera and alleged to be a security threat, is not embedded with U.S. military forces in Iraq nor registered with U.S. press operations in Kuwait. He is believed to be in Karachi. ¶9. (C) USLO confirmed that U.S. military forces in UAE moved from Force Protection Condition Delta to Charlie on 3/24. -------------- Local Media -------------- ¶10. (U) PAO reported 3:1 negative to positive press coverage of the war in the Arabic language press. Except for semi-official Al Ittihad, other major newspapers -- Al Khaleej, Al Bayan and Akhbar Al-Arab -- have taken largely anti-U.S. stances. ¶11. (U) Abu Dhabi Iraq Task Force/EAC will reconvene at 1000 local time, 3/26. ¶12. (U) Iraq Task Force/EAC members in attendance included AMB, DCM, RSO, DAO, P/M, POL, ECON, CONS, MSG, OBO, PAO, ADMIN, USLO, FCS, FBI. Wahba