Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CAIRO2898
2005-04-14 16:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

EMBASSY CAIRO'S RESPONSE TO THE APRIL 7 TERRORIST

Tags:  PTER ASEC CASC EG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002898 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PTER ASEC CASC EG
SUBJECT: EMBASSY CAIRO'S RESPONSE TO THE APRIL 7 TERRORIST
BOMBING

REF: A. CAIRO 2799

B. CAIRO 2773

C. CAIRO 2744

D. CAIRO 2743

Classified by Charge Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002898

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PTER ASEC CASC EG
SUBJECT: EMBASSY CAIRO'S RESPONSE TO THE APRIL 7 TERRORIST
BOMBING

REF: A. CAIRO 2799

B. CAIRO 2773

C. CAIRO 2744

D. CAIRO 2743

Classified by Charge Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) Embassy Cairo's immediate response to the April 7
Khan el-Khalili bombing (reftels) included expeditious
consular assistance to the three wounded American citizens
and their families, the placement of personnel at the crime
scene to collect information and assess continuing threats,
and the issuance of notifications and guidance to the
official and private American communities in Egypt. Within
hours of the incident, the Embassy's Regional Medical Office
arranged the transfer of the wounded AmCits to a better
hospital and maintained close contact with the attending
doctors, facilitating communications and bringing in outside
specialists as necessary. On April 12, thanks to the
coordination of Embassy's Office of Military Cooperation and
the Defense Attache's Office, a fully equipped USAF medical
evacuation aircraft and crew came to Egypt and transported
the wounded Americans to Landstuhl regional medical center in
Germany. The Embassy's Emergency Action Committee (EAC),
which has met three times since the incident, and the core
EAC will convene next on April 17 to review the Mission's
security posture and guidance to the American community. End
summary.

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First Responders
--------------


2. (SBU) Shortly after the April 7 terrorist attack in
Cairo's Khan el-Khalili tourist bazaar, which occurred at
approximately 1745 local Cairo time, Embassy personnel were
dispatched to the scene. Three consular officers (along with
an Army Foreign Area Officer who was dining with them)
proceeded to the scene immediately upon hearing of the
attack. They then went to the Hussein hospital where the
wounded AmCits, and other bombing victims, were taken.
Assisted by RSO LES personnel, Conoffs confirmed the death of
AmCit Alex Mirandette and the injury of AmCits Erik
Mirandette, Kris Ross, and Michael Kiel Tenhaaf.


3. (SBU) Due to the poor facilities available at the Hussein
Hospital, Conoffs began to press immediately for the transfer

of the patients to a better hospital. A/LEGATT also
proceeded to the hospital and was able to conduct a
preliminary interview with the victims. Meanwhile, the
Embassy's regional medical office (RMO) was making contacts
at the Dar al-Fouad hospital, one of Egypt's best, in a
western suburb of Cairo. RMO successfully arranged for two
fully equipped ambulances and professional medical crews to
transfer the injured AmCits to Dar al-Fouad.


4. (SBU) As Conoffs and RMO worked to address the immediate
needs of the injured AmCits, RSO raised the alert level at
all U.S. mission facilities and deployed Assistant RSOs to
known after-hours concentrations of official Americans. RSO
also initiated a dialogue with GOE security contacts to
determine the details of the attack and assess the
possibility of a near-term repetition. The Charge convened
the Embassy's EAC on April 7 at 2030 local Cairo time and the
EAC decided to issue a warden message and an alert to the
Mission community (ref D).

--------------
The Day(s) After
--------------


5. (SBU) EAC members worked into the early hours of April 8,
gathering information, accounting for mission personnel, and
briefing counterparts in Washington. Also early on April 8,
RSO coordinated with contacts in Egypt's State Security
Investigative Service (SSIS) to gain access to the attack
scene. In the morning, RSO, DRSO, and LEGATT, accompanied by
SSIS officers, inspected the crime scene. The Charge called
a follow-on EAC meeting at midday, April 8, by which time a
clearer picture of the incident was emerging (ref C). The
meeting factored in information garnered from EAC members'
contacts with various GOE officials, inspection of the crime
scene, preliminary interviews with the AmCit victims, and
updated information on their medical condition. Having
secured verbal privacy act waivers, consular officers
notified the AmCits' next of kin.


6. (SBU) Starting April 8, RMO and staff began a series of
daily visits to the Dar al-Fuad hospital and worked closely
with the attending physicians to ensure the best possible
care. When the most seriously injured of the AmCits, Erik
Mirandette, became critically ill, RMO pushed for more
aggressive treatment. RMO made round-the-clock calls to the
attending physicians and outside specialists and stepped up
visits to the hospital. A local surgical intervention
suggested by RMO may have saved Mirandette's life.


7. (SBU) At the invitation of the Egyptian Ministry of
Tourism, 11 family members and three church personnel flew to
Cairo to be with the injured Americans. The Consular Section
worked to facilitate their movements, including helping four
of them travel without passports. Consular personnel
remained all day at the hospital to assist the injured and
their families/friends. On April 10, the Charge convened the
full EAC to review threat information and discuss the
reaction of the American community (ref B). The EAC decided
to maintain the recommendation that Americans avoid areas in
Cairo frequented by tourists for a further week (until April
17).

--------------
Investigation
--------------


8. (C) RSO, LEGATT, and ORA have each been in regular contact
with GOE security contacts for updates on the investigation
and its findings. Based on their own observations, these
offices have also provided Washington agencies with analysis,
findings, and notes (septels). As reported ref A, the GOE
announced preliminary findings, including the identity of the
suicide bomber/perpetrator and his apparent (Jihadist)
motives and background, on April 11.

--------------
Public Affairs
--------------


9. (SBU) The Embassy's Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer
(duty press officer at the time of the incident) handled all
public affairs dimensions of the Embassy's response. She
prepared a special media reaction briefing for the EAC,
drafted suggested press guidance for use in Washington, and
served as the principal point of contact for the
international and Egyptian press covering the incident.

--------------
Medevac
--------------


10. (SBU) The Embassy's Office of Military Cooperation and
Defense Attache, in coordination with the Charge and the
Consular section, arranged for a military medical evacuation
aircraft to transport the wounded AmCits to Ramstein AFB,
Germany. The modalities of this transfer were complex and
involved engagement of the GOE by OMC, DAO, and Consular and
Political officers; extensive coordination with Washington;
and close liaison with the hospital, coordiated by RMO, DAO,
and the Consular Section. RMO provided the aircraft's
medical crew with a briefing on the condition of the evacuees
prior to departure.

--------------
Next Steps
--------------


11. (SBU) The core EAC will meet again on April 17 to review
the Mission's security posture and guidance to the private
American community. The Embassy will follow in close detail,
and report as appropriate, developments in the GOE's
investigation and any legal proceedings it generates. We
will review the Consular Information Sheet and modify it
(with Department clearance) to reflect the most recent terror
attack. In the meantime, core EAC members will constantly
review the threat environment and recommend adjustments as
necessary.


Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

GRAY