GOVERNMENT OF DJIBOUTI RAISES THREAT LEVEL IN

S E C R E T DJIBOUTI 000710

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DS/IP, DS/ITA, S/CT, INL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015
TAGS: ASEC DJ PTER
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF DJIBOUTI RAISES THREAT LEVEL IN
RESPONSE TO LONDON AND EGYPTIAN BOMBINGS

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY TDY RSO JEFFREY PURSELL REASON: 1.5 (B) (
G)


1. (S) DURING A MEETING JULY 26 AT NATIONAL SECURITY
SERVICES (NSS) HEADQUARTERS, THE DIRECTOR OF NSS, HASSAN
SAID, AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ABDILLAHI MOHAMED ABDILLAHI,
ADVISED TDY RSO, FSNI, AND NCIS FORCE PROTECTION OFFICER THAT
NATIONAL SECURITY HAS RAISED THE THREAT LEVEL OF DJIBOUTI TO
A HIGHER CATEGORY. HE COMPARED IT TO GOING FROM YELLOW TO
ORANGE IN THE US COLOR CODED SYSTEM. REASONS GIVEN FOR THE
INCREASE WERE THE LONDON AND EGYPTIAN BOMBINGS.


2. (S) THE DIRECTOR STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF A SPECIFIC
THREAT BUT THAT HE RAISED THE LEVEL SOLELY AS A PRECAUTION.
AS A RESULT, CHECKPOINTS MANNED BY POLICE DURING THE NIGHT
HOURS HAVE BEEN INITIATED AT SIX LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
CITY. VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS ARE BEING STOPPED AND CHECKED
AT RANDOM. DIRECTOR ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE RECENTLY MADE AN
UNANNOUNCED LATE NIGHT TOUR OF SEVERAL KEY FACILITIES HE
CONSIDERED TO BE HIGH RISK. AMONG THOSE FACILITIES ARE THE
US EMBASSY, AIRPORT, PORT, AND SHERATON HOTEL. BASED ON HIS
EMBASSY VISIT, HE HAS ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS TO
THE NIGHT SHIFTS AND TO THE POLICE POSTS AT THE REAR OF THE
COMPOUND PERIMETER. A MOBILE PATROL MANNED BY POLICE WILL
ALSO BE POSITIONED ON THE ROAD THAT FRONTS THE EMBASSY. HE
ASKED IF THE EMBASSY COULD PROVIDE GASOLINE FOR THE VEHICLE.


3. (S) THE DIRECTOR DESCRIBED SECURITY AT THE DJIBOUTI'S
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS GOOD BUT SAID MUCH WORK NEEDED TO BE
DONE AT THE PORT. NCIS AGENT NOTED THAT THE PORT SECURITY
OFFICER HAS RECENTLY DEPARTED DJIBOUTI AND THE POSITION IS
VACANT. LASTLY, THE DIRECTOR ASKED THE RSO TO MEET WITH
SHERATON HOTEL PERSONNEL TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE HOTEL
MANAGEMENT TO INCREASE BOTH THE NUMBER OF LOCAL GUARD
POSITIONS AND TO CONDUCT PACKAGE AND METAL DETECTOR CHECKS OF
PEOPLE ENTERING THE HOTEL.


4. (S) ALSO DISCUSSED DURING THE MEETING WAS THE STATUS OF
THE TERRORIST INTERDICTION PROGRAM (TIP) AND THE USG FUNDED
SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE AIRPORT. RSO ADVISED THAT PHASE
1 OF TIP IS NEARLY COMPLETED BUT STILL LACKS CONNECTIVITY
BETWEEN THE VARIOUS STATIONS AT THE AIRPORT, PORT, POLICE,
NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE EMBASSY. THE DIRECTOR STATED HIS
OFFICE HAD ALREADY CONTACTED DJIBOUTI TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO
EXPEDITE THE APPROVAL. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ARRIVAL AND IMMIGRATION AREAS OF
THE AIRPORT, THE DIRECTOR EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR USG
ASSISTANCE. RSO MENTIONED THAT A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE HAD BEEN
REPORTED BY AN EMBASSY DEPENDENT OUTSIDE HER HOME. INITIAL
INVESTIGATION BY RSO INDICATED THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT
APPEAR THREATENING BUT THAT POLICE TO DATE HAVE NOT LOCATED
THE VEHICLE. NATIONAL SECURITY WILL NOW HANDLE THE
INVESTIGATION BASED ON A DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE AND
LICENSE NUMBER WE PROVIDED. REGARDS
RAGSDALE