COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL KNOWLES

UNCLAS MADRID 000066 SIPDIS STATE FOR H/BUREAU OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS/EMILY HUNT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN IT SP SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL KNOWLES REF: STATE 03227 ¶1. Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance to Sean Knowles, Staff Member, and delegation to travel to Spain from January 12-13, 2005 to review programs and activities under the jurisdiction of the Military Construction Subcommittee. ¶2. Embassy administrative Point of Contact for this visit is POLECON Officer Michael Sestak, tel: (34) 91-587-2388 (office),(34) 618-529-364 (cell). Overnight accommodation has been arranged for Staffdel and other group members in the BOQ at Rota Naval Base. ¶3. Visitors are reminded that bearers of diplomatic and official passports coming to Spain on official business need to obtain a Spanish visa prior to arrival in Spain. ¶4. THREAT ASSESSMENT: In general, Spain is safe. However, Madrid and other large cities in Spain -- including resort/convention areas such as Benidorm -- attract a large number of criminals and pick-pockets and frequent incidents of crimes of opportunity against the unwary do occur. Carry only essential items, including a photocopy of your passport's photo page. Visitors can protect themselves from crime by being street-smart, alert, and aware of their surroundings. In the event you are victimized by crime, or experience any other security-related incident, please contact the Embassy's Regional Security Office at 91-587-2550, or after hours at 91-587-2355. Official visitors to the Embassy in Madrid or the Consulate General in Barcelona are encouraged to receive a security briefing from the RSO office at their earliest convenience. Additional information regarding safety and security in Spain is available on the U.S. Department of State's website (http://www.state.gov),and the U.S. Embassy's website (www.embusa.es). Travelers are encouraged to review the most recent Worldwide Caution issued by the Department of State. As the Department of State continues to develop information on any potential security threats to Americans overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel/state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, U.S. travelers can hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from their fax machine. MANZANARES