EMBASSY MUSCAT EAC - 02/05/2005

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000203

SIPDIS

NOFORN

DEPT. FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, DS/DSS/CC, DS/DSS/OSAC,
CA/OCS, NEA/EX, NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X1
TAGS: AEMR ASEC AMGT PTER CASC KHLS MU EAC
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MUSCAT EAC - 02/05/2005

REF: MUSCAT 0193

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission William R. Stewart.
Reason: 1.4(c).

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Summary
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1. (SBU) The Ambassador chaired a meeting of the Emergency
Action Committee February 5 to review the Embassy's security
posture following the local weekend. Members of the EAC
noted no substantive changes in the local security
environment since the last meeting. Accordingly, the EAC
agreed that the Embassy's already heightened security posture
and FPCON remain appropriate. End Summary.

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Security Environment
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2. (SBU) On February 5, the Ambassador chaired a meeting of
the Emergency Action Committee ("EAC") to review the
Embassy's security posture following the local weekend. The
meeting opened with a discussion of the local security
situation, which the EAC continued to characterize as stable.
The EAC noted no new threat reporting specific to Oman.
Likewise, the EAC cited no significant security incidents
among their staffs or family members over the weekend, and
CONS confirmed that there were no security incidents or
security-related queries from the private American citizen
community.


3. (SBU) RSO raised security arrangements for events taking
place during the visit of the USS Milius (DDG 69),scheduled
to remain in Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, until February 9.
Force protection for all U.S. military ship visits to Oman is
coordinated with the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard.

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Sustained Vigilance
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4. (SBU) Prior to concluding the meeting, RSO reiterated
that, despite the relative calm, members of the EAC must
continue reinforcing to both their staffs and family members
the need for vigilance regarding all aspects of personal
security, including the need to maintain a low profile and to
remain unpredictable. RSO further re-emphasized the
importance of immediately reporting all suspicious activity
or security-related incidents, especially those involving
suspected surveillance, to Post One.

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EAC Conclusion
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5. (S/NF) The EAC concluded that there have been no
substantive changes in previously reported assessments of the
local security environment since the last meeting held on
February 2 (reftel),and that the Embassy's FPCON and already
heightened security posture remain appropriate. Nonetheless,
the EAC remains acutely aware of the need to monitor both the
regional and local security and threat environments, and is
prepared to take the necessary countermeasures should changes
to either occur. AMB, DCM, MGT, RSO, ARSO, RMAS, P/E, PAO,
IMO, ESO, CONS, MSG, DAO, OMC (USDR),and ECA (USCENTAF)
participated in the meeting, which was followed by a meeting
of the Counterintelligence Working Group.
BALTIMORE