EMBASSY MUSCAT EAC - 02/26/2005

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000323 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 - 02/26/2005 REF: A. TD-314/10191-05 ¶B. MUSCAT 231 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission William R. Stewart. Reason: 1.4(c). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador chaired a meeting of the full Emergency Action Committee February 26 to review the Embassy's security posture following the local weekend. Members 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. -------------- Security Situation -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On February 26, the Ambassador chaired a meeting of the full 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 describe as stable. Members of the EAC cited no significant security incidents among their staffs or family members over the weekend. Likewise, CONS confirmed that there were no reported security incidents or security-related queries from the private American citizen community. ¶3. (S/NF) RMAS did, however, raise recent unsubstantiated threat reporting alleging the January 19, 2005 arrests of unidentified individuals suspected of organizing a terrorist attack in Sur, Oman (reftel A). Citing a tenuous sourcing chain and factual errors, coupled with the rampant rumors of unrelated arrests circulating at the time of the alleged Sur arrests (reftel B),RMAS commented that additional details would have to be developed prior to any further assessment of the report's veracity. -------------- EAC Conclusion -------------- ¶4. (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 23, 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. ABM, DCM, MGT, RSO, ARSO, RMAS, PAO, P/E, CONS, MSG, DAO, OMC (USDR),and ECA (USCENTAF) participated in the meeting, which preceded a meeting of the Visas Viper Committee. BALTIMORE