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).

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Summary
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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.

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Security Situation
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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.

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EAC Conclusion
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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