EMBASSY MUSCAT EAC - 01/16/2005

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000084

SIPDIS

NOFORN

DEPT. FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, DS/ICI/CTP, DS/ICI/CI,
DS/DSS/CC, DS/OPO/FPD, DS/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 - 01/16/2005

REF: A. MUSCAT 0082

B. MUSCAT 0070

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

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) The Ambassador chaired a meeting of the Emergency
Action Committee January 16 to review the Embassy's security
posture following the local holiday 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.

--------------
Security Environment
--------------


2. (SBU) On January 16, the Ambassador chaired a meeting of
the Emergency Action Committee ("EAC") to review the
Embassy's security posture following the local holiday
weekend. The meeting opened with a discussion of the local
and regional security situations; the EAC continued to
characterize the former as stable, noting no new threat
reporting specific to Oman.


3. (SBU) RSO did, however, raise a situation that occurred
on the evening of January 15 in which an Embassy employee was
followed while driving his privately owned vehicle (reftel
A). RSO is in the process of reporting details of the
incident, including vehicle description and license plate
number, to the Royal Oman Police. EAC Members cited no other
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.

--------------
Sustained Vigilance
--------------


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.

--------------
EAC Conclusion
--------------


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
January 12 (reftel B),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,
RSO, RMAS, P/E, PAO, CONS, MGT (Duty Officer),MSG, DAO, OMC
(USDR),and ECA (USCENTAF) participated in the meeting.
BALTIMORE