SYRIAN AMBASSADOR STOPPED AT JFK INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS E F T O USUN NEW YORK 001560 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OFDP SY UN JA AFARI BASHAR SUBJECT: SYRIAN AMBASSADOR STOPPED AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ¶1. This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶2. ACTION REQUEST: USUN has received a note verbale from the Syrian Mission to the UN which requests an explanation for the delay experienced by Syrian PermRep Ja'afari on arrival at Kennedy Airport on July 6. According to the note, Ja'afari was told that the delay in admitting him was because the State Department had added his name to "a system". USUN requests guidance for a reply. ¶3. Begin text of note dated August 15, 2006 from the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations: (complimentary salutation)...and has the honour to inform that upon the arrival of the newly appointed Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations, H.E. Dr. Bashar JA'AFARI, on 6 July 2006 at JFK Intl. Airport, the Ambassador was asked to step aside without clarification and he was escorted to a small room. The Ambassador was completely surprised by such unusual procedures, which violates Vienna Convention and the Host Country commitments. After over 15 minutes of this delay, the Syrian Ambassador was allowed to exit the airport. The officer justified this delay by referring to the fact that the name of the Ambassador was added to their system by the State Department, and that they have to follow such procedures in these cases. The Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations wishes to draw your kind attention that this was not the first time such thing happened. Some Syrian diplomats had previously faced similar situation. The Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations would like to receive an explanation to this dangerous breach of the commitments of the Host Country, and to assure that no such incident occur in the future. (complimentary close). End text. BOLTON