COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR FOR OPIC OFFICER STEVEN SMITH

UNCLAS LIMA 003636 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV OTRA OPIC EC ASEC PE SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR FOR OPIC OFFICER STEVEN SMITH REF: STATE 150665 ¶1. (U) The Embassy grants country clearance for the visit to Peru of OPIC Officer Steven Smith from September 13, 2006 through September 19, 2006. The purpose of this trip is to conduct site visit. Per your request Embassy will make arrangements for visit with Econ and FCS officers. When departing Lima by air, the Republic of Peru imposes an airport departure tax on any outbound passenger of 30.25 USD for international flights and 6.05 USD for domestic flights. ¶2. (U) POINT OF CONTACT, TELEPHONE NUMBERS, ADDRESS AND COMPUTER USE: Embassy point of contact will be Economic Officer Marcos Mandojana, office telephone number (51)(1)618-2411, cellular telephone (51)(1)9-632-0869. Embassy after-hours direct line for Marine Security Guard is (51)(1)618-2936. The Embassy address is Av. La Encalada, Cuadra 17, in the Monterrico Sur Section of Lima. State Department TDY visitors requiring OpenNet-Plus Systems access during their stay should directly contact George K. Philpott, ISO, in advance of their arrival so a computer account can be created if needed. Any employee who intends to bring U.S. Government portable microcomputers (laptops) for use in CAA or non-CAA areas must notify post,s ISSO and RSO in advance of travel. 12 FAH-6 h-314 prohibits the installation or use of any privately owned computer in a government building where classified information is processed or stored. Accordingly, post policy prohibits Personal Electronic Devices (PED),Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) e.g. &Palm Pilots8, MP-3 players, etc. within the Chancery facility. Such devices are never authorized in CAA spaces and are not authorized connectivity within OpenNet unclassified or classified networks, or stand-alone classified PCs. Personnel who wish to bring PDAs authorized under the Department of State,s Secure Wireless Extended Enterprise Technology (SWEET) program into the Chancery must notify Post,s ISSO and RSO in advance of travel. Find information concerning the SWEET program at http://sweet.irm.state.gov. Please refer to 03 STATE 286036 for detailed guidance regarding Post,s Information Systems security requirements. ¶3. (U) PASSPORT/VISAS: To ensure full protection for travelers, the mission requires that all visitors eligible for official/diplomatic passports use them when traveling. Official travelers are advised not to use tourist passports. In exceptional cases where official travelers must use tourist passports, they do not need to have an official visa, as long as they stay in the country less than 90 days. The Migrations Office at the airport in Lima grants all visitors a 90-day stay in the country. Travelers with oficial/diplomatic passports, who are scheduled to stay less than 90 days in Peru, do not need to have an official visa. Visitors with official/diplomatic passports, who are scheduled to stay more than 90 days in Peru, or whose initial stay is less than 90 days but later may need to stay longer, must have an official visa. DOD personnel on personal travel must use a tourist passport. If official visitors arrive via military ship, a passport is not required unless the individual is required to exit Peru via commercial or military air. If an official visitor is a Peruvian National serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, a valid Peruvian (maroon) passport is absolutely necessary in all cases in order for the individual to enter or exit Peru. Proof of residency in the U.S. (green card) is required for return to the U.S. All visas for onward travel should be obtained prior to arrival in Peru. ¶4. (SBU) SECURITY: Post reminds all TDY personnel requesting country clearance for temporary duty of 30 days or more of the requirement to complete mandatory personal security training effective January 1, 2005. Personnel requesting country clearance for periods of 30 days or more must certify that they have or will complete the required training prior to their travel, or may request a waiver as per the above policy. For extended TDY requests, individual bureaus (not the Bureau of Human Resources) are responsible for ensuring that their staff, in all employment categories (Civil Service, Foreign Service, WAE, PSC, etc.),meets the training requirement. See 04 State 66580 for more information about the mandatory personal security training requirement. Country clearance is granted for travel to non-Embassy restricted areas only. Visitors who plan to travel to Embassy restricted areas must request Post approval upon arrival. A list of these areas can be obtained from the RSO. It is imperative that the Mission be notified immediately of delays or changes in plans or itinerary. Personnel must not change hotels without first notifying control officer. The State Department has designated Peru as high threat for indigenous terrorism, medium threat for transnational terrorism and political violence, and critical threat for crime. Two terrorist groups operate in Peru: Sendero Luminoso (SL) and Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru (MRTA). Both organizations continue to be potential threats and have targeted U.S. facilities in the past. Due to GOP efforts, the activities of the SL and MRTA have been greatly reduced and are now largely confined to rural areas. Overland travel outside of Lima and other large cities during the hours of darkness is prohibited due to unsafe road conditions and the threat of armed criminals. Terrorist groups operate with relative impunity in some interior areas and are known to target vehicular traffic. Crime is a serious problem in metropolitan Lima and popular tourist areas such as Arequipa, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. Most crimes involve petty theft, pickpocketing, bag slashing, grab-and-run, and theft from occupied and unoccupied vehicles. More violent crimes include armed robbery, carjacking, and choke-and-rob. Criminals frequently react violently when resistance is encountered. In almost all instances it is advisable not to offer resistance. Most areas of downtown Lima are dangerous and should be avoided during the hours of darkness. Visitors are cautioned to remain alert to their surroundings at all times, particularly when in crowded areas, such as on public transportation, at outdoor markets, and at tourist sites. Countermeasures against crime also protect against terrorism. Special care should be exercised at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Callao. Criminals frequent this area, especially at night, and are known to target foreigners both inside and outside the terminal. Security briefings are mandatory for all official visitors to Peru. Briefings are given in the RSO Conference Room at the Embassy, on Wednesdays, promptly at 9:00 a.m. ¶5. (U) ICASS TDY Policy and Action Request: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit. Each agency, organization, or visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to their visit. Direct charge costs include, but are not limited to: American and LES staff overtime (e.g., expediter, accommodation exchange, representational event support), field travel-lodging and M&IE by Embassy employees, vehicle rentals, long distance telephone calls, equipment rentals, office supplies and all other costs that are directly attributable to the visit. Also, for TDYers over thirty (30) days, there is a charge for ICASS support services. If your sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign a MOU for ICASS support services upon arrival. The agency should provide post with a written communication, generated by the traveler,s headquarters that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYers, provides the agency ICASS billing code the TDY support charges should be applied to, and authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. Where travel is urgent, the TDYers should bring this documentation with them to ensure there are no interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty days without provision of this documentation before day 31 of the TDY. ¶6. (U) HEALTH CONCERNS: Travelers to the jungle areas of Peru should have up-to-date yellow fever vaccine and malaria prophylaxis for chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria. Primary prevention against malaria and dengue fever includes avoiding the mosquito vectors of these diseases: using insect repellant, appropriate protective clothing, and bed netting. Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are strongly recommended for all persons before coming to Peru. Rabies is present in country, and those individuals whose work and/or leisure activities might expose them to wild animals, bats or stray dogs, should consider receiving the rabies vaccine. Travelers diarrhea/dysentery is quite common in Peru. Visitors should substitute bottled beverages for potentially contaminated water. Fish, shellfish, and vegetables should not be eaten unless well cooked, and all food should be eaten while still hot. Fruits with a peel are generally safe, provided they are peeled before being eaten. Typhoid vaccine is also recommended. Cholera is endemic in Peru and disease rates reach high levels from January to May--the same food and bottled water precautions apply. Travelers planning to travel to high altitude areas of Peru, such as Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Puno, should consult with their health care provider first, and be fully aware of the health dangers of high altitudes and measures to minimize these dangers. ¶7. (SBU) MEDICAL CLEARANCES: All employees who are at post in TDY status for more than 60 days are required to have a medical clearance from the Office of Medical Services. Contractors who are not direct-hire USG employees do not have access to the Embassy Health Unit. STRUBLE