USUNESCO: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR WILLIAM BRENNAN,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000390 SIPDIS FROM USMISSION TO UNESCO FOR USDOC NOAA/SWHARRIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA SENV FR SUBJECT: USUNESCO: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR WILLIAM BRENNAN, THOMAS LAUGHLIN, AND JENNIFER WINSTON REF: USDOC 5408 ¶1. Post welcomes and grants country clearance for William Brennan, Thomas Laughlin, and Jennifer Winston from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA)and attend the Third Global Conference on oceans, coasts, and islands - January 21-29, 2006. ¶2. Control officer for the visit is Robert Dunn, who can be reached by e-mail at DunnRC@state.gov, by office phone at 33- 1-45 24 74 21 or by fax at 33-1-45 24 74 58. She can also be reached at any time via the Embassy Switchboard at 33-1-4312- ¶2222. Cell phone number 06 13 69 60 56. ¶3. Post understands no further assistance is required. We would like to point out that a 48 hour notice is due in case of cancellation or modification in travel plans in order to avoid no-show charges. Please be aware that check- in time for hotels in France is officially 3:00 PM. If you require a room to be ready earlier you will have to pay lodging for the night before arrival and your travel orders should reflect this requirement. Concerning luggage, as a convenience, hotels may allow travelers to leave their personal luggage at their hotel prior to 3:00 PM on the day of check-in. If travelers cannot pay an additional day for an early check-in, it is up to the traveler to negotiate with the hotel to leave baggage prior to check-in. ¶4. In the event of a crisis or serious international incident involving the United States, you should immediately contact your control officer. ¶5. Embassy media policy stipulates that any contact with visitors with the media be coordinated through the Embassy press office at 01-4312-2833. ¶6. Embassy wishes to remind visitors that visas are required for holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports on official business in France. ¶7. Action request: Each visitor must bring a copy of his/her travel orders (or forward fiscal data) to cover costs of visit. Each agency, organization, or visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to their visit. These costs include, but are not limited to, American and FSN overtime, field travel by Embassy employees, vehicle rentals, long distance telephone calls, equipment rentals, representational events and all other costs that are directly attributable to the visit. Airport pickup is provided only for employees at the rank of Assistant Secretary or above. Other visitors should take a taxi or Air France bus. ¶8. Following is current security information for France: (A) Current situation: Travelers should be aware that the significant unrest that began in the northern suburbs of Paris Oct. 27 has now spread to several locations within the city limits of Paris, and to many other cities throughout France. Check the Embassy website for the latest Warden Message: http://france.usembassy.gov Travelers using the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris should be aware that the train between the airport and Paris passes through an affected area and has occasionally been disrupted. Travelers should rely instead on airport buses or taxis to downtown Paris. (B) Terrorism: The current terrorism threat in France mirrors the general worldwide threat. Trans-national terror groups such as al-Qaida likely have a presence in France and do present a general threat. French law enforcement and intelligence services are effective in responding to this threat and remain in a heightened state of alert, but cannot completely negate it. For this reason American citizens should practice good personal security when visiting France. Remaining unpredictable is perhaps the simplest but most effective way of ensuring personal safety. This is particularly true when departing or arriving at your place of residence. Being aware of your surroundings and suspicious persons or activities is also critically important. Do not accept packages, do not open hotel doors to strangers and immediately report any suspicious activities to the police (telephone 17) and Regional Security Office (telephone 33 1 43 12 27 96). (C) Crime: Street crime in French cities is similar to that in most large metropolitan areas. The two most frequent crimes are pick pocketing and snatch/run theft. These criminals most often ply their trade on public transportation routes used by tourists and at tourist sites. In Paris, visitors should be particularly alert when using Metro lines numbers one and two, in addition to the RER trains serving the airports. Tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the major museums and the Avenue des Champs Elysees are all areas of heavy activity. Visitors should use hotel safes whenever possible to store valuables and excess cash. Awareness should go up when conditions are crowded. Maintain control of cameras and bags; do not carry these items behind you. Criminals on metros often push into you for distraction and pickpocket while doing so. Another technique is to grab valuables and escape just as the metro doors are closing. If credit cards are stolen, proceed to the nearest telephone and immediately notify the card issuer. Stolen credit cards are used immediately. Whenever possible, take a seat or keep your back to a wall when on the metro system. It is also recommended that a photocopy of your passport identification page be carried in lieu of the passport itself. Report any incidents to the Regional Security Office as soon as possible. (D) Electronic devices: privately owned laptops and personal computers are prohibited in controlled access areas (CAAs) of the Mission and consulates. Travelers with USG unclassified and classified laptop or notebook computers SIPDIS should review '95 State 244394 (classified machines) and '95 State 243825 (unclassified machines) and notify the Information Management Office (IMO) before bringing these machines into a CAA. Cellular telephones are also prohibited in the CAA and must be left outside this area. Questions concerning other types of electronic devices may be directed to the Information Management Office or Regional Security Office. (E) Travelers planning to stay longer than 30 days are required to schedule a security briefing with the RSO. For additional threat assessment information regarding France and/or Europe, you may contact DS/ITA in the State Department at (202) 663-0787. ¶9. Health Concerns: For current information on health precautions for France, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website contains an analysis at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/diseases.htm. OLIVER