FRANCE: PARIS AIRPORT SECURITY UNDER INCREASING

UNCLAS PARIS 007425

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FOR EB/TRA, S/CT, EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR PTER PREL KHLS FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE: PARIS AIRPORT SECURITY UNDER INCREASING
PUBLIC SCRUTINY



1. (U) Airport security has come in for increasing public
scrutiny with the airing by the Euronews network November 15
of a September videotape purporting to show holes in security
arrangements at Paris' Charles De Gaulle airport (CDG). The
footage demonstrated how cleared airport baggage handlers
could bypass physical searches and showed an employee
smuggling a simulated brick of plastic explosive into an area
where it could be easily placed in secure freight for an
outgoing cargo flight.


2. (U) The tape was shot by the General Workers
Confederation union (CGT),and was publicized as part of its
defense of workers recently suspended by the Prefect in
charge of airport security based on Interior Ministry
determinations that they represented security risks. Union
spokesmen have argued that the suspensions are a form of
discrimination against Moslems, and that the true problem at
CDG is lax security procedures, which if corrected would make
suspension of access passes unnecessary. In a related
development, an administrative judge temporarily restored
badges to two of the 72 airport employees suspended since
last May, while maintaining the suspension of five others.
This brings to four the total number of baggage handlers who
have regained access to their badges. Further complaints
seeking administrative redress of suspended clearances are
expected to be filed.


3. (SBU) Michel Wachenheim, Director General of the French
Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) called Embassy Transportation
Security Administration Representative November 14 to warn of
the impending publicity, and to tell us that DGAC would not
be responding publicly to the union's charges, but did intend
to take legal action against the union and the employee who
circumvented CDG security arrangements. The issue is
politically sensitive here, and grows out of charges of
widespread Islamic radicalism among airport workers initially
raised by far-right Presidential candidate Philippe de
Villiers in a book published last April, widely viewed as an
attack on Interior Minister (and rival candidate for the
Presidency) Nicholas Sarkozy. De Villiers based his charges
on a leaked confidential memo produced by the French Border
Police that reportedly identified extremist affiliations of
some CDG airport employees as a potential security risk.


4. (SBU) Comment: Though press discussion of these
suspensions has been abundant, in the current highly charged
pre-electoral climate, separating truth from
politically-motivated conjecture or selective leaking of
information is particularly difficult. Based on these first
cases, it seems unlikely that administrative review will
reverse large numbers of these suspensions, or dampen press
speculation about the information contained in the
confidential files of the Interior Ministry. In view of the

SIPDIS
evident deficiencies shown by the suspensions and the
videotape, we expect that the GOF will continue to follow
through on its efforts to proactively identify airport
security risks and to take corrective action where necessary,
in spite of opposition from unions or potential fallout in
the presidential election campaign.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON