COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR U.S. TREASURY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000535 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN KCRM PTER OTRA NL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR U.S. TREASURY OFFICIALS PATRICK O'BRIEN AND JUSTIN SERAFINI - MARCH 14-16, 2006 REF: DEPT OF TREASURY WASH DC 101812Z MAR 06 ¶1. Country clearance is granted for March 14-16, 2006 travel to the Netherlands of U.S. Treasury, Terrorism Finance and Financial Crime officials Patrick O'Brien, Assistant Secretary; and Justin Serafini, Advisor, to discuss specific SIPDIS issues of concern relating to illicit finance, anti-money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as to participate in the Dutch finance ministry hosted terrorism finance conference in the Hague. ¶2. Two double rooms for single use have been reserved for the nights of March 14 and 15 at Sofitel Den Haag, Koningin Julianaplein 35, 2595 AA The Hague - Phone: (31) (70) 381-4901; Fax: (31) (70) 382-5927. (Note that when calling from inside the Netherlands the city code is 070 and when calling from outside it is 70). ¶3. Control officer for the visit is Economic Deputy Counselor Karen Enstrom - Work Phone: (31) (70) 310-2273; Cell Phone: (31) (061) 315-1935; Fax: (31) (70) 310-2348; Email: EnstromKL@state.gov. (Note that when calling from inside the Netherlands the city code is 070 and when calling from outside the Netherlands it is 70). POST ACCESS: ¶4. Visitors who need unescorted access into secure areas of the Mission must provide proof of a clearance. If level of clearance was not provided in the original country clearance request it should be done by separate cable. The cable should include SSN, and the name of the agency granting the security clearance. Cables must include the ASEC Tag to ensure distribution to the RSO office. COMPUTER and ELECTRONICS USAGE: ¶5. Inter-agency security standards prohibit the introduction or use of non-USG owned computer hardware and software at all USG diplomatic facilities. Cell phones, palm pilots, radios and other convenience electronics are prohibited in all secure areas of the Mission. ¶6. Travelers who anticipate having special needs in terms of either access or computer usage should contact the RSO office before arriving at post. SECURITY ADVISORY: ¶7. Since July 9, 2004, the Dutch Government has implemented heightened security measures in response to concerns of terrorist activity. US citizens in The Netherlands are encouraged to monitor media reports, and are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Tensions in The Netherlands are high, sparked by the November 2, 2004 murder of a Dutch film producer known for his outspoken criticism of Islam; and by the November 10, 2004 raid on a home of suspected terrorists, which led to an all-day standoff and ended with the arrest of three individuals and non-fatal injuries to the suspects and the police. Subsequent arrests were made in connection to this raid and further investigation revealed that these suspects had ties to known terrorist groups. These events initiated a GoN-wide overhaul of its Counter-Terrorism measures, including providing more resources to combat violent Islamic radicalism. There have been a series of protests and arson attacks directed at mosques and Islamic schools in the Netherlands, plus retaliatory actions against several churches. American citizens should bear in mind that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. The U.S. Government remains deeply concerned about the heightened possibility of terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. As noted in the Department of State,s Worldwide Caution of September 10, 2004, ter