Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07DAMASCUS396
2007-04-25 14:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

CHARGE DISCUSSES NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND, DIPLOMATIC

Tags:  AMGT ABLD ASEC PGOV SY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6539
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0396 1151429
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251429Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3378
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0411
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000396 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ABLD ASEC PGOV SY
SUBJECT: CHARGE DISCUSSES NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND, DIPLOMATIC
ZONE WITH MFA

REF: A. 05 DAMASCUS 3443

B. 05 DAMASCUS 0366

C. 05 DAMASCUS 0796

D. 05 DAMASCUS 5288

E. 05 STATE 180634

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000396

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ABLD ASEC PGOV SY
SUBJECT: CHARGE DISCUSSES NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND, DIPLOMATIC
ZONE WITH MFA

REF: A. 05 DAMASCUS 3443

B. 05 DAMASCUS 0366

C. 05 DAMASCUS 0796

D. 05 DAMASCUS 5288

E. 05 STATE 180634


1. (SBU) In an April 23 meeting MFA Director of Protocol,
Amir Smadi, the Embassy's designated SARG interlocutor,
Charge followed up on previous approaches on the issue of the
proposed Diplomatic Zone (DZ) that President Bashar al-Asad,
FM Walid al-Mu'allim, and other senior SARG officials had
made reference to in recent meetings with CODELS. (Note:
These SARG officials raised the DZ, asserting that it would
be ready within a year, in order to address CODEL members'
expressions of concern about Embassy security and their
questions about why the Embassy was not able to proceed with
moving to a new, more secure embassy compound.) Charge also
noted to Smadi that in one of these meetings, a senior SARG
official had charged his deputy with reviewing Embassy plans
for the move to the DZ. Charge referred to these assurances
to CODEL members and noted that he wanted to resume
discussions with the SARG on purchasing land in the DZ for
the new embassy compound (NEC).


2. (SBU) Charge also noted that there had been a series of
previous discussions with the MFA over the past several years
about the particular plot of land the SARG intended to sell
to the U.S. for its NEC, including a commitment to assign the
U.S. an 80,000 square meters (eight hectares) plot of land
for this purpose. He showed Smadi a copy of a map,
previously provided to the Embassy by the MFA, which detailed
the DZ and those areas that had been discussed as possible
sites for the NEC. Charge emphasized the need for the SARG
to reach a decision about the precise plot of land and its
price, and noted that he would like to meet with the
appropriate MFA official, charged with administrative issues,
to move these discussions forward, building on the previous
discussions. Smadi promised to follow up on the matter but
requested a dipnote seeking the meeting.


3. (SBU) In the context of this discussion, Charge
reiterated his concern for Embassy security, especially in
the wake of the September 12 terrorist attack, and urged the
SARG to move on the Embassy's repeated requests to close or
partially close to vehicular traffic the streets surrounding
the Embassy. Smadi was non-committal, noting that street
closures were problematic and that he had "no answer" on that
issue. Other issues discussed are covered septel.

CORBIN