SPAIN COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL THOMPSON

UNCLAS MADRID 001911 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE STATE FOR H AND RM/F/DFS/FO/AA/CAA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT ASEC OREP SP AFIN SUBJECT: SPAIN COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL THOMPSON REF: STATE 134752 ¶1. Embassy warmly welcomes and grants country clearance to Ms. Mischa Thompson and Ms. Janice Helwig, Staff Advisors for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to travel to Madrid and Cordoba, Spain on or about October 8 to October 13. The purpose of the visit is to attend and chair the OSCE conference on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Muslims. ¶2. Marti Estell, Cultural Affairs Officer will be the Embassy point of contact for this visit. She can be reached at embassy number 011 34 91-587-2501, blackberry number 011 34 670-915-815. Her email address is EstellME@state.gov. ¶3. Logistical support will be provided in Madrid and Cordoba per reftel and email correspondence. Hotel reservations within perdiem (181.90 euros) have been made in Madrid at the Intercontinental on Paseo de la Castellana, 49, telephone 34 91 700 7300, fax 34 91 319 5853. Hotel reservations in Cordoba are at the Hotel Cordoba Center on Avda. de la Libertad, 4, telephone 34 95 775 8000, fax 34 95 775 8002 at 133.75 euros a night. ¶4. The control officer will meet and assist upon arrival. ¶5. Visitors are reminded that bearers of diplomatic and official passports coming to Spain on official business need to obtain a Spanish visa prior to arrival to Spain. ¶6. Post can provide DoS email access via OpenNet (unclassified system) to State Department travelers who have active OpenNet accounts. Post can also support users who wish to access their email accounts using FOBs or OWA. Exchange 5.5 users (ask your system manager to provide Exchange server version) who have to use remote login to access their exchange email accounts will need to provide Post,s IM section with the name of their DoS Domain and their Exchange Server name and/or IP address. ¶7. THREAT ASSESSMENT: In general, Spain is safe. However, Madrid, Barcelona and other large cities in Spain -- including resort/convention areas such as Benidorm -- attract a large number of criminals and pickpockets and frequent incidents of crime of opportunity against the unwary do occur. Carry only essential items including a photocopy of your passport's photo page. Visitors can protect themselves against crime by being street-smart, alert and aware of their surroundings. In the event you are victimized by crime, or experience any security-related incident, please contact the Embassy's Regional Security Office at 91-587-2550 or after hours at 91-587-2355. Official visitors to the Embassy in Madrid or the Consulate General in Barcelona are encouraged to receive a security briefing from the RSO office at their earliest convenience. Additional information regarding safety and security in Spain is available on the U.S. Department of State's website (www.embusa.es). Travelers are encouraged to review the most recent Worldwide Caution issued by the Department of State. As the Department of State continues to develop information on any potential security threats to Americans overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel/state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, U.S. travelers can hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from their fax machine. LLORENS