AMMAN EAC OF 12/06/2008

S E C R E T AMMAN 003266 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/CC, DS/IP/NEA, DS/TIA/ITA, NEA/EX EMBASSIES FOR RSO E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2018 TAGS: ASEC PTER JO SUBJECT: AMMAN EAC OF 12/06/2008 REF: A. TD-314/083723 ¶B. AMMAN 3169 ¶C. AMMAN 3260 Classified By: RSO Michael Mack for reason 1.4 (C) ¶1. (S) Ambassador convened a core meeting of the Amman Emergency Action Committee on December 6, 2008, to discuss new information regarding the threat described in reftel A and courses of action for Post. ¶2. (S/NF) GRPO presented the EAC with tearline language which they will pass to the General Intelligence Directorate (GID.) The tearline indicates that an Al Qaeda operative may have entered Jordan with the intention of attacking "possibly the Le Royal hotel." The tearline was also passed to the Protective Security Directorate (PSD),which declined to pass the information to the hotel on the grounds that the report was part of an active law-enforcement investigation. ¶3. (S) PSD and GID reported that they are taking immediate measures to bolster security at Le Royal hotel and at other luxury hotels in Jordan. Jordanian efforts to secure the hotel were confirmed by a visit by DCM and RSO. These measures include: - Extra patrol vehicles and a significant augmentation of personnel from the PSD. - Vehicles and personnel from the newly-formed Gendarmerie (a new division of the PSD.) - Plainclothes personnel from the GID. - Surveillance units from the GID. - A review of security procedures at the hotel by security professionals. ¶4. (S) The EAC noted that a general Warden message was released last week based on this report (reftel C) warning of an increased threat, especially during the upcoming holiday season, to luxury hotels and other tourist sites. The EAC determined that there were at least 3 USG employees at the Le Royal hotel, and possibly other American citizens. The EAC concluded, based on the active measures being taken by Jordanian authorities that appropriate countermeasures appear to be in place. The Jordanian authorities are taking extraordinary defensive measures to secure the hotel and offensive measures to apprehend the suspect. If the Department determines through an inter-agency assessment that the threat is not counterable, then a Warden message should be released and notification to Le Royal hotel and other hotels in Jordan should be made through the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC.) ¶5. (SBU) On balance, the EAC concluded that the heightened security procedures at Post were appropriate to the general threat environment. The EAC will closely monitor the intelligence and security information regarding this report and will reconvene as necessary. Beecroft