BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 BEIJING 003076 SIPDIS DEPT, FOR, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/DO, DS/TIA/OSAC, DS/P/MECU, DS/TIA/ITA, DS/DO/P, DS/ICI/CI, DS/T/ATA, DS/TIA, DS/TIA/PII, DS/CC, EAP/CM, S/CT, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, PASS TO TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) OPERATIONS CENTER, HONG KONG FOR RSO AND LEGAT AND USSS, SHANGHAI FOR RSO, SHENYANG FOR RSO,CHENGDU FOR RSO, GUANGZHOU FOR RSO, USSS HQS FOR INV, OPO, HNL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2033 TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 11, 08/11/2008 REF: A. BEIJING 3060 ¶B. BEIJING 3067 ¶C. BEIJING 3065 Classified By: Acting DCM Michael Regan for reason 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) The following cable provides information on security, public diplomacy, political, and consular activities related to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games as of 08/11/2008. ¶2. (U) The interagency USG Joint Operations Center (JOC) can be contacted on a 24-hour basis at the following numbers: - JOC Direct Line: 011-86-010-6532-6966. - U.S. Embassy Beijing: 011-86-010-6532-3431, JOC extension ¶6200. - JOC fax: 011-86-010-6532-4763. - STE and fax: 011-86-010-6532-5163. KEY ISSUES -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The President of the United States and members of the USG Delegation to the Olympics Opening Ceremony will depart Beijing on the afternoon of 08/11/2008; former President George H. W. Bush is scheduled to remain in Beijing until 08/13/2008. Chinese media have reported that the President "fully enjoyed" the Games; President Bush's visit to Beijing marked the first time a sitting U.S. President has attended the Olympics. ¶4. (SBU) The condition of Barbara Bachman, the U.S. citizen injured in the 08/09/2008 stabbing attack by a Chinese national, remains serious. Medical evacuation to the U.S. is being considered for Mrs. Bachman as of 08/11/2008; such action is dependent upon her medical condition and the wishes of her family. U.S. Embassy officers from the American Citizens Services (ACS) section and the Regional Medical Office continue to provide assistance to the Bachman family at the hospital. ACS is also assisting family members with the repatriation of Todd Bachman's remains to the U.S. ¶5. (SBU) State Department's Information Resource Management (IRM) bureau has provided JOC agencies with clarification on the repercussions for Olympics communications of the proposed Beltsville Information Management Center (BIMC) power outage scheduled for 08/16/2008 and 08/17/2008 (ref. a). According to IRM, backup power sources will ensure that JOC communications--with the exception of IVG lines--will be unaffected for the duration of the projected four hour outage. This information has allayed the concerns of JOC agencies regarding the impact of the outage on critical connectivity during the middle of the Olympic Games. BEIJING 00003076 002 OF 006 SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Incidents: Unsubstantiated Claim that 08/09/2008 Assault Specifically Targeted U.S. Citizens: JOC agencies are investigating the 08/10/2008 receipt by the U.S. Embassy of an e-mail containing unsubstantiated information claiming that family members of the U.S. Men,s Indoor Volleyball coach killed and injured in the 08/09/2008 knife attack at Beijing's Drum Tower were specifically targeted by Chinese citizen Tang Yongming as a result of extreme nationalist feeling. The e-mail's author also alleges that Chinese websites have launched a "hunt" for U.S. Women's Indoor Volleyball team coach Lang Ping--a former member of the Chinese volleyball team--and U.S. Men's Indoor Volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon--son-in-law of the two American victims--because many Chinese felt Lang betrayed her country by coaching the U.S. team. A subsequent review by JOC personnel of the Chinese websites named in the e-mail has revealed no potentially hostile or threatening information. Chinese and Western media have characterized Tang as having "lost all hope" after a series of failures in his life and thus far, there is no indication that he had extreme nationalist leanings. JOC agencies have identified an e-mail subscriber in Houston, Texas, as being the source of this message; according to available information, the account was created in 2007 by a U.S. citizen of Chinese descent and the address has been active in Houston from 07/30/2008 to 08/09/2008. Prior to 07/12/2008, the e-mail address was active in Beijing. A preliminary review of 820 of the subscriber's e-mail messages has determined that the individual had no specific knowledge of the 08/09/2008 attack. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Houston have been dispatched to interview the subscriber. ¶7. (SBU) OSC Meets with USOC Regarding Alleged Volleyball Threat: On 08/10/2008, the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) met with U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) security officials to discuss the receipt of the e-mail claiming that U.S. Volleyball coaches Lang Ping and Hugh McCutcheon may be the targets of extreme Chinese nationalists. The USOC has indicated that they will talk to Lang Ping and will increase efforts to monitor her safety while in Beijing. In addition, the JOC remains alert for any potentially hostile activity towards the U.S. Volleyball teams. On 08/09/2008 the USG Field Liaison Officer (FLO) assigned to the Capital Gymnasium volleyball venue reported a Chinese national observing the arrival and departure of the U.S. Women's Indoor Volleyball team from a point near the team bus; the woman--who identified herself as a former Nanjing University student with a degree in English--allegedly had been unable to obtain tickets to the volleyball competition and wanted to see the U.S. team. Records checks on the subject have yielded no BEIJING 00003076 003 OF 006 derogatory information. ¶8. (SBU) Second E-mail Received: On 08/10/2008, JOC personnel received from media sources a second e-mail containing unsubstantiated information related to the 08/09/2008 knife attack. The e-mail--which was written in grammatically correct English--was purportedly from Tang Yongming, perpetrator of the 08/09/2008 knife attack against U.S. citizens, and alleged that he had planned to commit an assault as a way to draw attention to the suffering of the Chinese people and China's corrupt policies. The e-mail header information indicating the source and sender of the message had been redacted from the copy provided to the JOC. A review of the e-mail by JOC personnel has determined that the information is likely spurious; given this and in the absence of any identifying information on the message, it has been determined that no additional investigative action is required at this time. ¶9. (SBU) Update to Attack in Kuqa: According to China's Xinhua media agency, police in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region have updated the casualty count to eight dead in a series of bomb attacks and shootings in the town of Kuqa on 08/10/2008 (ref. b). Police sources have indicated that 12 separate bombings occurred in Kuqa county, targeting buildings belonging to the local government, public security bureau, and economic and trade committee. In tactics similar to those used in the 08/04/2008 attack in Kashgar, bombers carrying explosives drove a vehicle into the yard of a Kuqa police station; two bombers were reportedly killed in a shootout at the scene and five others later discovered by authorities died in a stand-off with police. One security guard was also killed and two police officers and two civilians were reportedly injured. Immediately following the incidents, Western journalists in Kuqa notified Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) representatives in the JOC that they had been taken by police to a hotel and told that they could not leave, but were later released and allowed to move around the city. Chinese officials have repeatedly warned that Uighur separatist groups in Xinjiang have planned a series of attacks to take place during the Olympic Games. No claim of responsibility has been received for the Kuqa incidents. ¶10. (SBU) Threats: Man Arrested for Air China Bomb Threat: According to Japan's Kyodo news, on 08/10/2008, a South Korean resident in Japan turned himself into police, claiming responsibility for the 08/08/2008 bomb threat to Air China that caused a flight diversion and the temporary grounding of several Air China planes (ref. c). Lee Hyon Sa was arrested on charges of forcible obstruction of business. No information was available regarding Lee,s motivation for making the bomb threat. BEIJING 00003076 004 OF 006 ¶11. (SBU) Olympic Protests: On 08/10/2008, the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) informed the U.S. Embassy's American Citizens Services (ACS) unit that three U.S. citizens were among a group of five activists detained for staging a pro-Tibet protest near Tiananmen Square; the PSB confirmed that the three Americans--as well as two Canadians--were deported to Los Angeles that evening. ACS did not receive telephonic notification of the incident from an SFT affiliate who has provided information on all previous pro-Tibet detentions; the "Students for a Free Tibet" (SFT) website--which routinely posts information on U.S. citizens detained in Beijing in conjunction with the protests--contained only two of the U.S. names passed by the PSB. The SFT website also indicated that five Canadians had been detained at their Beijing hotel by Chinese authorities; the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed to ACS that a total of seven Canadian citizens were deported from Beijing on 08/10/2008 in connection with pro-Tibet activities. To date, 11 Americans have been detained and deported from China since the initial SFT protest on 08/06/2008. SECURITY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) USG FLO Update: All USG FLOs are deployed and have reported no major incidents or security concerns at the Olympic venues. ¶13. (SBU) Shenyang Update: The U.S. Consulate General in Shenyang has reported the arrival of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team on 08/11/2008. FLOs are coordinating security arrangements for the team with the Regional Security Officer (RSO) and the team will meet with local officials this afternoon. There have been no anti-U.S. or anti-Olympic incidents reported and the Chinese security posture remains elevated. VIPS -------------- ¶14. (SBU) U.S. VIPs in China: U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson remains in Beijing; he is scheduled to depart the city on 08/15/2008. ¶15. (SBU) Closing Ceremony Delegation: The USG Delegation to the Olympics Closing Ceremony is scheduled to arrive in China on 08/22/2008; the delegation will be led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY BEIJING 00003076 005 OF 006 -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Press Plane Departure: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) informed U.S. Embassy officials on 08/10/2008 that China would abide by all previous agreements for VIP terminal access and expedited departure courtesies for the White House press plane, a chartered Northwest aircraft. The press plane's arrival early on the morning of 08/08/2008 was delayed by more than three hours due to "logistical problems" that prevented the plane from using the VIP terminal. CONSULAR AFFAIRS -------------- ¶17. (U) Please refer to the "Key Issues" and "Security Issues" sections for information on recent Consular activities. POLITICAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶18. (C) Environment Official Blames Dedicated Olympic Lanes for Poor Air Quality: A Director General-level official at China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (protect) told a U.S. Embassy Political Officer (PolOff) that dedicated Olympic lanes on Beijing's 4th Ring Road are raising pollution levels at the Olympic Village. The official said by restricting normal traffic flow, the dedicated lanes (open only to vehicles with special Olympic passes) are creating a permanent traffic jam on the 4th Ring Road just a few hundred meters south of the National Stadium (the Bird's Nest). "Rubbernecking" drivers slowing down to get a look at the stadium are exacerbating the problem. The official believes pollution levels near the Bird's Nest are thus significantly higher than the city-wide pollution index released by the Beijing Government. (Comment: The 4th Ring Road area near the Bird's Nest has historically suffered from traffic congestion due to traffic volume and "rubbernecking." Pollution levels at the Olympics Center monitor have closely tracked the city average.) ¶19. (C) Christian House Church Activist Hua Huiqi and Rights Activist Zeng Jinyan: PolOff on 08/11/2008 told MFA International Organizations Department Human Rights Division Deputy Director Xu Jing that the Embassy is concerned by press reports that Christian House Church Activist Hua Huiqi was detained while bicycling to the church service President Bush attended Sunday morning, and urged Hua's immediate release. PolOff also expressed Embassy concerns about weekend reports that security officials detained rights activist Zeng Jinyan on 08/07/2008, possibly to prevent her from speaking to reporters during the Olympic Games. PolOff asked Xu to provide information about the status both of Zeng and her child and urged Zeng's release from detention. Xu BEIJING 00003076 006 OF 006 did not confirm reports in either case but said she would convey Embassy concerns to her superiors. ¶20. (C) AP Journalist Detained Repeatedly in Xinjiang: An AP journalist told PolOff that Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) officials have detained him three times since 08/08/2008. On 08/08/2008, Yining security officials held the journalist at a local police station after he tried to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies with local residents. For an hour, police denied the journalist permission to leave the police station, holding his passport, press card and mobile phone. They told the journalist that they "weren't detaining him" but that he was not free to go. On 08/09/2008, airport security officials briefly detained the journalist and his cameraman as they tried to depart Yining by airplane. Officials searched both persons' luggage. They also searched the journalist's laptop and forced the photographer to delete pictures of a military convoy in Yining. On 08/10/2008, after the journalist and the cameraman traveled to Kuqa City to cover reported violence in that area, security officials held them at the Kuqa Hotel for about four hours, telling the journalist he could not leave because it was "too dangerous for foreigners." ¶21. (SBU) Internet Freedom: An AP journalist told us that websites deemed "sensitive" by the Chinese government remain blocked. Journalists at the Olympic press center are still unable to access sites relating to Falun Gong, Tiananmen and Tibet. RANDT