BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 BEIJING 003241

SENSITIVE
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: 08/22/2038
TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER
SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT
22, 08/22/2008

REF: A. BEIJING 3216

B. BEIJING 3200

C. BEIJING 3171

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 08/22/2008.


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) Head of Presidential Delegation Arrives: U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and Secretary of Health and
Human Services Michael Leavitt arrived in Beijing on
08/21/2008 to head the USG Delegation to the Olympics Closing
Ceremony. The other Delegation members--former State
Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public
Affairs Karen Hughes, former Olympian Michelle Kwan, U.S.
Olympic Committee (USOC) President Peter Ueberroth, and U.S.
Ambassador Clark Randt--are already in Beijing.


4. (SBU) Equestrian Events Completed as Typhoon Nuri
Approaches: The Olympic Equestrian Individual Jumping final
at the Sha Tin venue in Hong Kong was completed around
midnight on 08/21/2008. Rains from incoming Typhoon
Nuri--which is expected to make landfall in Hong Kong on
08/22/2008--did not disrupt the final Olympic equestrian
competition. Weather conditions in the South China Sea have
prevented Nuri from gaining strength as it approaches the
Hong Kong coast and it is predicted to make landfall as a
minimal tropical storm. According to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) representative in the JOC, United
Airlines has cancelled flights into and out of Hong Kong on
08/22/2008 due to weather concerns, though Northwestern
Airlines plans to continue flying; United has announced it
will resume flights on 08/23/2008. U.S. Olympic Equestrian
Team members have already begun their departure from Hong
Kong, with the final members leaving on 08/23/2008 and
08/26/2008; it does not appear that the adverse weather will
affect their return to the United States.


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SECURITY ISSUES
--------------

5. (SBU) Threats: Pakistan Claims Report of Arrests
False: A U.S. Embassy contact at the Pakistani Embassy in
Beijing has denied the accuracy of media reports that Chinese
authorities detained 35 Pakistani citizens on 08/20/2008 on
suspicion of planning a terrorist attack during the Olympic
Games (ref. a). The Pakistani official stated that the
report is incorrect and affirmed that no such arrests of
Pakistani citizens have taken place.


6. (SBU) Incidents: Alleged Hijacking Incident at Qingdao
Airport: On 08/21/2008, the Hong Kong Information Center for
Human Rights and Democracy--which has previously provided
unsubstantiated, unconfirmed, and exaggerated reporting on
bomb scares in Shanghai and Beijing--indicated that on
08/19/2008 two individuals were arrested in Qingdao after an
unsuccessful attempt to hijack an aircraft from the Cankou
Airport. The two subjects were reportedly carrying
explosives and injured an airport guard during the incident.
However, Qingdao authorities have refuted the Center's
information, stating that the individuals were members of a
criminal gang who were arrested on charges of petty larceny
in conjunction with their attempts to break into the airport
for criminal purposes.


7. (SBU) Police Confirm 08/17/2008 Truck Fire: Beijing
police have publicly confirmed that a truck caught fire on
08/17/2008 while passing through a Baimiao Public Security
checkpoint in Beijing,s suburbs, according to an 08/20/2008
Kyodo News report. Officials from the Beijing Public
Security Bureau (PSB) are quoted as stating that freight on
the truck caught fire "naturally;" they made no mention of
injuries, though witnesses have claimed that four vehicles
were destroyed and eight people were injured. On 08/20/2008,
the PSB had officially denied knowledge of the incident after
being contacted by the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) for
additional information (ref. a).


8. (SBU) Olympic Protests: Pro-Tibet Protesters Receive
10-Day Detentions: Chinese authorities confirmed to the U.S.
Embassy's American Citizens Services (ACS) unit that the six
U.S. citizens from the group "Free Tibet Reporters" detained
on 08/19/2008 will be released on 08/30/2008 after serving a
ten-day detention; the six had been taken into custody for
planning to use lasers to project "Free Tibet" messages onto
Beijing buildings (ref. a). (Note: Foreigners are commonly
held for a minimum of 14 days in cases such as this). The
U.S. Embassy Consul General requested that the Chinese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Consular Department Deputy
Director General weigh in with the PSB to shorten the
detention period. ACS has similarly stressed to their

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Chinese interlocutors (PSB) that the ten-day detentions are
excessive and have noted that two of the detained Americans
have existing medical conditions for which they require
medication. ACS officers visited the detainees on
08/22/2008. Consular personnel are working with local
police, the prison doctor, and MFA liaison contacts to have
the necessary medications brought to the Americans as quickly
as possible.


9. (SBU) "Students for a Free Tibet" Members Also Receive
10-Day Detentions: The two U.S. citizens members of
"Students for a Free Tibet" (SFT) detained with a British and
German national shortly after midnight on 08/21/2008 will
also be held in administrative detention for ten days; the
group was taken into custody for unfurling a "Free Tibet"
banner near the Olympic Sports Center Stadium (ref. a). ACS
was advised by the PSB that the Americans will be released on
08/31/2008 and ACS officers will visit the Americans on
08/22/2008. A total of 35 Americans have been detained for
pro-Tibet protest activities since 08/06/2008; 27 of these
were deported shortly after being taken into custody. (Note:
An additional nine Americans have been detained and deported
or released for ticket scalping, staging a pro-life protest,
and assaulting a cab driver. End note).


10. (U) Photographers Roughed Up at Pro-Tibet Protest:
According to an Associated Press (AP) source who contacted
Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) representatives in
the JOC, two AP photographers were taken into custody and
treated in a "rough and disturbing" manner after attempting
to photograph the 08/21/2008 pro-Tibet protest at the corner
of Beichen and 4th Ring Roads in which four SFT
members--including the two Americans who remain in
custody--were detained (ref. a). The photographers were
questioned aggressively by plainclothes police and the memory
cards for their cameras were confiscated prior to their
release.


11. (U) Hong Kong Business Owners Detained: AP also
reported that Beijing police detained a group of Hong Kong
business owners on 08/21/2008 after they gathered in front of
the Zhongnanhai compound where China's most senior officials
live and work. Police took the group into custody five
minutes after they unfurled a banner stating "Hong Kong
businesses want justice." Chinese authorities had previously
rejected the group's application to hold a protest in an
official "protest zone" to complain about a Chinese court
decision in an investment dispute (ref. b).


SECURITY OPERATIONS
--------------

12. (SBU) FLOs Continue to Depart Beijing: USG Field

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Liaison Officers (FLO) have begun to depart Beijing following
the completion of their teams' competitions. Pending flight
availability, FLOs assigned to the U.S. Women's Softball team
are scheduled to leave Beijing following the team's silver
medal win on 08/21/2008. While competition for the U.S.
Women's Soccer team ended with their gold medal win, the two
FLOs assigned to the team will remain in Beijing to provide
security support during the Paralympic Games that will take
place from 09/06/2008 to 09/17/2008.


13. (SBU) Large Crowds Expected at the Olympic Green: The
Beijing PSB has reported that 08/22/2008 is expected to be
the busiest day for the Olympic Green, with an estimated
total turnout of 500,000 people. Crowds are expected to peak
at around 2300 hours local time, with an estimated 238,000
people attending events at the National "Bird,s Nest"
Stadium, the Water Cube, the National Gymnasium, the
International Broadcasting Center, and the Main Press Center.
Officials have stated that extra measures will be taken to
ensure crowd control, with the goal of dispersing spectators
within 40 minutes after an event. Police have indicated that
if the crowds converging on exit points grow too large,
authorities may segment and cordon off portions of the crowds
until congestion at the exits is relieved.


14. (C/REL TO USA, ACGU) Bomb Safety Containers Deployed to
Subway Stations: U.S. Defense Attache Office (DAO) personnel
have confirmed prior JOC reports of bomb safety containers at
key Beijing subway stations along routes leading toward
Olympic venues and high-visibility tourist sights, including
the Olympic Green Line 8 and Tiananmen East Line 1 (ref. c).
The one-meter diameter spherical bomb safety
containers--which can be screwed closed--are mounted on heavy
metal platforms, with the ability to be rolled away on
four-wheeled carts. Most of the containers were painted
blue, with the Chinese Government red and gold emblem mounted
on the front; signs were also taped on the front of some
containers with Chinese characters warning people not to
touch them. (Please see IIR 6 814 1821 08, dated August 21,
for additional details.)


15. (SBU) United Reschedules Flights Prior to Closing
Ceremony: JOC personnel confirming their 08/24/2008
departures from Beijing on United Airlines have been told
that the daily 1830 hours flight to Washington, DC, will
depart at 1730 hours that evening due to United's expectation
that Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) will be
closed during the Olympics Closing Ceremony. However,
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representatives
at BCIA have advised that there are currently no plans to
shut down the airport during the Closing Ceremony and have
noted that United is simply being proactive in ensuring their
flight departures in case of late notice of a closure. BCIA

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was closed for five hours during the Opening Ceremony on
08/08/2008 as part of the Chinese Olympic security plan.


VIPS
--------------

16. (SBU) Please see the Key Issues section for updated
information on VIPs in Beijing.


PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
--------------

17. (U) There are no Public Affairs activities to report.


CONSULAR AFFAIRS
--------------

18. (SBU) Taiwan Flag Pins Confiscated: A Taiwanese American
informed ACS on 08/22/2008 that he had been detained for an
hour at the 08/18/2008 U.S. vs. Taiwan baseball game for
possessing several Taiwanese flag pins; the American is a
volunteer for U.S. anti-doping control and was carrying his
Olympic accreditation card. He reported being harassed and
yelled at, but was released after the pins in question were
confiscated. He also apparently answered questions from a
Taiwanese reporter after the incident and his story was
covered in Taiwan the following morning. ACS called the
individual to follow-up and he expressed gratitude for the
Embassy's attention but indicated he did not require services
at this time.


19. (SBU) MPS Refutes Reports of Tour Guide's Death:
According to the OSC liaison to the Olympics International
Police Liaison Center (IPLC),on 08/22/2008 Vice Minister of
the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) Liu Jing strongly
refuted recent press reports alleging the death of the
Chinese tour guide injured in the 08/09/2008 attack against
U.S. citizens at Beijing's Drum. The Beijing Municipal
Health Director had previously confirmed that the tour guide
had been released from the hospital on 08/18/2008 after
recovering from her wounds (ref. a).


POLITICAL AFFAIRS
--------------

20. (U) Bibles Returned: More than 300 Chinese-language
bibles were returned to a group of U.S. citizens when they
departed Kunming in Yunnan Province on 08/20/2008, according
to international media reports. The four Americans--who are
members of the Christian group "Vision Beyond
Borders"--attempted to bring the bibles with them when they
flew into Kunming from Thailand on 08/17/2008 (ref. c).
Chinese customs officials refused to release the bibles upon

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the group's arrival in China as Chinese regulations only
allow the importation of religious materials sufficient for
personal use.


21. (U) China Blocks iTunes: International media sources
report that Chinese authorities began blocking access to
iTunes--Apple's popular music download site--after learning
Olympic athletes were downloading free copies of a pro-Tibet
album featuring songs by artists such as Sting, Moby, Suzanne
Vega and Alanis Morisette. A U.S. Embassy officer who
regularly downloads music from the iTunes Store confirmed the
site is currently inaccessible.


22. (SBU) Chinese Public Security Authorities' Media
Guidance Revealed: On 08/21/2008, international press
freedom NGO "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) made public
three purported Chinese Public Security documents; two relate
to handling reporters during the Olympics, and the third is
an analysis of incidents involving pro-Tibet activists,
American Christians, and a delinquent that took place in the
days before the 08/08/2008 Opening Ceremony. The 08/07/2008
analysis of the incidents in the lead-up to the Olympics
recommends arresting and deporting foreign activists as soon
as possible and to "depoliticize" the events by "stressing
the public order consequences to the public." The
directives--apparently issued to police on 07/25/2008--urge
police not to interfere with foreign reporters, but instruct
police officials to investigate Chinese citizens who speak to
foreign media and to "follow and monitor" the journalist with
whom the interview was conducted. Despite these
instructions, RSF notes that 10 foreign journalists have been
"attacked or manhandled" by police since the start of the
Games. (Note: This does not include the two AP reporters
who were briefly detained on 08/21/2008 while attempting to
photograph a pro-Tibet protest or a Wall Street Journal
reporter who reported today being harassed and intimidated.
End note.)
RANDT