BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 BEIJING 003254 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: 08/24/2033 TAGS: ASEC CASC CH CMGT ECON KOLY OVIP PREL PTER SUBJECT: BEIJING 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: USG SITUATION REPORT 24, 08/24/2008 REF: A. BEIJNG 3216 ¶B. BEIJING 3241 ¶C. BEIJING 3253 ¶D. BEIJING 3158 ¶E. BEIJING 3049 Classified By: DCM Dan Piccuta 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 08/24/2008. ¶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) MPS Requests U.S. Assistance on Alleged Olympics Threat: In the early hours of 08/24/2008, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) passed to the Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) a request for USG assistance in locating and interviewing the U.S.-based relatives of an individual identified as Mehmet Molla, who the MPS portrayed as a radical member of the Eastern Turkestan Independence Movement (ETIM) planning to conduct unspecified terrorist activity during the Olympics Closing Ceremony. Preliminary record checks conducted by JOC agencies indicate Molla's brothers--who were born in Turkey and carry Turkish passports--are legally present in the U.S. A review of Department of State records indicate Mehmet Emin Molla was denied a U.S. visa in May 2005; however, no derogatory information regarding Molla or his U.S.-based relatives was found during the initial records search. ¶4. (SBU) Brothers Interviewed in the U.S.: Washington DC-based Joint Terrorism Task Force agents were already in the process of interviewing the brothers when the MPS again contacted the JOC at 0730 hours local time to request that the U.S. refrain from contacting them, as the MPS was aware of Molla's likely whereabouts. According to the agents, the brothers were cooperative and non-evasive during the interview; they confirmed their Uighur ethnicity, stated that they are in regular contact with Molla, and indicated that Molla had moved to China approximately six months ago to marry a Chinese national. According to the brothers, Molla BEIJING 00003254 002 OF 005 is currently attempting to obtain a Turkish visa so that he and his wife can depart China. A phone call made to Molla during the interview appeared to confirm his current location at a relative's house in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region--located approximately 2050 miles from Beijing. The agents obtained no information to support the Chinese claim that Molla is associated with terrorist elements or to corroborate the threat outlined by the MPS. ¶5. (SBU) Additional Actions: The Deputy OSC passed a photograph of Molla, as well as his passport information, to MPS contacts at the Olympics International Police Liaison Center (ILPC). In response to JOC requests for additional background on the threat, the MPS indicated that Molla came to their attention during the Olympic Torch run through Turkey when he received a call from a "high-level" ETIM member; they also stated that they currently have him under surveillance in Urumqi. In response to the original MPS request, the JOC has provided MPS officials Molla's cell phone number and informed them that the USG believes Molla to be in Urumqi, that he does not appear to have a nexus to terrorism, and that he is not seen to pose a threat to the Olympic Games. In addition, the JOC passed the MPS threat information and investigative update to the USG security detals assigned to U.S. Secretary of Labor Elain Chao and Secretary of Health and Human Servies Michael Leavitt--both of whom will be in attendance at the Closing Ceremony. SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Threats: Please see Key Issues for current threat information. ¶7. (U) Chinese Dispute Pakistani Arrest Report: In response to media reports regarding the alleged arrest of 35 Pakistani nationals in China on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks during the Olympic Games (ref. a),the Chinese state-run news outlet Xinhua stated on 08/22/2008 that an unspecified "relevant Chinese department" had denied the story. This denial follows an earlier refutation of the report by Pakistani Embassy representatives, who had confirmed that no such arrests had taken place (ref. b). ¶8. (U) Incidents: Explosive Object Allegedly Found on Guangzhou Bus: According to Chinese press reports, on 08/22/2008, Guangzhou city police arrested an individual in connection with an 08/21/2008 incident in which a "minor flammable and explosive object" was placed at the back of a public bus. No one was injured in the incident and the bus was not damaged. The Chinese press cited a rumor that the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau (PSB) received a telephone call approximately an hour before the incident claiming that BEIJING 00003254 003 OF 005 there would be an explosion and police have indicated that the perpetrator placed the object on the bus to "vent personal grudges." ¶9. (C) Olympics Protests: Expected Early Release of American Detainees: On 08/24/2008, Deputy Director General (DDG) Qui of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) informed the U.S. Embassy that the Beijing PSB plans to deport prior to midnight local time the eight U.S. citizens currently in detention for pro-Tibet activities. The eight--six of whom belong to the group "Free Tibet Reporters" and two of whom are "Students for a Free Tibet" members--were originally to be released on 08/30/2008 and 08/31/2008, respectively (ref. c); Embassy officials had repeatedly pressed Chinese authorities to immediately release the Americans. The MFA requested that the Embassy not inform the media about the decision until after the deportation of the Americans and the Deputy Chief of Mission has further instructed Embassy officials not to share the information outside of classified channels until after the Chinese announcement of the decision, due to the concern that any announcement by the USG could result in a reversal of China's decision on early release. DDG Qui emphasized that the individuals had violated Chinese law and urged the Embassy to advise all American visitors to comply with Chinese rules and regulations. ¶10. (SBU) Pro-Tibet Protest Held in San Francisco: On 08/23/2008, Diplomatic Security's San Francisco Field Office reported that approximately 250 Tibetan protesters arrived at the Chinese Consulate after marching from the San Francisco City Hall. Separate pro-Tibet protests were expected to occur in New York City in conjunction with the Olympics Closing Ceremony on 08/24/2008 (ref. c). SECURITY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶11. (U) Closing Ceremony Logistics: Chinese authorities have not publicly released details of the security measures in place for the Olympics Closing Ceremony scheduled for 2000 hours local time on 08/24/2008. However, it is likely that security will be similar to that for the Opening Ceremony, in which spectators at the Olympic Green passed through concentric layers of ticket and vehicle access checkpoints and were subject to bag x-rays and body searches with handheld magnetometers. The closing event is expected to be lower in profile than the opening of the Games, lasting only two hours and with fewer VIPs in attendance. ¶12. (SBU) USG Security Coordination for the Closing Ceremony: USG Field Liaison Officers (FLO) will be present at the National "Bird's Nest" Stadium to provide security BEIJING 00003254 004 OF 005 support and coordination to U.S. athletes participating in the Olympics Closing Ceremony. Concerns regarding crowd and access control for high-profile teams and athletes have been somewhat allayed by the fact that the U.S. Men's Basketball and several other popular teams will not be participating in the event (ref. c). In addition to the FLO presence, U.S. agents assigned to the protective details of the USG Delegation to the Closing Ceremony will carry FLO radios in order to maintain contact with the JOC for situational awareness and security support should it be necessary (ref. c). VIPS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Delegation to Attend Closing Ceremony: The USG Delegation to the Olympics Closing Ceremony will attend the closing event of the Olympics on 08/24/2008; the Delegation is headed by Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and includes Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, 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. On 08/23/2008, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with the Delegation and expressed his welcome for their visit, saying it is "an embodiment of China-U.S. friendly cooperation." Secretaries Chao and Leavitt conveyed President Bush's greetings to Premier Wen, congratulated the Chinese on a successful Olympic Games, and expressed sympathy to the victims and families of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY -------------- ¶14. (U) There is no significant information or activity to report. CONSULAR AFFAIRS -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Olympics Baby Doing Fine: A U.S. citizen who gave birth to a baby girl in her hotel room on 08/17/2008 (ref. d) visited ACS on 08/23/2008 to obtain a Certified Report of Birth Abroad for the infant. She also inquired how to procure the proper Chinese Government documents to allow the whole family to return to the United States. According to ACS officers, mother and daughter continue to do well. ¶16. (SBU) American Hotel Room Vandal to Come out of Hiding?: Media sources report that a U.S. citizen responsible for painting the walls of two downtown Beijing hotel rooms with anti-China statements and bible verses (ref. BEIJING 00003254 005 OF 005 e) has been in hiding outside of Beijing since 08/06/2008. According to The Los Angeles Times, Eddie Perez Romero plans to turn himself in to Chinese authorities after the Olympic torch is extinguished on 08/24/2008. POLITICAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶17. (U) There is no significant information or activity to report. RANDT