COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR SENIOR COUNTRY

UNCLAS BERLIN 000585 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL GM FR CD OTRA SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR SENIOR COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR CHINA AFFAIRS LTC SANDE SCHLESINGER AND DELEGATION REF: SECDEF MESSAGE DTG 291331Z APR 08 ¶1. Embassy Berlin welcomes and grants country clearance for LTC Sande Schlesinger and delegation to travel to Berlin May 8 - 10, 2008, as proposed reftel. ¶2. Point of contact for the visit is POL/MIL-External Unit Chief, William E. Moeller. Contact information is as follows: Office: (49) (30) 8305 - 2237 Cell Phone: (49) 0172 - 970 - 4363 Home: (49) (30) 8974 - 6983 Fax: (49) (30) 238 - 6289 E-mail: MoellerWE@state.gov ¶3. Post understands no assistance is needed with hotel reservations or transportation. ¶4. Visa Requirements: U.S. citizen visitors and employees on training or consultations may enter Germany for a maximum of 90 days without a visa. Non-U.S. citizen visitors should check visa requirements at post prior to embarking on official travel to Germany. ¶5. Mission Germany TDY ICASS Policy: If requesting assistance that involves procurement of resources, valid fiscal data or fiscal data from travel orders must be provided. Each visitor must bring or forward fiscal data to cover the direct costs of the visit, which will be direct-charged to their agency, organization, or delegation. Direct-charge costs include, but are not limited to, airport expediting, control room staffing, representational event support, American and LES staff overtime, travel and per diem for post personnel assigned to support requested field travel, rental of vehicles or other equipment, long distance telephone calls, office supplies, transportation, departure taxes and airport fees. ¶6. Post and German authorities continuously review information that could impact on the safety and security of your visit to Germany. At this time, we are not aware of any specific, credible threats to your traveling party. ¶7. The Department of State assesses German cities with a U.S. diplomatic presence as high for transnational terrorism and medium for criminal activity. On 20 April 2007, The U.S. Embassy released a public announcement stating that security at U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities throughout Germany had increased their security posture in response to a heightened security environment. This heightened threat of a terrorist attack continues and visitors are encouraged to consult with the Regional Security Office or Control Officer prior to travel. The full text of this public announcement is available on the internet at www.usembassy.de. ¶8. While there have been no recent significant domestic terrorist attacks in Germany, the country remains a potential venue for transnational terrorism. German troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan and are assisting with the NATO training mission in Iraq. In addition, the country continues to host a sizeable number of U.S. military installations, almost all of which are involved in our current military efforts in Iraq. A March 2007 video, apparently produced by Islamic extremists, specifically threatened Germany with terrorist attacks as a result of the country's military deployment in Afghanistan. In June 2006, two improvised explosive devices were placed aboard regional commuter trains in Western Germany; the devices failed to function and the perpetrators were apprehended. In September 2007, German authorities arrested members of an Islamic radical group who were allegedly planning terrorist attacks on unspecified targets, likely including Americans. Nonetheless, these incidents are a reminder that Germany is not immune from the threat of terrorism. ¶9. The most common threat to official USG travelers in Germany is petty crime. Pick-pocketing, bag-snatching, and confidence schemes are often perpetrated against obvious tourists and foreigners in large German cities. Hotel room break-ins and thefts from automobiles, while infrequent, have occurred in the past. Armed robbery, home invasion, and car-jacking are all but non-existent in Germany. Taxis, as well as Germany's extensive public transportation network, are safe and may be used by USG personnel. ¶10. Large-scale protests are a common feature of daily life in major German cities. Only rarely are such protests held without police sanction, and German authorities are skilled in crowd control techniques. The overwhelming majority of protests occur without violence, although marches and demonstrations by right-wing and Neo-Nazi extremists have recently drawn violent counter-protests from the left-wing community. ¶11. Visitors to Germany should practice the same good common-sense personal security practices that are an every day part of life in US cities. A heightened sense of situational awareness should be exercised when in popular tourist areas, train stations, and other soft-target venues. Large gatherings and demonstrations, regardless of the theme or topic, should be avoided. USG visitors are encouraged to report unusual, suspicious, threatening, or harassing behavior to the nearest Mission Germany Regional Security Office at the numbers listed below. ¶12. German law enforcement agencies are professional and extremely supportive to the U.S. government and all of our concerns. The countrywide police emergency telephone number is 110. The fire department and ambulance service may be reached at telephone 112. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin reports current threat information for American citizens at 49-30-832-9233. Further questions regarding this assessment may be directed to the Regional Security Office in Berlin at 49-30-8305-1400, in Frankfurt at 49-69-7535-2444, or in Munich at 49-89-2888-625. TIMKEN JR