EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 06/09/2008

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000563 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/RD/SCA, DS/DSS/ITA AND SA/INS NEW DELHI FOR LEGAL ATTACHE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC CASC PTER SUBJECT: EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 06/09/2008 REF: A. RSO COLOMBO DS SPOT REPORT (BUS BOMBING POLGOLLA) 06/06/2008 ¶B. COLOMBO 554 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on June 9, 2008. The EAC discussed post's security posture and advice to the general American community in light of the most recent terrorist attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The EAC agreed that the most recent incidents did not warrant changes in post's current security posture in view of the terrorist threat. However, the EAC recommended that post revise the Consular Information Sheet (CIS) to include some of the more recent events. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) On June 9, 2008, AmEmbassy Colombo convened a meeting of the core EAC. Present for the meeting were the Charge, d,Affaires, Acting DCM, RSO, MGT, RAO, POL, CON, PD, ECON, and USAID. The agenda items for the meeting were: -- Post's security profile in light of recent LTTE terrorist attacks (reftel) -- Post's advice to the broader American community in light of these events ¶3. (SBU) The EAC concurred that all available information continues to indicate that the LTTE will target neither Americans, American interests, nor Western interests generally. The threat to both the official and expatriate American communities remains being caught in the proximity of an attack. The June 6 attacks in Polgolla (ref. A) and Moratuwa (ref. B) both occurred on public transport buses. Other recent bombings in Dehiwala and Wellawatte occurred on a train and on the railroad tracks, respectively. Embassy security policy prohibits the official American community from using public modes of transportation such as buses or trains. Post's Travel Warning and warden messages inform the general American community of the Embassy policy and advise Americans to avoid using buses and trains. In that respect, the EAC agreed that post's security policies and advice to the American community was sufficiently detailed vis-a-vis the actual threat. However, the EAC agreed that the Consular Section could update the CIS to include information regarding some of the more recent attacks. ¶4. (SBU) Ref. B (para. 3) mentioned press reports concerning the discovery and defusing of a time-delayed improvised explosive device (IED) found along the "Airport Road" in Ragama, northeast of Colombo. RSO sources in the Sri Lanka Police Service confirmed the press reports of the IED discovery. However, the sources noted that road on which police discovered the IED was not Highway A-3 (the main north-south route from Colombo to Bandaranaike International Airport). The location of the discovery was actually on the Ragama Road, a secondary road that runs between the A-3 and Ragama town and known by locals as the "Airport Road." ¶5. (U) Post will continue to monitor the security environment and will report further developments septel. POC for this message is RSO Michael V. Perkins, who may be contacted at 94.11.249.8885, 94.11.249.8888 (MSG Post 1 after regular business hours),or via the classified and unclassified email systems. MOORE