E-1 UPDATE FOR LATE FEBRUARY 2008

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000367 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: E-1 UPDATE FOR LATE FEBRUARY 2008 REF: JERUSALEM 00098 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. PolOffs observed February 27 that the police station in the E-1 area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim is nearing completion, and a policeman at the site said the police headquarters will move in the next two weeks. Infrastructure appears ready to support the police station. PolOffs observed that traffic patterns at E-1 limit access between the police station and the West Bank. Cleared areas noted in previous reporting appear unchanged. Pictures posted at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/jerusalem/ind ex.cfm under the link for Political Reporting Attachments. End Summary. E-1 POLICE STATION NEARLY READY FOR MOVE IN -------------- ¶2. (C) At the E-1 police station compound on February 27, PolOffs observed more than 20 vehicles in the parking lot, including a police van. Previously, PolOffs have not seen more than three or four vehicles at once. The northern side of the police station -- once the site of several construction trailers -- was vacant. Crews of workers were fine-tuning the antennae atop the building, and others were putting finishing touches on the entrance gate. An Israeli policeman told PolOffs that the police headquarters will move into the E-1 station from Ras al-Amud in the next two weeks. ROAD TO E-1 READY FOR TRAFFIC -------------- ¶3. (C) The road to the police station appears fully functional, although cosmetic additions are on-going, including fencing and streetlights. The bridge connecting E-1 to Ma'ale Adumim noted in reftel has been closed to traffic by a guard rail. The entrance to E-1 from Route 1 was blocked by a construction crew with a police guard when PolOffs arrived, but the crew allowed PolOffs to enter. TRAFFIC PATTERNS ISOLATE E-1 FROM THE WEST BANK -------------- -- ¶4. (C) PolOffs observed that there is currently no entrance to E-1 from the eastbound highway, and traffic from Jerusalem must drive past E-1 to a turn-around point at Mishor Adumim, then return on the westbound road to the E-1 entrance. Traffic leaving E-1 must drive westbound toward Jerusalem or into Ma'ale Adumim before turning around to go east. The only West Bank areas easily accessible to the police station are the Palestinian towns of al-'Azariya and Abu Dis, near Ma'ale Adumim. CLEARED AREAS REMAIN, UNCHANGED -------------- ¶5. (C) The large, cleared area northwest of the police station noted reftel appears largely unchanged since PolOffs' January 17 visit. The cleared area immediately north of the police station appears to be a dumping ground for excavated dirt from the construction. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) The E-1 police station is ready for occupancy, and the move from the Ras al-Amud police station appears imminent. The associated hand over of the Ras al-Amud facility to Israeli developers will likely prompt widespread media coverage and a negative Palestinians reaction. End Comment. WALLES