COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL MORRISION, FEBRUARY

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000392 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OREP AFIN ASEC IS SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR STAFFDEL MORRISION, FEBRUARY 16-18, 2008 REF: A. STATE 13368 ¶B. STATE 11915 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Tel Aviv welcomes the February 16-18, 2008, visit of HPSCI Staff Members Brian Morrison, Eric Greenwald, Donald Viera and Jay Heath, and SSCI Staff Member Alissa Starzak. The visit officer is Political Officer Van Reidhead; phone 972-3-519-7565; cell 972-50-540-6667; email ReidheadVE@state.gov. Hotel and other logistical arrangements have been communicated to the party via e-mail. ¶2. (U) All USG visitors to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank are responsible for reading this message thoroughly and complying with its instructions, and are required to comply with U.S. policy contained in Department of State cable 342724 (100514Z OCT 90). This classified cable is available for review through the office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, Department of State (NEA/IPA, Room 6247, 202-647-3672). All official visitors to Israel with s/ecret clearances or higher should review 12 FAM 262.3 prior to arrival. Copies of this FAM are available in the Regional Security Offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Since the opening of a new airport terminal in November 2004, Israeli security procedures have been significantly strengthened and formalized. All official visitors, regardless of rank or means of transportation into and out of Israel, should expect to be questioned with respect to their luggage, purchases, and possibly with respect to their activities during their stay in Israel. ¶3. (U) Threat assessment: The threat of terrorism and violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is high. There is no information indicating that this particular visit is threatened or targeted. Government employees should assume that they are subjected to technical and physical surveillance. Visitors should be scrupulous in securing classified and sensitive information in the Embassy or Consulate General and assume that any materials left in hotel rooms or public or semi-private places may be compromised. ¶4. (U) Travel Policy: In light of the current security situation, the following measures are in effect for all U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem personnel, as well as all USG official visitors. On the advice of the Regional Security Officer, exceptions to this policy may be granted on a case-by-case basis upon approval of the Ambassador in Tel Aviv or the Consul General in Jerusalem, respectively. A) Throughout Israel, travelers are strongly urged to avoid areas of public gathering or assembly, such as cafes, malls, restaurants, and movie theaters, especially during peak hours of business. Discos and nightclubs are off-limits. B) The use of public buses and trains, and their respective terminals/stations, is prohibited. C) Travelers must exercise caution when out in public and should report suspicious activity to the police and RSO immediately. D) Official travel to the West Bank is authorized on a case-by-case basis when determined by the Consul General to be mission-critical. For limited, personal travel, U.S. government personnel and family members are permitted to travel through the West Bank, using only Routes 1 and 90, to reach Galilee, the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge or the Dead Sea coast near Ein Gedi and Masada. Each such transit requires prior notification to the Consulate General's security office and must occur during daylight hours. U.S. Government personnel and family members are permitted personal travel on Route 443 between Modi'in and Jerusalem during the daylight hours only. E) Official and personal travel to the Gaza Strip, including to the Palestinian-controlled portions of entry/crossing points into the Gaza Strip, remains prohibited. Under policy guidance issued by the Secretary of State, the Consul General may grant rare exceptions to this prohibition only for official, mission-critical travel by the named special envoys of the President. F) Jerusalem,s Old City is off-limits during the hours of darkness, and on Fridays between the hours of 1100-1400 hrs. G) Travelers to Jerusalem are urged to remain vigilant, especially in the commercial and downtown areas of West Jerusalem and the city center. Israeli security services report that they continue to receive information of planned terrorist attacks in and around Jerusalem. H) Also in Jerusalem, the Tayelit or Haas Promenade (vehicle overlook) located in Armon Hanatziv and bordering the Palestinian Village of Abu-Tor is open for USG personnel during daylight hours only. Both the area below the Promenade and the village of Abu-Tor remain off-limits. In addition, due to reported increases in criminal activity, employees should avoid the outlying villages surrounding East Jerusalem. I) Northern Israel/Golan Heights: While there is a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the situation remains tense and a possible resumption of sporadic violence cannot be ruled out. Visitors to the Golan Heights should be warned that due to unmarked or poorly marked minefields, they should walk only on established roads or trails and pay close attention to warning signs and notices in the area. J) Country clearance for official travel to post will be reviewed on an individual and mission-critical basis. All TDY visitors at post for more than one week are required to attend the security newcomer briefing presented by the Regional Security Office (RSO). Sponsoring offices will incorporate this briefing into visit schedules as required. Official visitors here less than one week are strongly encouraged to contact the RSO for the most recent security related information. ¶5. (U) It has been longstanding USG policy for Administration officials not to travel to territories captured by Israel in the 1967 War (the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem) escorted by Government of Israel officials, either civilian or military. Overflights of these areas have been permitted in certain circumstances. Security situation permitting, Administration officials may travel to the West Bank or Gaza in the company of Consulate General personnel. As noted above, however, due to the October 2003 attack on Embassy personnel in Gaza, all travel to Gaza has been suspended for the foreseeable future. The Embassy recommends that Congressional and Staff delegations follow these USG guidelines when visiting Israel. ¶6. (U) Support costs: Visitors or their agencies/bureaus must provide fund cites to cover requested commercial services such as equipment, supplies, and transportation, as well as required Embassy/Consulate General overtime. In order to maintain their traditionally high standards of visitor support, Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem generally require an appropriate fund cite to cover per diem costs of control officers and motorpool personnel when assigned to visits. If security personnel are required, the fund cite must cover their expenses as well. The Embassy/Consulate General will provide estimated costs upon request. ¶7. Computer Access: TDY visitors requiring computer network access should so inform their control officers at least five days in advance of their arrival in Israel and Jerusalem. -- SBU systems: Visitors who enjoy access to their home post SBU computer system via Outlook Web Access, and who have requested SBU computer access through their visit officer, will receive logons upon arrival allowing them to access that system from terminals at the Embassy and Consulate General, respectively. Visitors who are unsure whether their home post supports Outlook Web Access should contact their local systems administrator before commencing travel. Visitors who do not have access to their home post SBU systems via Outlook Web Access must provide the Embassy and Consulate General with the fully qualified domain name and the IP address of their home e-mail server. That information is necessary for Embassy and Consulate General personnel to configure the visitor's access to his or her home post SBU account, and is available from the visitor,s home post SBU systems manager. -- Classified systems: Visitors requesting access to classified computer systems must provide front-channel confirmation that they possess at least a "secret" clearance. No access to home post classified e-mail accounts is possible from either the Embassy or Consulate General. Accordingly, Embassy and Consulate General information system personnel will be able to provide only new, separate classified e-mail accounts accessible only at their respective posts. ¶8. (U) Visas: Israel requires visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports. All personnel visiting Israel on official business must obtain visas from the nearest Israeli Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in Israel. Sharing this information in advance with visit officers will assist us in expediting visitors arrival. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES