POST CONVENES EAC ON 06/08/2009

S E C R E T PESHAWAR 000123 DEPT FOR: DS/IP/SCA; S/CT; DS/EX; DS/TIA/ITA E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/8/2019 TAGS: AMGT ASEC MOPS PK PTER SUBJECT: POST CONVENES EAC ON 06/08/2009 REF: TD-314/036294-09; TD-314/035973-09 CLASSIFIED BY: David J. Hazarian, Regional Security Officer, RSO, State. REASON: 1.4 (c),(d) ¶1. (S//NF) Post convened an Emergency Action Committee meeting at 1100(local) on June 8, 2009 to review post's security posture in light of specific, credible threat information targeting Consulate personnel. PO, RSO, RAO, ODRP/101st, ODRP/SOCCE, USAID, IPC, MGT, POL, CONS, PAS, and NAS attended the meeting. ¶2. (S//NF) Post convened an Emergency Action Committee meeting on June 8, 2009 to review ongoing specific, credible threat information where militants plan on carrying out suicide attacks targeting the residential housing cluster in University Town and Consulate personnel, particularly in light of Pakistani military operations in the Swat area as well as possible military action in the Waziristans. The EAC assessed the threat of an attack against the residential housing cluster and Consulate personnel to have a high degree of credibility. The EAC agreed to keep mission critical movements to a minimum with some staff occasionally working from home or on standby. The EAC in coordination with Embassy Islamabad determined that the threat was covered by the mission's existing travel warning. RSO Peshawar briefed the EAC on emergency action procedures should an attack occur. However, should an attack occur, the dispersed nature of Consulate compound facilities and lack of adequate safe haven facilities at the Consulate, and residences exacerbates the risk to Consulate personnel. ¶3. (S//NF) RSO and RAO re-stressed that the security situation remains tenuous and noted that all available measures are being employed given the level of threat reporting and attacks witnessed in recent months. Additional support has been requested and funded and approved but has not yet arrived at Post. Critical resources approved and funded but have not been established include secure and reliable Post radio networks (EAC and EAP),increased personal protection (PRS) capacity, emergency response teams for the Consulate and Khyber Club facilities, additional FAVs, consolidated housing and extensive residential physical security upgrades. Each resource has been addressed via cable and/or email correspondence with respective Department offices. Security resources, including deployed DS support and pre-existing Post assets, remain strained based on the security environment and operational demands. Further reductions in movements remain a priority of RSO and all available measures including combined shuttles, route and time variances, reduced work week and work-from-home options have been recommended and adopted whenever possible. ¶4. (U) RSO will continue to monitor and report on the security conditions in the Peshawar area. Point of contact for this information is RSO Peshawar, David J.Hazarian. TRACYLM