TRAVEL WARNING - ALGERIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 118264

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER ASEC AG
SUBJECT: TRAVEL WARNING - ALGERIA

STATE 00118264 001.2 OF 002



1. The State Department warns U.S. citizens of the risks
of travel to Algeria. This Travel Warning updates
information on the current security situation in Algeria
and the continuing threat posed by terrorism. This
replaces the Travel Warning dated March 3, 2009.


2. The Department of State urges U.S. citizens who travel
to Algeria to evaluate carefully the risks posed to their
personal safety. Terrorist attacks including bombings,
false roadblocks, kidnappings, ambushes, and
assassinations occur regularly, particularly in the
Kabylie region of the country. Since early 2007, the use
of suicide bomb attacks, particularly vehicle-borne
attacks, has emerged as a terrorist tactic in Algeria,
including in the capital. The group that claimed credit
for the December 11, 2007, suicide car-bomb attacks in
Algiers has pledged more attacks against foreign targets,
and specifically against American targets.


3. The Department of State recommends that U.S. citizens
avoid overland travel in Algeria. Americans who reside
or travel in Algeria should take prudent security
measures while in the country, including making
provisions for reliable and experienced logistical
support. Visitors to Algeria are advised to stay only in
hotels where adequate security is provided. All visitors
to Algeria should remain alert and adhere to prudent
security practices such as avoiding predictable travel
patterns and maintaining a low profile.


4. The U.S. government considers the potential threat to
U.S. Embassy personnel assigned to Algiers sufficiently
serious to require them to live and work under
significant security restrictions. These practices
limit, and may occasionally prevent, the movement of U.S.
Embassy officials and the provision of consular services
in certain areas of the country. The Government of
Algeria requires U.S. Embassy personnel to seek
permission to travel to the Casbah within Algiers or
outside the province of Algiers and to have a security
escort. Travel to the military zone established around
the Hassi Messaoud oil center requires Government of
Algeria authorization. Daily movement of embassy
personnel in Algiers is limited, and prudent security
practices are required at all times. Travel by embassy
personnel within the city requires prior coordination
with the Embassy's Regional Security Office. American
visitors are encouraged to contact the Embassy's Consular
Section for the most recent safety and security
information concerning travel in the city of Algiers.


5. Americans living or traveling in Algeria are
encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Algiers
through the State Department's travel registration
website and to obtain updated information on travel and
security within Algeria. Americans without Internet
access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy
Algiers. By registering, American citizens make it easier
for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The
U.S. Embassy is located at 5 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-
Ibrahimi in the El Biar district of Algiers. The
telephone number is [213] 770 08 20 00, which can also be
reached after hours in the event of emergencies. The fax
number is [213] 21 98 22 99.


6. Travelers may obtain up-to-date information on
security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free
in the United States and Canada or, outside the United
States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-

4444.

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7. For further information on general crime and security
issues, U.S. citizens should also consult the Department
of State's Country Specific Information on Algeria as
well as the Worldwide Caution, available on the Bureau of
Consular Affairs Internet website.


8. Minimize considered.
CLINTON