US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY750

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000750 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
TERREP 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/CC, 
DS/ICI/CI and EAP/BCLTV 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, VM, CTERR 
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE TERRORIST SIGHTING IN HO CHI MINH CITY 
 
 
1. (SBU) ON JUNE 2, 2004, AT 11:00 HOURS, RSO MET WITH TWO AMCITS 
WHO WERE CURRENTLY ON A BUSINESS TRIP TO HO CHI MINH CITY, 
VIETNAM.  BOTH AMCITS REPORTED THAT THEY ARE STAYING AT THE 
SHERATON SAIGON HOTEL IN HO CHI MINH CITY.  THEY SAID THAT ON THE 
NIGHT OF JUNE 1 AT APPROXIMATELY 22:00 HOURS, THEY WENT TO THE 
23RD FLOOR NIGHTCLUB AT THE SHERATON AND TOOK A TABLE ON THE UPPER 
TIER OF THE CLUB.  THE TABLE WAS LOCATED BY THE RAILING THAT 
OVERLOOKED THE DANCE FLOOR AND WAS LOCATED NEAR THE STAIRWAY THAT 
LEADS DOWN TO THE DANCE FLOOR. 
 
2. (SBU) WHILE THERE, BOTH AMCITS SPOTTED AN INDIVIDUAL WHO LOOKED 
AND WAS DRESSED IN AN OUTFIT THAT SEEMED WAY OUT OF PLACE.  THE 
INDIVIDUAL LOOKED LIKE HE WAS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND WAS WEARING 
A BLUE, BULKY COAT THAT WENT DOWN TO HIS KNEES (DEFINITELY NOT 
DANCING CLOTHES, AND EVEN THOUGH THE NIGHTCLUB IS AIRCONDITIONED, 
THE TEMPERATURE OFTEN RISES TO 80 DEGREES).  THE COAT HAD WHITE 
SIX-INCH LETTERS ON THE BACK THAT SAID "ALITALIA".  THE SUBJECT 
WAS ALSO WEARING BLUE UNIFORM PANTS AND THE AMCITS DESCRIBED HIM 
AS LOOKING LIKE "AN AIRLINE BAGGAGE HANDLER."  THE AMCITS SAID THE 
INDIVIDUAL WAS IN HIS LATE 20S TO EARLY 30S, APPROXIMATELY 5'8" TO 
5'10" TALL, HAD WELL-GROOMED SHORT BLACK HAIR AND PROMINENT EARS. 
WHILE THE AMCITS OBSERVED THE INDIVIDUAL WATCHING PEOPLE COME UP 
AND DOWN THE STAIRS, THE INDIVIDUAL SUDDENLY MOVED OVER TO STAND 
NEXT TO THEM, ONLY INCHES AWAY.  THE INDIVIDUAL STAYED THERE FOR 
APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, AND THE AMCITS GOT A GOOD LOOK AT HIM. 
THE SUBJECT THEN MOVED BACK TO THE STAIRS BRIEFLY AND WALKED DOWN 
THE STAIRS AND DEPARTED THE CLUB AT APPROXIMATELY 22:50 HOURS. 
 
3. (SBU) THE AMCITS WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH THAT THEY WENT TO THE 
HOTEL'S INTERNET SERVICE COMPUTER AND CHECKED THE FBI MOST WANTED 
TERRORIST WEBSITE.  BASED ON THE PHOTOS ON THE WEBSITE, THEY HAVE 
IDENTIFIED THE INDIVIDUAL AS FAHID MOHAMMED ALLY MSALAM; DPOB: 19 
FEBRUARY 1976 IN MOMBASSA, KENYA AND WANTED IN CONNECTION OF THE 
EAST AFRICAN EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN 1998. 
 
4. (SBU) AMCITS SUPPLYING INFORMATION: 
 
NAME: KAMM, CHRISTAN PHILLIP 
DPOB: 30 OCTOBER 1967 OHIO 
PPT#: 155313415 
 
NAME: HERBERT, STEVEN ALAN 
DPOB: 20 AUGUST 1953 RHODE ISLAND 
PPT#: 104003089. 
 
BOTH AMCITS REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD BE IN VIETNAM UNTIL JUNE 4, 
2004 AND WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS THE MATTER FURTHER. 
 
5. (SBU) ACTIONS TAKEN:  RSO HCMC CONTACTED RSO HANOI TO REPORT 
INCIDENT.  RSO HANOI PASSED INFORMATION ON TO AMBASSADOR, DCM AND 
FBI LEGATT BANGKOK.  RSO HCMC ALSO INFORMED CG, DPO AND DHS OIC 
RICK SELL.  RSO HANOI AND RSO HCMC CONTACTED RESPECTIVE MINISTRY 
OF PUBLIC SECURITY (MPS) CONTACTS TO ARRANGE MEETINGS WITH 
COUNTERPARTS TO INFORM THEM OF THE MATTER AND REQUEST IMMEDIATE 
ASSISTANCE.  RSOS HANOI AND HCMC APPRISED LGF AND SD TEAMS OF THE 
SITUATION AND DISSEMINATED FBI FLYERS OF THE SUBJECT TO ALL LGF 
POSTS.  RSOS ALSO DISSEMINATED FBI FLYERS TO ALL APARTMENT 
BUILDINGS IN WHICH USG MEMBERS AND FAMILIES ARE RESIDING. 
 
6. (SBU)  RSO HCMC ALSO VISITED THE SHERATON SAIGON HOTEL AND 
SPOKE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THE SECURITY CHIEF REGARDING 
THE MATTER.  THE SECURITY CHIEF NOTED THAT NONE OF HIS GUARD FORCE 
REPORTED ANYONE LOOKING OR ACTING SUSPICIOUS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. 
RSO VIEWED VIDEOTAPES FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE OF THE TWO ELEVATOR 
BANKS WITH DEDICATED ACCESS TO THE NIGHTCLUB, BUT THEY WERE OF 
SUCH POOR QUALITY THAT PEOPLE WERE UNRECOGNIZABLE.  THE GENERAL 
MANAGER AGREED TO HOLD THE TAPE FOR 60 DAYS IN THE EVENT OTHERS 
WANTED TO VIEW IT.  RSO LEFT A COPY OF THE FBI FLYER WITH THE 
GENERAL MANAGER TO DISSEMINATE AMONG HIS SECURITY STAFF.  RSO ALSO 
BRIEFLY VISITED THE INDIAN JAMIA MUSLIM MOSQUE LOCATED ONE HALF- 
BLOCK FROM THE SHERATON AND SHOWED THE THREE SECURITY GUARDS THERE 
A PICTURE OF THE SUBJECT.  THE GUARDS, WHILE HELPFUL, DID NOT 
RECOGNIZE THE SUBJECT. 
 
7. (SBU)  DHS OIC RICK SELL REPORTED TALKING TO MPS CONTACTS, WHO 
SAID THAT THEY ARE TAKING THE REPORT VERY SERIOUSLY AND HAVE 
ALERTED ALL AIR, SEA PORTS AND BORDER CROSSING AREAS OF THE 
SUBJECT AND THE SITUATION.  MPS ALSO REPORTED THAT THERE ARE SIX 
MPS OFFICERS DEDICATED TO THIS MATTER. THEY ARE CURRENTLY 
CONDUCTING RECORD CHECKS TO SEE IF ANYONE UNDER THE SUBJECT'S NAME 
OF ALIASES HAS EITHER ENTERED OR DEPARTED VIETNAM.  SELL ALSO 
DISTRIBUTED FBI FLYERS TO THE MPS.  RSO AND DHS OIC WILL MEET WITH 
VIETNAMESE POLICE AND SECURITY ELEMENTS IN THE MORNING TO GET AN 
UPDATE ON THEIR PROGRESS. 
 
8. (SBU) RSO NOTES:  RSO BELIEVES THAT THE TWO AMCITS WHO REPORTED 
THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SUBJECT ARE SINCERE AND CONCERNED 
ABOUT SPOTTING THIS INDIVIDUAL.  BOTH WERE VERY COOPERATIVE.  THEY 
ARE CERTAIN THAT DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME THEY VIEWED THE SUBJECT 
CLOSE UP, THAT WHEN THEY SAW THE PICTURE ON THE FBI WEBSITE, THE 
INDIVIDUAL MATCHED THE PICTURE OF MSALAM.  THE SHERATON SAIGON 
HOTEL IS THE ONLY UPSCALE HOTEL IN HCMC THAT HAS AN IMMEDIATELY 
IDENTIFIABLE "AMERICAN" NAME.  THE NIGHTCLUB FEATURES AN 
AMERICAN/CANADIAN BAND THAT PLAYS THERE SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK.  RSO 
WILL REPORT BACK SOONEST ON ANY INFORMATION THAT IS DEVELOPED. 
 
YAMAUCHI