US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY767

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 000767 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
TERREP 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/LECC, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, 
DS/ICI/CI, EAP/BCLTV; HANOI FOR RSO, BANGKOK FOR RSO AND LEGATT, 
PHNOM PENH FOR RSO, VIENTIANE FOR RSO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, VM, CTERR 
SUBJECT: RSO HO CHI MINH CITY MEETS WITH LOCAL MINISTRY OF PUBLIC 
AFFAIRS OFFICERS REGARDING "FAHID MOHAMMED ALLY MSALAM" 
 
REF:  A) HCMC 0750  B) HANOI 1617   C) HANOI 1618   D) HCMC 0759 
 
1. (SBU) ON JUNE 6, 2004 AT 18:00 HOURS, RSO MET WITH MEMBERS OF 
THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY (MPS) TO DISCUSS THE RECENT 
POSSIBLE TERRORIST SUSPECT SIGHTING(S) OF FAHID MOHAMMED ALLY 
MSALAM IN HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC).  THE MEETING TOOK PLACE AT A 
COFFEE SHOP NEAR THE CONSULATE GENERAL (CONGEN).  IN ATTENDANCE 
WERE MR. NGUYEN NHU HUONG, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ANTI-TERRORISM UNIT 
IN HANOI; MR. NGUYEN VIET CUONG, DEPUTY TO MR. HUONG AND HEAD OF 
THE HCMC ANTI-TERRORISM UNIT; RSO AND MS. TON NU KIM BAO, THE 
RSO'S FSN INVESTIGATOR (FSNI). 
 
3. (SBU) AFTER INITIAL PLEASANTRIES, MR. HUONG INFORMED RSO THAT 
UPON RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM THE RSO IN HANOI (BECAUSE MPS HCMC 
INITIALLY REFUSED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH THE CONSULATE RSO, 
PENDING APPROVAL FROM HANOI, RSO HCMC PASSED ALL PERTINENT 
INFORMATION TO RSO HANOI TO USE WITH MPS HANOI), THE ANTI- 
TERRORIST UNIT HAD TAKEN THE FOLLOWING STEPS: 
 
3A. REVIEWED THE RECORDS OF THE GUESTS WHO STAYED AT THE SHERATON 
SAIGON HOTEL FROM JANUARY 2004 TO PRESENT.  CHECKS OF THOSE 
RECORDS MET WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. 
3B. REQUESTED THAT THE HCMC POLICE CHECK THE RECORDS OF ALL 
TEMPORARY RESIDENTS AND HOTEL GUESTS IN HO CHI MINH CITY.  AS OF 
NOW, THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE POLICE IN THIS 
MATTER. 
3C. REVIEWED THE IMMIGRATION RECORDS OF PERSONS WHO ENTERED 
VIETNAM FROM KENYA FROM JANUARY 2004 TO PRESENT.  THIS REVIEW 
TURNED UP 22 PERSONS FROM KENYA WHO ENTERED VIETNAM DURING THAT 
PERIOD, OF WHICH 21 HAVE SINCE DEPARTED.  ONLY ONE KENYAN REMAINS 
IN VIETNAM.  MPS IS CURRENTLY CHECKING ON THAT INDIVIDUAL, WHO IS 
CURRENTLY IN HANOI. 
3D. REVIEWED THE SECURITY TAPES FROM JUNE 1ST FROM THE SHERATON 
HOTEL.  A CHECK OF THOSE TAPES MET WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. 
3E. SHOWED THE PICTURE OF THE SUBJECT TO THE SHERATON STAFF AND 
SOME OF THE GUESTS.  THIS ALSO MET WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. 
3F. SET UP SURVEILLANCE AROUND THE HOTEL AND AT THE NIGHTCLUB ON 
THE 23RD FLOOR.  THE SUBJECT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN.  THE SURVEILLANCE 
WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. 
3G. MR. HUONG ALSO REPORTED THAT MPS IS CONDUCTING SECURITY 
TRAINING FOR GUARDS WORKING AT AMERICAN FACTORIES AND BUSINESSES 
IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM, SO THAT THEY CAN BE MORE ALERT TO ANY 
SUSPICIOUS PERSONS WHO MAY BE SURVEILLING THEIR 
PROPERTY/PERSONNEL.  HE SAID THEY JUST COMPLETED TRAINING IN BINH 
DUONG PROVINCE.  (POST NOTE: BINH DUONG PROVINCE IS ADJACENT TO 
HCMC AND IS HOME TO SEVERAL LARGE INDUSTRIAL PARKS WHICH HAVE 
AMERICAN, VIETNAMESE, AND JOINT VENTURE FOREIGN FIRMS RESIDENT 
THERE.  END NOTE.) 
 
4. (SBU) MR. HUONG THEN ASKED FOR DETAILS OF THE EVENT THAT 
TRANSPIRED IN REFTEL A.  RSO DESCRIBED THE REPORTED SIGHTING AND 
PASSED ON THE NAMES OF THE TWO AMERICANS WHO WERE THE SOURCES. 
RSO INFORMED MPS THAT ALTHOUGH THE TWO AMERICANS WOULD HAVE BEEN 
HAPPY TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES, THEY 
DEPARTED THE COUNTRY ON JUNE 4.  RSO EMPHASIZED HIS CONCERN ABOUT 
THE LOCATION OF THE SIGHTING (A LUXURY BUSINESS HOTEL) AND NOTED 
THAT IT WAS A POTENTIAL SOFT TARGET.  MPS AGREED WITH THIS 
ASSESSMENT.  MR. HUONG THEN SAID THAT THE ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT IS 
REQUESTING THAT A HOTLINE NUMBER BE SET UP BETWEEN MPS AND THE 
CONGEN LIKE THE ONE THEY HAVE SET UP IN HANOI WITH THE EMBASSY. 
THEY ARE CURRENTLY AWATING PERMISSION AND WHEN IT IS ESTABLISHED, 
MPS WILL CONTACT THE RSO. 
 
5. (SBU) UNTIL SUCH TIME, RSO ASKED FOR A PHONE NUMBER HE COULD 
USE IN AN EMERGENCY.  MR. HUONG TOLD RSO TO USE MR. CUONG'S 
CELLPHONE NUMBER (091-313-0445).  RSO ALSO NOTED THAT IT IS 
IMPERATIVE, IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT SUCH AS THIS, TO BE ABLE 
TO MEET IMMEDIATELY AND DIRECTLY WITH THE MPS ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT. 
MR. HUONG REPLIED THAT THE ANTI-TERRORIST UNIT WILL TRY TO FULFILL 
THE CONGEN'S REQUEST AT THE SOONEST TIME POSSIBLE. 
 
6. (SBU) MR. HUONG THEN CONTINUED THAT ALTHOUGH THE ANTI-TERRORISM 
UNIT IS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT WITHIN MPS, IT IS STILL 
RELATIVELY NEW.  HE ASKED IF THE RSO COULD HELP WITH ANY TYPE OF 
TRAINING, ESPECIALLY IN BOMB RECOGNITION.  RSO RESPONDED THAT 
CONGEN WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE TRAINING, AS HE HAD BEEN AN 
INSTRUCTOR FOR DIPLOMATIC SECURITY AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.  RSO 
EXPLAINED THAT THE TRAINING COULD BE CONDUCTED AT THE CONSULATE OR 
AT ONE OF THEIR FACILITIES, AS LONG AS THEY HAD A SYSTEM THAT A 
POWER POINT PROGRAM COULD OPERATE ON.  MR. HUONG EXPRESSED 
APPRECIATION, AND SAID IF PERMISSION WAS GRANTED FROM HIS 
SUPERVISORS, THE RSO COULD EXPECT TO HAVE 15-20 STUDENTS PER CLASS 
AT AN MPS FACILITY.  RSO WILL FOLLOW UP SEPARATELY WITH MR. CUONG. 
 
7. (SBU)  RSO AGAIN THANKED BOTH OFFICIALS FOR THE MEETING AND THE 
WORK THEY WERE DOING TO MAKE THE CONSULATE SAFE.  RSO ALSO NOTED 
THAT THE COOPERATION THE CONGEN HAS RECEIVED SO FAR FROM VARIOUS 
VIETNAMESE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY AGENCIES HAS BEEN VERY 
GOOD, BUT THIS MEETING WITH MPS WAS ESSENTIAL.  RSO CONTINUED THAT 
HE LOOKED FORWARD TO HAVING CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM MPS.  MR. HUONG 
ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE MEETING AND THE 
COOPERATION.  THE MEETING CONCLUDED AT 19:30 HOURS.  THE 
ATMOSPHERE WAS CORDIAL AND INFORMATIVE THROUGHOUT. 
 
8. (SBU) RSO FURTHER REPORTS THE FOLLOWING U.S. POCS OF THE TWO 
AMCITS WHO FIRST REPORTED THE SIGHTING.  THEY DEPARTED VIETNAM ON 
JUNE 4, BUT SAID THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO OTHER U.S. LAW 
ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, SHOULD THEY WISH TO SPEAK WITH THEM.  THEIR 
POCS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 
 
MR. STEVEN ALAN HEBERT (PLEASE NOTE CORRECTED SPELLING OF LAST 
NAME) 
290 LUDINGTONVILLE RD. 
HOLMES, N.Y. 12531 
(H) (845) 878-9637 
(W) (845) 225-4507 
 
MR. CHRISTIAN (CHRIS) PHILLIP KAMM (PLEASE NOTE CORRECTED SPELLING 
OF FIRST NAME) 
3372 MIDDLEPOST LN. 
ROCKY RIVER, OHIO 44116 
(H) (440)-895-1976 
(W) 1-888-208-8328 
 
9.(SBU) CONGEN WILL REPORT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOONEST AS 
IT DEVELOPS. 
 
YAMAUCHI