US embassy cable - 01STATE157224

S E C R E T STATE 157224 
 
INFORM CONSULS,BUDAPEST PASS BELGRADE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2011 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, AEMR, MARR, CASC,  U 
SUBJECT: TF UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER ATTACK SITUATION 
REPORT NO. 004 AS OF 2300 EDT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 
 
CLASSIFIED BY TWALSH, COORDINATOR.  REASONS 1.5 B AND D. 
 
USG ACTIONS 
 
(S)  DIA HAS RELEASED A DEFENSE TERRORISM WARNING REPORT, 
ADVISING THAT YESTERDAY'S FOUR TERRORIST ATTACKS MAY BE 
ONLY THE FIRST FOUR IN A SERIES OF 30 PLANNED ATTACKS ON 
U.S. INTERESTS WORLDWIDE.  (DIA 120537) 
 
(U)  THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCED A WEB SITE, 
HTTP://WWW.IFCCFBI.GOV, WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN SUBMIT 
INVESTIGATIVE LEADS.  (VARIOUS MEDIA) 
 
(U)  FEDERAL OFFICES IN THE WASHINGTON AREA WILL OPEN ON 
TIME TODAY AND OPERATE UNDER AN UNSCHEDULED/LIBERAL LEAVE 
POLICY.  (OPM WEBSITE) 
 
(U)  DOJ HAS AUTHORIZED THE DEPARTMENT TO RELEASE 
MANIFESTS OF THE HIJACKED AIRCRAFT TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. 
(TASK FORCE/DOJ TELCON) 
 
(SBU)  DOD DENIES PRESS REPORTS OF UP TO 800 DEAD AT 
PENTAGON BUT HAS NOT YET RELEASED ANY CASUALTY ESTIMATES. 
(WATCH/DOD TELCON) 
 
(C)  FBI AND DS ARE INVESTIGATING THE IDENTITIES OF FIVE 
ARAB PASSENGERS LISTED ON THE MANIFEST FOR FLIGHT 175. 
MASSACHUSETTS AUTHORITIES HAVE REPORTEDLY SEIZED A RENTAL 
CAR CONTAINING ARABIC-LANGUAGE FLIGHT TRAINING MANUALS AT 
LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  TWO OF THE PASSENGERS HELD 
PASSPORTS ISSUED BY THE UAE, AND ONE WAS A TRAINED PILOT. 
(TASK FORCE/DS TELCON, REUTERS) 
 
(SBU)  THE AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER IS EXPECTED TO DEPART 
ANDREWS AFB FOR LOS ANGELES WEDNESDAY VIA MILITARY 
AIRCRAFT.  HIS PARTY WILL DEPART CALIFORNIA ON A QANTAS 
FLIGHT.  MEANWHILE, FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS EXTENDED 
HIS STAY IN AUSTRALIA UNTIL SEPTEMBER 14.  (TASK FORCE/DOD 
TELCON, CANBERRA 2616) 
 
STATUS OF EMBASSIES 
 
(U)  POSTS CONTINUE TO ASSESS THEIR SECURITY SITUATION AND 
ARE HOLDING EAC MEETINGS.  MOST POSTS WILL REMAIN CLOSED, 
OFFERING ONLY EMERGENCY SERVICES TO AMERICAN CITIZENS. 
WARDEN SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED IN MOST COUNTRIES. 
ATTACHED IS A CURRENT LIST OF POST CLOSURES.  A SEPARATE 
SITREP SUMMARIZES EAC REPORTS.  (POST REPORTING) 
 
INTERNATIONAL FALLOUT 
 
(SBU)  PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES PUT DOWN SPORADIC 
STREET CELEBRATIONS YESTERDAY FOLLOWING THE U.S. ATTACKS. 
THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW DEMONSTRATIONS RELATED TO THESE 
ATTACKS TODAY IN GAZA OR THE WEST BANK.  ARAFAT DELAYED A 
PLANNED TWO-DAY VISIT TO SYRIA.  (REUTERS, TASK 
FORCE/CONGEN JERUSALEM TELCON) 
 
(U)  JORDANIAN KING ABDULLAH TURNED AROUND TODAY MID-AIR 
EN ROUTE TO THE U.S. AND RETURNED TO JORDAN.  (TASK 
FORCE/EMBASSY AMMAN TELCON, FBIS/PETRA) 
 
(U)  IRAN AND SYRIA HAVE BOTH STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE 
ATTACKS.  (VARIOUS MEDIA) 
 
(U)  NERVOUS INVESTORS, SEEKING A SAFE HAVEN FOR THEIR 
CASH, DROVE UP PRICES OF U.S. TREASURY BONDS, GOLD, OIL 
AND INDUSTRIAL METALS.  (REUTERS) 
 
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE 
 
(U)  NUMEROUS NATIONS HAVE OFFERED DISASTER ASSISTANCE. 
WHILE THANKING THEM, WE HAVE NOTED THAT THE U.S. HAS 
SUFFICIENT RESOURCES AT THIS TIME.  BOTH THE ISRAELI AND 
BELGIAN RELIEF TEAMS UNDERSTAND THEY SHOULD NOT DEPART FOR 
THE U.S. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  (TASK FORCE/FEMA TELCON, 
TASK FORCE/EMBASSY TEL AVIV TELCON) 
 
(S)  AMBASSADOR CHAMBERLAIN RECEIVED ASSURANCES FROM 
PAKISTANI PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF THAT HIS COUNTRY'S FULL 
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE AT OUR DISPOSAL.  MUSHARRAF ALSO 
SENT THE PRESIDENT A LETTER CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS AND 
CONVEYING HIS NATION'S CONDOLENCES.  (TASK FORCE/SA 
TELCON, SA FAX) 
 
(U)  EU FOREIGN MINISTERS  WILL MEET AT 0800 EDT IN 
BRUSSELS TO DISCUSS THE ATTACKS AND EU OFFERS OF HELP. 
(TASK FORCE/USEU TELCON) 
 
EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED/CURTAILED AS OF 0500 EST 
9/12/01 
 
EUR 
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED THROUGH 
9/13. 
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12-14. 
WILL RE-OPEN 9/17. 
YEREVAN, ARMENIA: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
WARSAW, POLAND: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED, ESSENTIAL 
PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
OSLO, NORWAY: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED, EMBASSY OPEN 
BUT CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC 9/12. 
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
 
WHA 
BELIZE: CONSULAR SERVICES SUSPENDED EXCEPT FOR ACS AND 
EMERGENCIES 9/11. 
U.S. MISSION CANADA: ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY AND CONSULAR 
SERVICES SUSPENDED FOR REMAINDER OF 9/11. 
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED FOR 
9/11. 
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: CONSULAR OPERATIONS 
CURTAILED FOR REMAINDER OF 9/11. 
 
AF 
GABORONE, BOTSWANA: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED FOR 9/11. 
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA: CLOSED, TBD. 
 
EAP 
BANGKOK CLOSED THROUGH 9/13, CHIANG MAI: ESSENTIAL 
PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
HONG KONG: ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
U.S. MISSION AUSTRALIA: ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
JAKARTA, INDONESIA: PUBLIC OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
 
NEA 
ABU DHABI AND DUBAI, UAE: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 
9/12. 
CAIRO, EGYPT: ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ONLY 9/12. 
DAMASCUS, SYRIA: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
SANAA, YEMEN: EMBASSY CLOSED 9/12. 
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: EMBASSY OPEN, MINIMAL STAFF 9/12 
 
SA 
DHAKA, BANGLADESH: EMBASSY OPERATIONS SUSPENDED 9/12. 
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: VISA AND INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTER 
SERVICES SUSPENDED 9/12. 
 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
POWELL