US embassy cable - 04MADRID4657

UNCLAS MADRID 004657 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOJ FOR ANDREW BEACH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP, CASC, KCRM, KJUS, PREL, SP, EUN, Country Visits 
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN 
ASHCROFT 
 
REF: A. A) USDOJ 83090 
 
     B. B) BEACH-ZUNIGA TELCON OF 12/8 
 
1. Embassy Madrid warmly welcomes and grants country 
clearance to Attorney General Ashcroft and his team on 
December 17 for the signing of the bilateral protocol to the 
multilateral MLAT (REF A) and a meeting with Minister of 
Justice Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar.  We have incorporated 
the new arrival information (REF B) and understand that this 
event will now take place on December 17 with no overnight 
stay by Attorney General Ashcroft or members of his party. 
 
 
2. Post will make hotel reservations for advance team member 
Andrew Schauder when his travel plans to Madrid are 
finalized.  We have already made separate hotel reservations 
for the Attorney General's security advance discussed in REF 
A.  We assume that the Attorney General's party will no 
longer require the mobile phones requested per REF A.  Please 
advise if mobile phones will still be required. 
 
3. The Embassy control officer for the Attorney General's 
visit is political officer Ricardo Zuniga.  Contact info 
follows: 
 
Office phone: 34-91-587-2386 
Cell phone: 34-650-625-413 
Fax: 34-91-587-2391 
Home phone: 34-91-650-6081 
e-mail: zunigarf@state.gov 
 
4.  Visitors are reminded that bearers of diplomatic and 
official passports coming to Spain on official business need 
to obtain a Spanish visa prior to arrival in Spain. 
 
5.  THREAT ASSESSMENT: 
 
In general, Spain is safe.  However, Madrid, Barcelona and 
other large cities in Spain -- including resort/convention 
areas such as Benidorm -- attract a large number of criminals 
and pickpockets and frequent incidents of crime of 
opportunity against the unwary do occur.  Carry only 
essential items including a photocopy of your passport's 
photo page.  Visitors can protect themselves against crime by 
being street-smart, alert and aware of their surroundings. In 
the event you are victimized by crime, or experience any 
security-related incident, please contact the Embassy's 
Regional Security Office at 91-587-2550 or after hours at 
91-587-2355.  Official visitors to the Embassy in Madrid or 
the Consulate General in Barcelona are encouraged to receive 
a security briefing from the RSO office at their earliest 
convenience.  Additional information regarding safety and 
security in Spain is available on the U.S. Department of 
State's website (http://www.state.gov) and the U.S. Embassy's 
website (www.embusa.es). 
 
Travelers are encouraged to review the most recent Worldwide 
Caution issued by the Department of State.  As the Department 
of State continues to develop information on any potential 
security threats to Americans overseas, it shares credible 
threat information through its Consular Information Program 
documents, available on the Internet at 
http://travel/state.gov.  In addition to information on the 
Internet, U.S. travelers can hear recorded information by 
calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 
202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive 
information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from 
their fax machine. 
MANZANARES