US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3729

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 003729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT, PBTS, PINR, PHSA, PTER, OTRA, EG 
SUBJECT: MARITIME PORT SECURITY 
 
This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly.  Not for Internet distribution. 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Egyptian officials responded positively to 
presentations by U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) International Port 
Security Liaison Officer John Bowers in Cairo and Alexandria 
March 6 to 8, as he described the USCG plans to monitor 
foreign compliance with International Maritime Organization 
(IMO) port security standards per the U.S. Maritime 
Transportation Security Act (MTSA).  In introductory meetings 
with the Minister of Transportation and the Head of the 
Maritime Transport Section (MTS), Bowers described the 
respective roles of USCG Liaison Officers and USCG 
International Port Security (Port Visit) Teams and emphasized 
U.S. willingness to work closely with the GOE on a bilateral 
exchange of information on port security.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) On March 6, LCDR John Bowers, USCG International 
Security Liaison Officer and EconOff met with Minister of 
Transportation Dr. Essam Sharaf and the Egyptian Head of the 
Maritime Transport Sector Rear Admiral Sherin to describe new 
USCG initiatives in international maritime port security. 
Bowers is based at the USCG Activities Europe office in 
Rotterdam and has regional responsibilities for several 
countries, including Egypt.  Bowers described how the MTSA 
now requires the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the effectiveness 
of anti-terrorism measures in foreign ports with vessels 
destined for U.S. ports in accordance with the International 
Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS).  The USCG 
accomplishes this review through a combination of liaison 
officers stationed abroad and International Port Security 
(IPS) visit teams stationed in Washington. 
 
3. (U) Bowers emphasized that the ISPS code allows countries 
some latitude in identifying specific methods of compliance 
with the code.  The USCG recognizes that the host government 
is best suited to determine the methods and regulations 
needed to accomplish compliance.  Due to the myriad methods 
of compliance with the ISPS, he stressed that any visit to a 
port by an IPS visit team should be considered an opportunity 
for a "bilateral exchange of information" rather than a port 
"assessment."  The USCG IPS visit team will not perform port 
visits without an invitation from the host government. 
 
4. (SBU) Minister Sharaf reiterated the GOE,s commitment to 
the ISPS as part of its transportation security and 
anti-terrorism efforts.  He gave assurances that the IPS 
visit team would be welcomed and made a point to state, with 
Admiral Sherin present, that the team would receive full 
cooperation.  Consistent with the bilateral exchange of 
information, the Minister expressed interest in hearing from 
the IPS visit team how other countries with similar port 
characteristics addressed security issues and also expressed 
interest in the possibility of a reciprocal port visit. 
 
5. (SBU) Bowers discussed the program more extensively in 
subsequent meetings with Rear Admiral Sherin, members of his 
port security staff and representatives of the Regional 
Maritime Security Institute and Sokhna Port.  During those 
discussions Bowers reiterated the USCG,s interest in 
receiving an invitation for an IPS visit team in April as had 
been specified in a USCG letter to Admiral Sherin dated 11 
FEB 2005.  Rear Admiral Sherin responded that he planned to 
write a response but April would be "unpalatable."  The 
Egyptian Maritime Transportation Sector (MTS) wanted to have 
more time to discuss security processes through its 
inter-agency National Maritime Port Security Committee 
(NMPSC) and Sherin expressed interest in performing a 
reciprocal visit prior to the USCG IPS visit team arriving in 
Egypt.  Bowers responded that a delay was workable, but that 
an open ended delay was also "unpalatable".  Access to 
foreign ports is important for the USCG to determine whether 
a country is compliant or non-compliant with the ISPS code. 
Vessels of any flag traveling from ports in non-compliant 
countries are considered to be higher security risks.  Before 
permitting such vessels to enter U.S. ports, the Coast Guard 
will require precautionary security measures for these 
vessels that will likely delay their entry. 
 
6. (SBU) Admiral Sherin acknowledged that Egypt had not 
reported all of its international ports to the IMO, but that 
efforts are being made by MTS to accurately identify and list 
all of the relevant ports. 
 
7. (SBU) Bowers, visit also opened the door for 
re-establishing contact and increasing interaction between 
the Egyptian MTS and the Economic section of the Embassy. 
 
8. (SBU) Comment:  Bowers, visit was a successful and 
necessary first step in preparing the way for ISPS related 
port visits in Egypt.  Although the GOE welcomed cooperation 
and bilateral discussions on port security, port teams should 
consider sovereignty sensitivities and the affect of 
increased security on trade during visits.  End comment. 
 
 
 
 
 
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GRAY