US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI710

S E C R E T DJIBOUTI 000710 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP, DS/ITA, S/CT, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015 
TAGS: ASEC, DJ, PTER 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF DJIBOUTI RAISES THREAT LEVEL IN 
RESPONSE TO LONDON AND EGYPTIAN BOMBINGS 
 
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY TDY RSO JEFFREY PURSELL  REASON: 1.5 (B) ( 
G) 
 
1. (S)  DURING A MEETING JULY 26 AT NATIONAL SECURITY 
SERVICES (NSS) HEADQUARTERS, THE DIRECTOR OF NSS, HASSAN 
SAID, AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ABDILLAHI MOHAMED ABDILLAHI, 
ADVISED TDY RSO, FSNI, AND NCIS FORCE PROTECTION OFFICER THAT 
NATIONAL SECURITY HAS RAISED THE THREAT LEVEL OF DJIBOUTI TO 
A HIGHER CATEGORY.  HE COMPARED IT TO GOING FROM YELLOW TO 
ORANGE IN THE US COLOR CODED SYSTEM.  REASONS GIVEN FOR THE 
INCREASE WERE THE LONDON AND EGYPTIAN BOMBINGS. 
 
2. (S)  THE DIRECTOR STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF A SPECIFIC 
THREAT BUT THAT HE RAISED THE LEVEL SOLELY AS A PRECAUTION. 
AS A RESULT, CHECKPOINTS MANNED BY POLICE DURING THE NIGHT 
HOURS HAVE BEEN INITIATED AT SIX LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE 
CITY.  VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS ARE BEING STOPPED AND CHECKED 
AT RANDOM.  DIRECTOR ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE RECENTLY MADE AN 
UNANNOUNCED LATE NIGHT TOUR OF SEVERAL KEY FACILITIES HE 
CONSIDERED TO BE HIGH RISK.  AMONG THOSE FACILITIES ARE THE 
US EMBASSY, AIRPORT, PORT, AND SHERATON HOTEL.  BASED ON HIS 
EMBASSY VISIT, HE HAS ASSIGNED ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS TO 
THE NIGHT SHIFTS AND TO THE POLICE POSTS AT THE REAR OF THE 
COMPOUND PERIMETER.  A MOBILE PATROL MANNED BY POLICE WILL 
ALSO BE POSITIONED ON THE ROAD THAT FRONTS THE EMBASSY.  HE 
ASKED IF THE EMBASSY COULD PROVIDE GASOLINE FOR THE VEHICLE. 
 
3. (S)  THE DIRECTOR DESCRIBED SECURITY AT THE DJIBOUTI'S 
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS GOOD BUT SAID MUCH WORK NEEDED TO BE 
DONE AT THE PORT.  NCIS AGENT NOTED THAT THE PORT SECURITY 
OFFICER HAS RECENTLY DEPARTED DJIBOUTI AND THE POSITION IS 
VACANT.  LASTLY, THE DIRECTOR ASKED THE RSO TO MEET WITH 
SHERATON HOTEL PERSONNEL TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE HOTEL 
MANAGEMENT TO INCREASE BOTH THE NUMBER OF LOCAL GUARD 
POSITIONS AND TO CONDUCT PACKAGE AND METAL DETECTOR CHECKS OF 
PEOPLE ENTERING THE HOTEL. 
 
4. (S)  ALSO DISCUSSED DURING THE MEETING WAS THE STATUS OF 
THE TERRORIST INTERDICTION PROGRAM (TIP) AND THE USG FUNDED 
SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE AIRPORT.  RSO ADVISED THAT PHASE 
1 OF TIP IS NEARLY COMPLETED BUT STILL LACKS CONNECTIVITY 
BETWEEN THE VARIOUS STATIONS AT THE AIRPORT, PORT, POLICE, 
NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE EMBASSY.  THE DIRECTOR STATED HIS 
OFFICE HAD ALREADY CONTACTED DJIBOUTI TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO 
EXPEDITE THE APPROVAL. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 
PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ARRIVAL AND IMMIGRATION AREAS OF 
THE AIRPORT, THE DIRECTOR EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR  USG 
ASSISTANCE.  RSO MENTIONED THAT A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE HAD BEEN 
REPORTED BY AN EMBASSY DEPENDENT OUTSIDE HER HOME.  INITIAL 
INVESTIGATION BY RSO INDICATED THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT 
APPEAR THREATENING BUT THAT POLICE TO DATE HAVE NOT LOCATED 
THE VEHICLE.  NATIONAL SECURITY WILL NOW HANDLE THE 
INVESTIGATION BASED ON A DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE AND 
LICENSE NUMBER WE PROVIDED.  REGARDS 
RAGSDALE