US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1230

S E C R E T MUSCAT 001230 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, NEA/ARPI, NEA/EX 
DEPT ALSO FOR DS/DSS/OSAC, DS/ICI/PII, DS/IP/OPO, 
DS/DSS/CC, CA/OCS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X1 
TAGS: AEMR, ASEC, AMGT, PTER, CASC, KHLS, KVPR, MU, EAC 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MUSCAT EAC - 08/06/2005 
 
REF: A. TDX-315/47352-05 
     B. SECSTATE 144320 
     C. SECSTATE 142641 
     D. MUSCAT 1206 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission William R. Stewart. 
Reason: 1.4(c). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (SBU)  The Ambassador chaired a meeting of the Emergency 
Action Committee (EAC) on August 6 to review the Embassy's 
security posture following the extended local weekend. 
Members noted no substantive changes in the local security 
environment since the last meeting.  Accordingly, the EAC 
agreed that the Embassy's already heightened security posture 
and force protection condition (FPCON) remain appropriate. 
End Summary. 
 
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Security Environment 
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2.  (S/NF)  On August 6, the Ambassador chaired a meeting of 
the full EAC to review the Embassy's security posture 
following the extended local weekend observed by the Omani 
government following the passing away of Saudi Arabia's King 
Fahd.  The meeting opened with a discussion of the local 
security situation, which the EAC continued to characterize 
as stable.  SIMO went on to raise regional reporting 
referencing Oman (reference A), but noted no/no new specific 
threat information.  And with the exception of an August 4 
possible surveillance incident at the Chancery briefed by RSO 
(SIMAS #74658), members cited no other security incidents 
over the weekend. 
 
3.  (SBU)  CONS briefed the EAC on the Department's updated 
Worldwide Caution and Middle East/North Africa Public 
Announcements (reftels B and C), issued on August 2 and 4, 
respectively.  CONS confirmed that the Public Announcements 
will be distributed via Warden Message to both the official 
and private American citizen communities.  CONS also 
confirmed that there were no reported security incidents or 
security-related queries from the private American citizen 
community over the weekend. 
 
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Sustained Vigilance 
------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU)  Prior to concluding the meeting, and consistent 
with the aforementioned Public Announcements, RSO reiterated 
that, despite the relative calm, members of the EAC must 
continue reinforcing to both their staffs and family members 
the need for vigilance regarding all aspects of personal 
security - to include maintaining a low profile, and 
remaining unpredictable and situationally aware.  RSO further 
re-emphasized the importance of immediately reporting all 
suspicious activity or security-related incidents to Post One. 
 
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EAC Conclusion 
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5.  (S/NF)  The EAC concluded that there have been no 
substantive changes in the local security environment since 
the last meeting held on July 30 (reftel D).  Accordingly, 
members agreed that the Embassy's already heightened security 
posture and FPCON remain appropriate.  Embassy Muscat remains 
acutely aware of the need to monitor both the regional and 
local security and threat environments, and is prepared to 
take the necessary countermeasures should changes to either 
occur.  AMB, DCM, P/E, A/MGT, RSO, ARSO, SIMO, CONS, MSG, 
DAO, OMC (USDR), and ECA (USCENTAF) participated in the 
meeting, which proceeded a meeting of the Visas Viper 
Committee. 
BALTIMORE