VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #3047/01 1761115
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251115Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9895

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 003047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ELA 
NEA/SA/EX/HR FOR CHERYL PARKER, PROGRAM SPECIALIST 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT APER SY
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ALEXANDER PASCAL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 102303 
 
¶1.  (U)  Embassy Damascus warmly welcomes and grants country 
clearance to Alexander Pascal, 2006 Summer Intern, for travel 
to Damascus from July 15 to August 20, 2006. 
 
¶2.  (U)  POC for this visit is Elizabeth Lyne, Administrative 
Assistant, who can be reached at (work) (963) (11) 333-1342, 
Ext. 253 ; (cell) (963) (94) 230-106 (in-country 
094-230-106); (home) (963) (11) 611-4282.  Embassy fax number 
is (963) (11) 224-7938. 
 
¶3.  (U) VISA REQUIREMENT:  Traveler(s) must have a valid 
Syrian visa prior to departure for Damascus.  The Syrian 
government will not/not normally grant airport (or border) 
visas.  Persons traveling on passports bearing an Israeli 
visa or entry/exit stamp, or persons born in the Gaza region 
or of Gazan descent, will be refused entry to Syria. 
American citizens are cautioned that the Syrian government 
rigidly enforces restrictions on prior travel to Israel. 
Travelers with Israeli stamps in their passports, Jordanian 
entry cachets, or cachets from Egypt or other countries that 
suggest prior travel to Israel may cause Syrian immigration 
authorities to refuse the traveler admission into Syria. 
Likewise, the absence of entry stamps from a country adjacent 
to Israel, which the traveler has just visited, will cause 
Syrian immigration officials to refuse admittance.  American 
citizen travelers suspected of having traveled to Israel have 
been detained for questioning. 
 
¶4.  (U) SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: (a) If not included in request 
for country clearance, please provide level of security 
clearance via immediate cable.  Post cannot allow access to 
the chancery compound or to the controlled access area 
without official notification of clearance level.  Valid 
diplomatic passports or government identity cards do not 
guarantee that the bearer has an appropriate security 
clearance.  (b) All visitors must receive a briefing from the 
Regional Security Office immediately upon arrival. 
 
¶5.  (U) TRANSPORTATION: Per reftel, Alexander Pascal will be 
traveling overland via service taxi from Amman to Damascus. 
Per Graaf/Pascal e-mail of 06/15/2006, Pascal will be met by 
an Embassy driver upon arrival to the U.S. Embassy in 
Damascus, and transferred to his residence. 
 
¶6. (U) LODGING:  Per Graaf/Pascal e-mail of 06/11/2006, GSO 
has approved use of an Embassy residence for Alexander Pascal 
for the entire duration of his stay in Damascus.  Additional 
information regarding housing will be provided upon arrival. 
 
¶7.  (U) COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT:  Long-distance telephone 
calls (for official business only) can be placed from the 
Embassy if the traveler provides a fund cite or has 
authorization from the appropriate agency/section head at 
post.  The Internet can be accessed through a stand-alone PC 
in the Embassy on a first-come, first-serve basis.  There is 
no charge for this service.  Alternatively, the Internet may 
be accessed from hotels in Damascus by placing a 
long-distance call to an ISP outside Syria.  There are also 
several Internet "cafes" available. 
 
¶8.  (U) CURRENCY EXCHANGE:  The Embassy Class B cashier 
provides accommodation exchange from dollars to Syrian pounds 
at the current rate for institutions (SP 50.80 to $1) against 
cash, travelers checks, or, with the authorization of the 
financial management officer, personal checks.  Reverse 
accommodation exchange is not authorized in accordance with 
Syrian 
government regulations.  Alternatively, travelers can 
purchase pounds at branches of the Commercial Bank of Syria. 
It is illegal to exchange money except at authorized exchange 
points (i.e., the Embassy or branches of the Commercial Bank). 
 
¶9.  (U) PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography of individuals in uniform 
(including police), government buildings, and military 
installations is strictly forbidden. 
 
¶10.  (U) TRAVEL TO LEBANON:  Any official travel to Lebanon 
from Syria by U.S. Government employees of any nationality is 
strictly subject to country clearance from Embassy Beirut. 
Unofficial travel to Lebanon of U.S. Government employees and 
dependents also requires advance clearance from both Embassy 
Beirut and the Department of State. 
 
¶11.  (U) DEPARTURE TAX:  Syria charges a departure tax of 
SP200 (approximately $4), payable in SP cash only.  Travelers 
with diplomatic passports are exempt, but those with official 
passports are required to pay the tax. 
 
¶12.  (U) HEALTH:  Health facilities in Damascus are not up to 
US or European standards and facilities outside Damascus are 
extremely limited.  Only personnel covered under the State 
Department's medical program and with a valid medical 
clearance for Syria are eligible for medevac at USG cost. All 
other visitors are recommended to have medical evacuation 
insurance sufficient to cover evacuation by chartered air 
ambulance or ensure their agency will voucher the cost. 
 
¶13.  (U) THREAT ASSESSMENT:  There are no specific threats 
against official or unofficial American travelers in Syria. 
Political developments and security in the Middle East 
sometimes change quickly.  Violent mob attacks against U.S. 
mission facilities in Syria occurred in 1998 and 2000 in 
response to regional events.  In February 2005, the former 
Prime Minister of Lebanon was assassinated in Beirut, 
prompting the U.S. to recall the Ambassador for 
consultations.  She has not returned to post.  U.S.-Syria 
bilateral relations remain problematic. 
Government-sanctioned demonstrations have occasionally 
included expressions of anti-American or anti-Western 
sentiment.  Violent mob attacks against three Scandinavian 
embassies took place in February 2006.  Americans in Syria 
should vary their schedules.  They should avoid large crowds 
and gatherings and should report suspicious incidents to the 
Regional Security Officer.  They should also avoid electronic 
financial transactions and should not carry valuables or 
large amounts of cash in crowded shopping districts. 
Visitors should read and follow the guidance contained in the 
latest Public Announcements and State Department Travel 
Advisory for Syria. 
SECHE