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Lucia A Keegan  02/12/2007 10:35:58 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS        PARIS 00533

SIPDIS
cxparis:
    ACTION: SCI
    INFO:   ECSO DCM AMB ECON UNESCO AMBO NSFO SCIO POL
            LABO ENGO AGR ESCI

DISSEMINATION: SCIX
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: SCI: RDRY
DRAFTED: NSF: CPOLLIOTTI
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCFRI964
RR RUEHC RUEHCP
DE RUEHFR #0533/01 0401425
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091425Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4844
INFO RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 1424

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000533 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS NSF/OD/OPP FOR ANNA KERTTULA DE ECHAVE AND NSF/OISE FOR 
SULLIVAN, HUDSON, PEARL AND WEBER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OTRA AMGT TPHY KSCA FR
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE NSF: VISIT TO FRANCE OF NSF OFFICIAL ANNA 
KERTTULA DE ECHAVE FEBRUARY 18-21, 2007 
 
REF: STATE 016439 
 
¶1.  Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance for Dr. Anna 
Kerttula de Echave, Program Director in the Office of Polar Programs 
(OPP), National Science Foundation, who will attend the European 
Science Foundation BOREAS Cyber-Infrastructure Workshop in Paris 
from February 18 to 21, 2007. Dr. Kerttula de Echave will also 
travel to Copenhagen, Denmark. 
 
¶2.  Control officer for the visit is Dr. Mark Suskin, Head, NSF 
Europe Office, who can be reached by e-mail at msuskin@nsf.gov, by 
office phone at +33 1 4312 2121 or 2108, and by fax at +33 1 4312 
¶2904. He can also be reached at home via the Embassy switchboard at 
+33 1 4312 2222. 
 
¶3.  Hotel reservations have been made at: 
Hotel Duquesne Eiffel 
23 avenue Duquesne 
75007 Paris, France 
Phone: +33 1 44 42 09 09 
 
Please be aware that check-in time for hotels in France is 
officially 3:00 pm.  If you require a room to be ready earlier you 
will have to pay lodging for the night before arrival and your 
travel orders should reflect this requirement. Concerning luggage, 
as a convenience, hotels may allow travelers to leave their personal 
luggage at their hotel prior to 3:00 pm on the day of check-in.  If 
travelers cannot pay an additional day for an early check-in, it is 
up to the traveler to negotiate with the hotel to leave baggage 
prior to check-in. 
 
¶4.  In the event of a crisis or serious international incident 
involving the United States, you should immediately contact your 
control officer. 
 
¶5.  Embassy media policy stipulates that any contact with visitors 
with the media be coordinated through the Embassy press office at 
01-4312-2833. 
 
¶6.  Embassy wishes to remind visitors that visas are required for 
holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports on official 
business in France. 
 
¶7.  Action request:  Each visitor must bring a copy of his/her 
travel orders (or forward fiscal data) to cover costs of visit. 
Each agency, organization, or visiting delegation will be charged 
for the actual costs attributed to their visit.  These costs 
include, but are not limited to, American and FSN overtime, field 
travel by Embassy employees, vehicle rentals, long distance 
telephone calls, equipment rentals, representational events and all 
other costs that are directly attributable to the visit.  Airport 
pickup is provided only for employees at the rank of Assistant 
Secretary or above.  Other visitors should take taxi, Air France 
 
SIPDIS 
bus, or rapid train service (RER) from airport. 
 
¶8.  Following is current security information for France: 
 
(A) Terrorism:  The current terrorism threat in France mirrors the 
general worldwide threat.  Trans-national terror groups such as 
al-Qaida likely have a presence in France and do present a general 
threat.  French law enforcement and intelligence services are 
effective in responding to this threat and remain in a heightened 
state of alert, but cannot completely negate it.  For this reason 
American citizens should practice good personal security when 
visiting France.  Remaining unpredictable is perhaps the simplest 
but most effective way of ensuring personal safety.  This is 
particularly true when departing or arriving at your place of 
residence.  Being aware of your surroundings and suspicious persons 
or activities is also critically important.  Do not accept packages, 
do not open hotel doors to strangers and immediately report any 
suspicious activities to the police (telephone 17) and Regional 
Security Office (telephone 33 1 43 12 27 96). 
 
(B) Crime:  Street crime in French cities is similar to that in most 
large metropolitan areas.  The two most frequent crimes are pick 
pocketing and snatch/run theft.  These criminals most often ply 
their trade on public transportation routes used by tourists and at 
tourist sites.  In Paris, visitors should be particularly alert when 
using Metro lines numbers one and two, in addition to the RER trains 
serving the airports.  Tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, 
Montmartre, the major museums and the Avenue des Champs Elysees are 
all areas of heavy activity.  Visitors should use hotel safes 
whenever possible to store valuables and excess cash.  Awareness 
should go up when conditions are crowded.  Maintain control of 
cameras and bags; do not carry these items behind you.  Criminals on 
metros often push into you for distraction and pickpocket while 
doing so.  Another technique is to grab valuables and escape just as 
the metro doors are closing.  If credit cards are stolen, proceed to 
the nearest telephone and immediately notify the card issuer. 
Stolen credit cards are used immediately.  Whenever possible, take a 
seat or keep your back to a wall when on the metro system.  It is 
also recommended that a photocopy of your passport identification 
page be carried in lieu of the passport itself.  Report any 
incidents to the Regional Security Office as soon as possible. 
 
(C) Electronic devices: privately owned laptops and personal 
computers are prohibited in controlled access areas (CAAs) of the 
Mission and consulates.  Travelers with USG unclassified and 
classified laptop or notebook computers should review '95 State 
244394 (classified machines) and '95 State 243825  (unclassified 
machines) and notify the Information Management Office (IMO) before 
bringing these machines into a CAA.  Cellular telephones are also 
prohibited in the CAA and must be left outside this area.  Questions 
concerning other types of electronic devices may be directed to the 
Information Management Office or Regional Security Office. 
(D) Travelers planning to stay longer than 30 days are required to 
schedule a security briefing with the RSO.  For additional threat 
assessment information regarding France and/or Europe, you may 
contact DS/ITA in the State Department at (202) 663-0787. 
 
¶9.  Health Concerns:  For current information on health precautions 
for France, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
website contains an analysis at 
 
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/diseases.htm. 
 
HOFFMAN