VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #2301 3620937
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280937Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4007
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0410
RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0126
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 1046
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 6074

UNCLAS MADRID 002301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE 
H AND RM/F/DFS/FO/AA/CAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN
SUBJECT: CODEL MARTINEZ (JANUARY 4-12) 
 
REF: SECSTATE 170310 
 
¶1.  Embassy warmly welcomes Senator Mel Martinez, and 
accompanying delegation travel to Madrid, Spain on or about 
January 10 to January 11.  The purpose of travel is for 
matters pertaining to the authorizing committee. 
 
¶2.  Political Counselor William Duncan is the point of 
contact and can be reached at embassy number 34 91 587 2389, 
blackberry number 620 588 468 and email address is 
DuncanW@state.gov.  A copy of the proposed schedule will be 
forwarded via email. 
 
¶3.  Hotel reservations have been made at the Intercontinental 
Castellana Hotel located on Paseo de la Castellana, 49, 28046 
Madrid, telephone number is 34 91 700 7300 and fax number is 
34 91 319 5853.  The room rate is $272.00 and it does not 
include breakfast.  The breakfast buffet is $43.45 per 
person.  The per diem rate for Madrid is $272 for lodging and 
$151 for M&IE. 
 
¶4.  Visitors are reminded that bearers of diplomatic and 
official passports coming to Spain on official business need 
to obtain a Spanish visa prior to arrival to Spain. 
 
¶5.  Post can provide DoS email access via OpenNet 
(unclassified system) to State Department travelers who have 
active OpenNet accounts. Post can also support users who wish 
to access their email accounts using FOBs or OWA.  Exchange 
5.5 users (ask your system manager to provide Exchange server 
version) who have to use remote login to access their 
exchange email accounts will need to provide Post's IM 
section with the name of their DoS Domain and their Exchange 
Server name and/or IP address. 
 
¶6.  THREAT ASSESSMENT: 
 
In general, Spain is safe.  However, Madrid, Barcelona and 
other large cities in Spain -- including resort/convention 
areas such as Benidorm -- attract a large number of criminals 
and pickpockets and frequent incidents of crime of 
opportunity against the unwary do occur.  Carry only 
essential items including a photocopy of your passport's 
photo page.  Visitors can protect themselves against crime by 
being street-smart, alert and aware of their surroundings. 
In the event you are victimized by crime, or experience any 
security-related incident, please contact the Embassy's 
Regional Security Office at 91-587-2550 or after hours at 
91-587-2355.  Official visitors to the Embassy in Madrid or 
the Consulate General in Barcelona are encouraged to receive 
a security briefing from the RSO office at their earliest 
convenience.  Additional information regarding safety and 
security in Spain is available on the U.S. Department of 
State's website (www.embusa.es). 
 
Travelers are encouraged to review the most recent Worldwide 
Caution issued by the Department of State. As the Department 
of State continues to develop information on any potential 
security threats to Americans overseas, it shares credible 
threat information through its Consular Information Program 
documents, available on the Internet at 
http://travel/state.gov.  In addition to information on the 
Internet, U.S. travelers can hear recorded information by 
calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 
202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive 
information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from 
their fax machine. 
AGUIRRE