VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0563 1611119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091119Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8261
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2095

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/RD/SCA, DS/DSS/ITA AND SA/INS 
NEW DELHI FOR LEGAL ATTACHE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC PTER
SUBJECT: EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 06/09/2008 
 
REF: A. RSO COLOMBO DS SPOT REPORT (BUS BOMBING 
        POLGOLLA) 06/06/2008 
     ¶B. COLOMBO 554 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency 
Action Committee (EAC) meeting on June 9, 2008.  The EAC 
discussed post's security posture and advice to the general 
American community in light of the most recent terrorist 
attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE).  The EAC agreed that the most recent incidents did 
not warrant changes in post's current security posture in 
view of the terrorist threat.  However, the EAC recommended 
that post revise the Consular Information Sheet (CIS) to 
include some of the more recent events.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On June 9, 2008, AmEmbassy Colombo convened a 
meeting of the core EAC.  Present for the meeting were the 
Charge, d,Affaires, Acting DCM, RSO, MGT, RAO, POL, CON, 
PD, ECON, and USAID.  The agenda items for the meeting were: 
 
-- Post's security profile in light of recent LTTE terrorist 
attacks (reftel) 
 
-- Post's advice to the broader American community in light 
of these events 
 
¶3. (SBU) The EAC concurred that all available information 
continues to indicate that the LTTE will target neither 
Americans, American interests, nor Western interests 
generally.  The threat to both the official and expatriate 
American communities remains being caught in the proximity of 
an attack.  The June 6 attacks in Polgolla (ref. A) and 
Moratuwa (ref. B) both occurred on public transport buses. 
Other recent bombings in Dehiwala and Wellawatte occurred on 
a train and on the railroad tracks, respectively.  Embassy 
security policy prohibits the official American community 
from using public modes of transportation such as buses or 
trains. Post's Travel Warning and warden messages inform the 
general American community of the Embassy policy and advise 
Americans to avoid using buses and trains.  In that respect, 
the EAC agreed that post's security policies and advice to 
the American community was sufficiently detailed vis-a-vis 
the actual threat.  However, the EAC agreed that the Consular 
Section could update the CIS to include information regarding 
some of the more recent attacks. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ref. B (para. 3) mentioned press reports concerning 
the discovery and defusing of a time-delayed improvised 
explosive device (IED) found along the "Airport Road" in 
Ragama, northeast of Colombo.  RSO sources in the Sri Lanka 
Police Service confirmed the press reports of the IED 
discovery.  However, the sources noted that road on which 
police discovered the IED was not Highway A-3 (the main 
north-south route from Colombo to Bandaranaike International 
Airport).  The location of the discovery was actually on the 
Ragama Road, a secondary road that runs between the A-3 and 
Ragama town and known by locals as the "Airport Road." 
 
¶5. (U) Post will continue to monitor the security environment 
and will report further developments septel.  POC for this 
message is RSO Michael V. Perkins, who may be contacted at 
94.11.249.8885, 94.11.249.8888 (MSG Post 1 after regular 
business hours), or via the classified and unclassified email 
systems. 
MOORE