VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1372 1970827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160827Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3207
INFO RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 001372 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT ECON PGOV PREL MCAP EG
SUBJECT: U.S. COAST GUARD VISITS PORT OF ALEXANDRIA 
 
¶1. (SBU) KEY POINTS 
--A U.S. Coast Guard International Port Security team (PST) 
visited Egypt June 19-26 to conduct its first ever assessment 
of Egypt's compliance with the International Ship and Port 
Security standards code (ISPS).  The team met with GOE port 
security officials and assessed the GOE's ISPS implementation 
at the Port of Alexandria. 
--The PST determined that the GOE has put in place a Port 
Security policy that appears to correspond to the ISPS code. 
However, during this visit the team was unable to 
sufficiently view and assess the ISPS code's implementation 
at working levels at the port facility.  The team will report 
its official findings later this year. 
--The PST extended an invitation for the GOE to conduct a 
reciprocal visit to a U.S. port in the near future. 
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VISIT TO PORT OF ALEXANDRIA 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The PST and Econoff met June 22 and 23 with Rear 
Admiral Tawfic Abd El-Hamid Abou-Gendia, head of the Maritime 
Transport Sector and Under-Secretary of the Ministry of 
Transport, to discuss the GOE's implementation of the ISPS 
code.  According to Tawfic, there are 67 port facilities in 
Egypt that are required to implement the ISPS requirements. 
Of these facilities, there are ports for general commercial 
use and specialized ports that handle oil, gas, and hazardous 
materials.  Tawfic noted that Egypt's ports process 
approximately 20,000 voyages per year.  Tawfic also said that 
over 60% of all trade in Egypt goes through the Port of 
Alexandria. 
¶3. (SBU) As part of the efforts to further implement the ISPS 
code, the GOE in 2004 implemented security upgrades at the 
Port of Alexandria.  The upgrades include expanding port 
entry to four main gates, each with direct highway access. 
Special taxis are used to shuttle port employees to and from 
the port facilities.  Telecommuting has recently been used to 
reduce the number of people entering the port each day. 
Tourist boats and cruise liners are escorted into the port by 
armed patrol boats, and the cruise terminals are closed 
unless a ship is at port.  While in port, each ship is 
guarded by an armed police officer.  All of Egypt's port 
security officials must undergo ISPS Code training at the 
Egyptian Regional Maritime Security Institute. 
¶4. (SBU) The GOE escorted the PST and Econoff around the Port 
and showed the team the newly constructed commercial wing, 
the port's security control rooms, IT facilities, and cargo 
terminals.  The port is monitored by an extensive network of 
closed-circuit cameras that cover practically every corner of 
the port, including the roads outside the facility.  Entry 
onto the port is restricted to port employees (who must 
display proper identification at all times) and all vehicles 
are extensively searched by explosive and illegal drug 
detecting canines and electronic detecting devices.  Cruise 
passengers enter through the port's commercial entrance and 
are searched and screened for security, then shuttled to the 
cruise terminal in a bus.  The port is guarded by specially 
trained port security personnel who complete a three month 
training program prior to deployment at Egyptian ports.  The 
port also has a special response force to respond to security 
threats and in-house fire and emergency response teams 
trained to handle basic emergency response as well as 
hazardous material cleanup.  The port's waters are patrolled 
twenty-four hours per day. 
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NEXT STEPS 
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¶5. (SBU) The PST extended an invitation to the GOE to conduct 
a reciprocal port visit in the near future.  The GOE agreed 
in principle and asked the PST to submit a formal invitation 
to the Ministry of Defense.  The PST team noted that they 
were satisfied with the overall outcome of the visit and 
believe that this visit likely paved the way for future Coast 
Guard visits to Egyptian ports.  The team did not have 
sufficient time or access to examine how the ISPS code is 
being implemented at the working levels of the port 
facilities, but it appears that Egypt's port security policy 
conforms with the ISPS code.  The PST said that they hope the 
next visit will include an expansion of the visit to Port 
Said as well as a more detailed examination of the working 
level ISPS implementation at the Port of Alexandria. 
SCOBEY