VZCZCXRO3290
PP RUEHLH
DE RUEHLH #0002/01 0081028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 081028Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL LAHORE
TO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4980
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0223
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4284
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2196
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5450

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ADCO ADPM AMGT PK
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL RECEIPT OF CLASS POUCH IN LAHORE -- LESSONS 
LEARNED AND NEXT STEPS 
 
REF: 09 ISLAMABAD 2938 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1.      On December 19, 2009, Consulate General (ConGen) Lahore 
received and processed through the Allama Iqbal International 
Airport its first-ever classified pouch shipment.  The shipment 
was a learning experience for both the ConGen staff and the 
airport staff and we believe it paved the way for smoother 
future operations.  Key points included: requesting use of the 
domestic cargo gate in our diplomatic note; seeking only two 
tarmac passes; and giving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
at least ten days' notice.  ConGen Lahore looks forward to the 
opportunity to regularize inbound and outbound classified pouch 
operations in Lahore.  End summary. 
 
 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
¶2.      Because of lack of human resources and low volume of 
classified shipments, Lahore has traditionally relied on 
classified pouch receipt through Embassy Islamabad.  Recently, 
with Post upgraded to Consulate General status, many additional 
American staff members including an Information Systems Officer, 
and the start of construction and other sensitive projects, the 
volume of classified shipments increased.  Additionally, the 
Government of Pakistan (GOP) has curtailed Embassy Islamabad's 
ability to send and receive classified pouches, reftel.  Lahore, 
as the second largest city in Pakistan, is the home of Allama 
Iqbal International Airport (LHE).  LHE receives daily flights 
from Bangkok, a classified pouch hub, two direct flights per 
week from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport 
(JFK), and is being vetted by the Traffic Safety Administration 
for direct flights to JFK. 
 
 
 
¶3.      On December 5, 2009, ConGen Lahore received word of an 
urgent shipment of construction materials that would arrive in 
Karachi and would be trucked to Lahore (a 20+ hour overland 
route with dubious security).  ConGen Lahore staff decided that 
this would be the perfect test case for a classified pouch 
shipment arriving direct to Lahore.  ConGen Lahore researched 
with post contacts, including those responsible for classified 
pouch shipments at Embassy Islamabad and ConGen Karachi, in 
order to know how to proceed. 
 
 
 
SUCCESSFUL FIRST RECEIPT OF CLASSIFIED SHIPMENT 
 
 
 
¶4.      On December 8, 2009, the ConGen Lahore Regional Security 
Office (RSO) sent a letter to the MFA Deputy Chief of Protocol 
(DCP), copying the Airport Security Force (ASF), the Civil 
Aviation Authority (CAA), and Deputy Collector of Customs (DCC), 
asking the requirements for establishing regular classified 
pouch operations.  The MFA did not respond directly to Post, but 
did send letters of instruction to various GOP offices, 
including those copied on the original letter.  Neither the MFA 
nor the ConGen sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), 
which was an oversight on both parts, because the MOD is the 
decision maker for both tarmac access and airport security 
support. 
 
 
 
¶5.      On December 14, 2009, ConGen Lahore sent the DCP 
diplomatic note 388, requesting tarmac access for a classified 
shipment receipt on December 19, 2009.  On December 16, 2009, 
ConGen Lahore conducted a table top practice exercise to plan 
contingencies for the classified pouch receipt and chose Dec 18 
at 17.00 as its go/no go decision time.  Having received 
positive responses from contacts at the CAA and ASF, through 
back channel connections to the MOD, ConGen Lahore decided to go 
ahead with the shipment, and notified Embassy Bangkok 
accordingly. 
 
 
 
¶6.      On December 19, 2009, seven ConGen staff members 
successfully facilitated the arrival of seven crates (900 
kilograms) of classified materials.  Lack of experience in this 
kind of shipment meant that the clearance process took more than 
three hours and quite a bit of conversation and negotiation, but 
the shipment was finally released. 
 
 
 
 
LAHORE 00000002  002 OF 002 
 
 
LESSONS LEARNED 
 
 
 
¶7.      ConGen Lahore's Information Systems Officer must send a 
diplomatic note to the MFA DCP a minimum of ten days in advance 
of the planned classified diplomatic pouch run.  The MFA is 
required to coordinate with the MOD and other entities, and 
effectively getting the word through the whole chain takes at 
least ten days.  These diplomatic notes should also request use 
of the domestic cargo gate, in order to avoid the Customs Office 
getting involved in a shipment over which it has no jurisdiction. 
 
 
 
¶8.      ConGen Lahore's Management and Regional Security 
Officers must work in conjunction with Embassy Islamabad to 
ensure that MOD gets looped into the communication and approval 
process and that the Customs Office receives an information-only 
copy of approvals. ConGen Lahore will include this as a specific 
request in future classified pouch diplomatic note requests and 
has begun conversations with the MFA DCP to ensure that ConGen 
Lahore correctly understands and engages the correct decision 
makers. 
 
 
 
¶9.      Diplomatic notes should request two, and only two, 
tarmac passes, one for a cleared American ConGen staff member 
and one for an LE staff expeditor.  Post vehicle tarmac access 
is not required and a more limited request should be easier for 
LHE security officials to approve and support. 
 
 
 
¶10.  The diplomatic courier should stay in Lahore to clear the 
accompanied baggage cargo, using the cargo baggage receipts 
he/she received at check in of the cargo.  The daily Thai Air 
flight schedule allows the courier to bring inbound cargo, 
assist in the clearance process, stay overnight and depart with 
outbound cargo the following day.  If the courier is not able to 
stay overnight, the courier must/must pass baggage claim tags 
and passport and visa copies to a cleared American ConGen staff 
member during the tarmac transition. 
 
 
 
NEXT STEPS 
 
 
 
¶11.  OBO has notified ConGen Lahore of an additional urgent 
classified pouch shipment.  Post will try to receive that 
shipment on January 16 and also process an outbound shipment on 
January 17, 2010. 
 
 
 
¶12.  ConGen Lahore will coordinate a meeting with MFA Camp 
Office Lahore, the CAA and ASF to ensure a smoother process for 
the incoming shipment and discuss the possibility of a regular 
inbound and outbound schedule.  ConGen Lahore will create a 
diplomatic pouch standard operating procedure and checklist that 
will be used to document and improve the process, working 
closely with Embassy Islamabad and Embassy Bangkok.  ConGen 
Lahore greatly appreciates the support of Embassy Islamabad and 
Embassy Bangkok received to date. 
 
 
 
¶13.  ConGen Lahore points of contact are Management Officer 
Melinda Pavek (pavekmm@state.gov), Regional Security Officer 
Bill Wommack (wommackw@state.gov) and Information Systems 
Officer Tangela Torain-Myers (Torain-MyerT@state.gov). 
CONROY