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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 07 STATE 001187 
 
SIPDIS 
MONTREAL PLEASE PASS TO U.S. MISSION ICAO (KEHOE) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2020 
TAGS: EAIR PTER ASEC ECON AF AG CU IR IZ LE LY NI PK SA
SO, SU, SY, YM 
SUBJECT: ENGAGING ON NEW AIR PASSENGER SCREENING RULES 
 
Classified By: Deputy Assistant Secretary 
John R. Bylerly; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action cable. Please 
see paragraph 3. 
 
Summary and Action Request 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) The attempted Christmas day 
bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight 
resulted in a presidential review and 
new Transportation Security 
Administration TSA) screening 
requirements, initially for all 
passengers flying to the United States. 
After interagency consultation, these 
requirements were modified and focused 
more directly on people and flights 
related to 14 countries of interest. 
Citizens of these countries, as well as 
all passengers flying to the United 
States from or through these 14 countries 
remain subject to the enhanced TSA 
screening procedures, while others will 
be subject to random, threat-based 
screening.  Several countries included 
among the 14 are close and cooperative 
U.S. partners in the fight against 
terrorism who have expressed shock and 
opposition to their inclusion.  The list 
and the related enhanced screening 
regime are now long-term, though the 
composition of the list is open to 
on-going review. 
 
¶3. (C) Drawing on the talking points and 
Q and A,s in paragraphs 8 and 9 below, 
posts are asked to engage at the highest 
appropriate levels within host governments 
to explain the need for the new screening 
measures.  In the cases of Afghanistan, 
Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, 
Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, 
posts should seek to clarify to host 
governments that their nation,s inclusion 
in the list is not an attempt to equate 
them with state sponsors of terrorism and 
that the USG values and seeks to deepen 
our bilateral partnerships, including on 
counterterrorism.  End of summary and 
action request. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶4. (C) In the wake of the December 25 
attempt by Nigerian national Umar Farooq 
Abdulmutallab to destroy Northwest 
flight 253 to Detroit, the President 
ordered a review of all the facts and 
the Department of Homeland Security,s 
(DHS) Transportation Security 
 
STATE 00001187  002 OF 007 
 
 
Administration (TSA) instituted the 
immediate, worldwide enhanced screening 
of all air passengers departing non-stop 
to the United States.  Officials of DHS, 
State and TSA met December 30, 2009, to 
confer on the longer-term application of 
these enhanced screening procedures, 
with an eye to better focusing the 
process and hopefully relieving the 
extraordinary burden they had placed on 
airports and airlines.  The essence of 
TSA,s follow-on regime announced on 
January 3, 2010, is a requirement for 
sustained 100-percent screening of a 
reduced pool of persons, combined with 
random, threat-based screening of all 
other passengers. 
 
5.(C) After discussion, State agreed to a 
list of 14 countries to be deemed &of 
interest.8  These included the following: 
Cuba, Sudan, Syria, Iran, -- these four 
were drawn from the Department,s State 
Sponsors of Terrorism list -- Afghanistan, 
Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, 
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen. 
(Note:  Posts may confirm that their host 
nation is among the 14, but should not/not 
provide names of other countries on the 
list.  End note.)  All persons holding 
passports issued by any of these 14 
countries, or persons who are flying to 
the United States from or through these 
countries, regardless of nationality 
(including U.S. citizens), are subject 
to enhanced screening procedures. 
Notice of the requirement for enhanced 
screening and the clearer designation of 
which groups are subject to enhanced 
screening was conveyed to airlines and 
other stakeholders -- including some host 
governments -- and became effective 
January 3.  These changes, as well as 
other steps taken to mitigate the threat 
seen on December 25, were briefed to and 
discussed by the President, as posts will 
have seen in the press. 
 
Countries of Interest: Why Us? 
------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (C) According to TSA, in drawing up 
its draft list of countries of interest, 
its officials referred to the State 
Department,s list of state sponsors of 
terrorism and its list of terrorist safe 
havens.  Following the December 30, 2009, 
discussion of the draft list with State 
and Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS), State advised TSA that it had no 
objection to the final list of 14.  The 
list reflects the combined application 
of current intelligence and current and 
historic patterns of terrorist movements 
and activities.  TSA,s new procedures 
are intended as a &sustainable8 response. 
They will be subject to continuous review 
but are likely to be in place until 
 
STATE 00001187  003 OF 007 
 
 
another, better system can be found to 
ensure U.S. aviation security.  State 
officials are actively working with DHS 
to find such a system, a system that is 
not based on country of origin but will 
ensure all travelers who are higher risk 
are identified and appropriate security 
measures are taken. 
 
¶7. (C) Initial reports from addressee 
posts, as well as general media reports 
on host government reactions, indicate 
some confusion, surprise and dismay about the 
inclusion of some countries among the 14. 
Although the USG has not released the list, 
countries are reacting to leaks in the media. 
Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia and 
Pakistan, are key partners in our 
counterterrorism efforts and have expressed 
concern about their inclusion.  In responding 
to inquiries from host government officials 
about their country,s inclusion in the list 
and the broader policy consequences, posts 
may draw on the talking points below.  These 
points or accompanying background materials 
should not be left in any written or 
electronic form with the host government. 
 
Talking Points 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Begin unclassified talking 
points: 
 
The security of global aviation is the 
shared responsibility of all countries. 
Recent events have shown that when an 
individual enters an airport in one 
corner of the world, he can threaten 
countries and the lives of people far 
in the distance. 
 
The attempted December 25 bombing of a 
Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam 
to Detroit has been of great concern to 
the President and required an immediate 
enhancement of screening protocols for 
passengers flying to the United States. 
The institution of these enhanced 
procedures, including full-body pat-downs 
of 100 percent of all passengers and 
physical examinations of all accessible 
property represented a significant burden 
on airlines, airports and aviation 
security authorities worldwide. 
Increased TSA screening measures have 
already been successful in disrupting an 
attempt to repeat the scenario employed 
by the Christmas bomber. 
 
In an effort to better focus our search 
for those seeking to attack civil 
aircraft, the United States has decided 
to reduce the requirement for 100 percent 
screening to passengers holding passports 
from or traveling to the United States 
from or through only a limited number of 
countries.  The initial list comprises 
 
STATE 00001187  004 OF 007 
 
 
14 countries, including those designated 
by the State Department as state sponsors 
of terrorism.  Others were included on 
the list based on current threat 
assessments, coupled with historic 
patterns of terrorist movements and 
activities. 
 
All persons traveling to the United 
States who hold passports issued by any 
of the 14 countries are subject to 
enhanced screening.  All persons, 
regardless of their nationality/passport, 
to include U.S. citizens, who are flying 
to the United States from one of the 14 
countries, or whose itinerary has taken 
them through one of these countries, are 
also subject to enhanced screening. 
 
Passengers flying to the United States 
who 1) do not hold passports from these 
14 countries and 2) are not flying from 
or through any of the 14 countries, are, 
nonetheless, also subject to enhanced 
screening procedures, based on a random 
and threat-based selection.  Passengers 
on U.S. government watch lists may also 
be subject to enhanced screening. 
 
Air carriers may exempt the following 
people (as well as their respective 
spouses and children under 12) from 
enhanced screening: 
     heads of state; 
     heads of government; 
     government ministers; 
     ambassadors to the United States; and 
     permanent representatives to the 
United Nations and the Organization of 
American States. 
 
(Note: Further information on the 
enhanced procedures is provided in the 
Q and A,s in paragraph 9 below.  End 
note.) 
 
On December 25, a terrorist successfully 
evaded established screening procedures 
and existing technology to board an 
aircraft and attempt an attack against 
the continental United States.  That 
event has required the United States to 
take further steps to better protect 
travelers flying to the United States 
from locations where security 
circumstances and travel patterns merit 
heightened screening procedures. 
Several of the 14 countries affected by 
the new TSA guidelines enjoy close 
bilateral relations with the United 
States and engage with us on a range of 
issues, including regional stability and 
counterterrorism cooperation.  Unlike 
state sponsors of terrorism, whose 
actions facilitate violent extremism, 
these countries have been proactive in 
countering terrorist organizations. We 
will continue to work with our partners 
 
STATE 00001187  005 OF 007 
 
 
to sustain and deepen our cooperation, 
including on counterterrorism issues. 
 
This event has underscored the need for 
closer international cooperation to 
secure global aviation networks upon 
which we all depend.  In order to 
provide the security all our citizens 
deserve, we believe we must collect 
information, share information, expand 
the use of technology, and strengthen 
international standards.  The Deputy 
Secretary of Homeland Security is 
traveling to several countries the 
weeks of January 3 and 9 to hear the 
views of the international community. 
In the coming weeks and months we will 
continue and widen this dialogue and 
we welcome your input to it. 
 
End talking points 
 
Enhanced Screening Q & A,s 
-------------------------- 
9 (U) Begin questions and answers 
Q: What are the new screening 
requirements that have been instituted 
by TSA? 
A: 
Following the December 25 attempted 
bombing of an aircraft flying from 
Amsterdam to Detroit, TSA has implemented 
enhanced security measures for all 
international flights to U.S. locations 
(including both U.S. and international 
carriers).  All international passengers 
will be subject to enhanced screening, 
and the majority of passengers will be 
screened using threat-based or random 
measures.  This includes U.S. citizens. 
 
Until now, most foreign and U.S. 
carriers and countries only had to meet 
international security requirements. 
Now TSA has mandated that all 
international flights (both U.S. and 
international carriers) to the United 
States must add additional measures. 
These additional measures are sustainable 
and provide a significant increase in our 
security posture. 
 
Additionally, TSA is implementing 
enhanced measures for passengers with 
passports from or itineraries from or 
through certain &countries of interest.8 
This requirement goes beyond simply 
looking at passports, focusing as well 
where passengers are flying from or 
through prior to departing for the 
United States. 
 
These are changes that were not widely 
in place for all carriers or countries 
on December 24.  These are sustainable 
measures that are a significant 
enhancement to our national security 
posture. TSA will continuously review 
 
STATE 00001187  006 OF 007 
 
 
these measures with our global aviation 
partners to ensure the highest levels 
of security. 
 
¶Q. What are the 14 &countries of 
interest?8 
 
A: The 14 include the countries 
designated by the State Department as 
&State Sponsors of Terrorism.8  In 
addition, the U.S. Government has added 
a number of other countries to which 
these enhanced screening procedures will 
apply.  The inclusion of these additional 
countries reflects a careful assessment 
of various factors, including current 
counterterrorism intelligence and current 
and historic patterns of terrorist 
movements and activities.  Air travel in 
these countries is assessed to be at 
greater risk of interference by known 
and potential terrorists targeting 
American citizens and interests.  This 
list is under regular review and it will 
be modified as circumstances and our 
assessment of the risk of attacks 
warrant. 
 
¶Q. What are the enhanced screening 
measures? 
 
A: Full-body pat-downs and physical 
inspection of accessible property being 
taken by the passenger onto the aircraft. 
They may also include advanced explosive 
detection technology or advanced imaging 
technology where available. 
 
¶Q. What can passengers traveling to the 
United States from airports in the 14 
countries of interest expect?  What of 
those who have traveled through one of 
these countries as part of their 
itinerary taking them to the United 
States? 
 
A: All passengers, regardless of 
nationality, who are departing from one 
of the 14 countries on the way to the 
United States are subject to enhanced 
screening in the form of full-body 
pat-downs and examination of all their 
personal property being taken aboard 
the aircraft.  Similarly, passengers 
departing to the United States from a 
third country but whose current 
itinerary has taken them through one 
of the 14 will be given enhanced 
screening and their property examined. 
This includes holders of American 
passports. 
 
¶Q. What are the procedures for a person 
traveling to the United States who holds 
a passport issued by one of the 14 
countries but who is not departing from 
or transiting through one of the 14? 
 
 
STATE 00001187  007 OF 007 
 
 
A: A person holding a passport issued by 
one of the 14 countries is subject to the 
same enhanced screening when flying to 
the United States, regardless of point of 
origin. 
 
¶Q. Are there special provisions made for 
dignitaries? 
 
A: Air carriers may exempt the following 
people (as well as their respective 
spouses and children under 12) from 
enhanced screening: 
     heads of state; 
     heads of government; 
     government ministers; 
     ambassadors to the United States; and 
     permanent representatives to the 
United Nations and the Organization of 
American States. 
 
End of Q and A's. 
 
¶10. (SBU) At each post,s discretion, 
Embassy may make appropriate assurances 
to its host government that the United 
States greatly values its cooperation 
on counterterrorism efforts, and hopes 
that such cooperation will continue. 
 
¶11. (SBU) This message coordinated with 
TSA and DHS.  INFO posts, particularly 
those with significant air travel to 
the United States, may wish to draw 
from these points, particularly the 
final talking point. 
CLINTON