COUNTRY CLEARANCE APPROVAL - AUSTRALIA
1. LIAISON POC’S ARE AS LISTED.
2. TRAVELERS SHOULD CARRY A COPY OF THIS MESSAGE AT ALL TIMES.
3. TRAVELERS ARE REMINDED TO KEEP BAGS PACKED UNDER 32 KILOGRAMS. AUSTRALIAN AIRPORT PERSONNEL WILL NOT HANDLE ANY ITEMS OVER THIS WEIGHT AND THE TRAVELER WILL BE REQUIRED TO UNPACK AND REPACK OVERWEIGHT LUGGAGE ON THE SPOT. ALSO, DO NOT TRAVEL WITH EASILY IDENTIFIABLE MILITARY LUGGAGE, MILITARY TAGS, OR MILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTIFICATION.
4. AUSTRALIA IS CURRENTLY IN FPCON BRAVO. FPCON BRAVO MEANS THERE IS AN INCREASED OR MORE PREDICTABLE THREAT OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY. USE CAUTION AND GOOD OPSEC WHILE IN COUNTRY.
5. WHILE IN AUSTRALIA U.S. MILITARY PERSONNAL MUST NOT WEAR THEIR UNIFORM WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM USDAO CANBERRA. APPROVAL OF UNIFORM WEAR WILL BE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. CONTACT USDAO CANBERRA WITH YOUR REQUEST PRIOR TO EVENT.
6. TRAVELERS MUST HAVE THEIR UNITS' COMMERCIAL DUTY AND AFTER HOURS PHONE NUMBERS. USDAO CANBERRA DOES NOT HAVE DSN CAPABILITY. TRAVELERS MUST ALSO ENSURE UNITS HAVE THEIR HOTEL INFORMATION IN CASE OF EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION (RED CROSS, ETC.)
7. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY WHILE IN AUSTRALIA, PHONE "000" (U.S. "911" EQUILIVANT) FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FROM POLICE OR AMBULANCE SERVICE. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE URGENT SITUATION CONTACT USDAO CANBERRA AT PHONE 02-6214-5807/5717 OR AFTER HOURS 02-6214-5900.
8. IN CASE OF NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY CONTACT USDAO CANBERRA IMMEDIATELY. IF UNABLE TO REACH USDAO CANBERRA CONTACT THE NEAREST CONSULATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:
U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL, SYDNEY
MLC CENTRE
59th FLOOR
19-29 MARTIN PLACE
SYDNEY NSW 2000
02-9373-9200
U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL, MELBOURNE
553 ST. KILDA ROAD
MELBOURNE, VIC
03-9526-5900
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY 03-9389-3601
U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL, PERTH
13TH FLOOR, 16 ST. GEORGES TERRACE
PERTH WA
08-9202-1224
9. TRAVELERS NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE GOVERNMENT INSTALLATIONS NEARBY SHOULD A SAFE-HAVEN NEED TO BE UTILIZED. TRAVELERS MAY USE POLICE STATIONS, U.S. GOVERNMENT INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATES, AND AUSTRALIAN MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS SAFE-HAVENS AT ANY TIME.
10. U.S. EMBASSY AUSTRALIA THREAT ASSESSMENT: THE EMBASSY IS NOT AWARE OF ANY AUSTRALIA-SPECIFIC THREATS TO U.S. FACILITIES OR PERSONNEL AT THIS TIME. AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE REMINDED THAT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF VIGILANCE AND TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO INCREASE THEIR SECURITY AWARENESS.
11. AS A RESULT OF MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR RETALIATORY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS AND INTERESTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS CARRY THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATING VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT AMERICAN CITIZENS; SYMBOLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNITED STATES OR OTHER U.S. AND WESTERN INTERESTS.
12. THE THREAT TO U.S. CITIZENS INCLUDES THE RISK OF ATTACKS BY TERRORIST GROUPS. TERRORIST ACTIONS MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, SUICIDE OPERATIONS, BOMBINGS OR KIDNAPPING. POSSIBLE THREATS INCLUDE CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS SUCH AS EXPLOSIVE DEVICES OR NON-CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, INCLUDING CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL AGENTS. TERRORISTS DO NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN OFFICIAL AND CIVILIAN TARGETS. THESE MAY INCLUDE FACILITIES WHERE AMERICANS AND OTHER FOREIGNERS CONGREGATE OR VISIT, SUCH AS RESIDENTIAL AREAS, CLUBS, RESTAURANTS, PLACES OF WORSHIP, SCHOOLS, HOTELS, OUTDOOR RECREATION EVENTS OR RESORTS AND BEACHES. U.S. CITIZENS SHOULD INCREASE THEIR SECURITY AWARENESS AT SUCH LOCATIONS, AVOID THEM, OR SWITCH TO OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE AMERICANS IN LARGE NUMBERS GENERALLY DO NOT CONGREGATE.
13. U.S. GOVERNMENT FACILITIES WORLDWIDE REMAIN AT A HEIGHTENED STATE OF ALERT AND SOME HAVE DRAWN DOWN THEIR DEPENDENTS/AND OR PERSONNEL. THESE FACILITIES MAY TEMPORARILY CLOSE OR SUSPENDS PUBLIC SERVICES FROM TIME TO TIME FOR SECURITY REASONS. IN THOSE INSTANCES, U.S. EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES TO AMERICAN CITIZENS. MONITOR THE LOCAL NEWS AND MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.
14. IN RESPONSE TO U.S. POLICY AND ACTIONS, OCCASIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS, ANONYMOUS TELEPHONIC THREATS AND OBSCURE THREAT MAIL HAVE IN THE PAST TARGETED THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CANBERRA AND THE CONSULATES GENERAL IN SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, AND PERTH, AS WELL AS JOINT U.S./AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE FACILITIES. HOWEVER, DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE BEEN PEACEFULLY CONDUCTED, AND AUSTRALIAN POLICE AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES HAVE PROVIDED ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE U.S. MISSION. SYDNEY AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, MELBOURNE, PERTH AND CANBERRA, HAVE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN STREET CRIME, ASSAULTS AND MUGGINGS. WEAPONS ARE INCREASINGLY USED IN SUCH CRIMES, WHICH ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED DRUG TRAFFICKING AND USAGE. WHILE AUSTRALIA IS CONSIDERED A LOW THREAT ENVIRONMENT, VISITORS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT STREET CRIME, BURGLARIES, AND CAR THEFT ARE A DAILY OCCURRENCE IN THE LARGER CITIES, INCLUDING CANBERRA. APPROPRIATE, COMMON SENSE PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, TO AVOID BECOMING A TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY.
15. POC IS IS1 TRACY DAVENPORT, COML: 011-61-2-6214-5639, EMAIL: NAVYOPS1@BIGPOND.COM. REGARDS FROM DOWN UNDER.
Last update: Tuesday, 24 March 2009 GMT+1100
