T5 B71 Misc Files Re Dos Visa Policy 3 Of 3 Fdr- 6-26-01 Furey Email To Ryan Re Visa Express 599
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CIVIL SliKVlCJi SUBCMTE
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Cariino. John Randy as •» * Tuesday. June 26, 2001 8:06 AM ~Rvan.MarvA
JCA/VO/FO); v. JonnRarwi
'9/11 Personal 3 Privacy tt*»e consular issues from Riyadh that I wanted to make sure you were aware of. One is lhat|_ I Amcit who had the stroke) is doing much better now physically and mentally. He has been sentenced to 12 [il Which he has already served seven. The Mubahilh official in charge of his case helped him write an appeal t( the Minister of Interior, to commute his sentence. This official is hopeful the appeal will work andjbhuck 'HI weigh in wjth Prince Naif s son (our main interlocutor in that ministry) at the earliest chance. Riyadh 1764 , visit, ~]s daughters, the Deputy Governor met with their father (the ex-husband) on Saturday. We are still trying [official lo gel a readout on lhat meeting. Hope to have it by tomorrow. > *#d bsue is that the Visa Express service (which has applicants go through travel agents on the London model) I «t the beginning of June and is proving to be a win-win-win-win. We started the service with the 70% of our i wfio are dearly approvable, i.e. Saudis and previous travelers to the U.S. Yesterday we expanded H to all as a response to the security concerns (see Riyadh 1747 on our June 24 EAC meeting). We did this to get th •' tfewdt *way from the embassy. Some people will still be called in for interviews but the number of people on the street •nrf coming through the gates should be only 15% of what it was last summer. The RSO is happy, the guard force is y, the public loves the service (no more long lines and they can go to the travel agencies in the evening and not tak« _..j off from work), we love it (no more crowd control stress and reduced work for the FSNs) and now this afternoon Jhutk OrayshawTi-jKJ I were at the Foreign Ministry and discovered the most amazing thing — the Saudi Government lov< : weeks ago our main MFA interlocutor was making threatening noises about the Visa Express service and implyir I (h»y would protest it. They were unsure whether they wanted their citizens lo have to pay a handling fee to the trave , avert though the fees are not great. They range from SO to $12. They also complained about government officia I through the travel agents. Today that same main MFA interlocutor told us (hat not only are they urging the British •nch embassies lo adopt our Visa Express service but lhat the MFA is telling (he Royal Court (the King's private ») that it would so much easier for them if Ihey went through the travel agencies rather than coming directly to the iwnt»»«*y!ll £y Thhi place really is Wonderland.
c P. Rirey Acting Deputy Chief of Mission American Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |>Kone: (966X1) 488-3800 ext 1311 «-n»H: [email protected]
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t-AA 2U2 22!) 23U2
Cariino. John Randy as •» * Tuesday. June 26, 2001 8:06 AM ~Rvan.MarvA
JCA/VO/FO); v. JonnRarwi
'9/11 Personal 3 Privacy tt*»e consular issues from Riyadh that I wanted to make sure you were aware of. One is lhat|_ I Amcit who had the stroke) is doing much better now physically and mentally. He has been sentenced to 12 [il Which he has already served seven. The Mubahilh official in charge of his case helped him write an appeal t( the Minister of Interior, to commute his sentence. This official is hopeful the appeal will work andjbhuck 'HI weigh in wjth Prince Naif s son (our main interlocutor in that ministry) at the earliest chance. Riyadh 1764 , visit, ~]s daughters, the Deputy Governor met with their father (the ex-husband) on Saturday. We are still trying [official lo gel a readout on lhat meeting. Hope to have it by tomorrow. > *#d bsue is that the Visa Express service (which has applicants go through travel agents on the London model) I «t the beginning of June and is proving to be a win-win-win-win. We started the service with the 70% of our i wfio are dearly approvable, i.e. Saudis and previous travelers to the U.S. Yesterday we expanded H to all as a response to the security concerns (see Riyadh 1747 on our June 24 EAC meeting). We did this to get th •' tfewdt *way from the embassy. Some people will still be called in for interviews but the number of people on the street •nrf coming through the gates should be only 15% of what it was last summer. The RSO is happy, the guard force is y, the public loves the service (no more long lines and they can go to the travel agencies in the evening and not tak« _..j off from work), we love it (no more crowd control stress and reduced work for the FSNs) and now this afternoon Jhutk OrayshawTi-jKJ I were at the Foreign Ministry and discovered the most amazing thing — the Saudi Government lov< : weeks ago our main MFA interlocutor was making threatening noises about the Visa Express service and implyir I (h»y would protest it. They were unsure whether they wanted their citizens lo have to pay a handling fee to the trave , avert though the fees are not great. They range from SO to $12. They also complained about government officia I through the travel agents. Today that same main MFA interlocutor told us (hat not only are they urging the British •nch embassies lo adopt our Visa Express service but lhat the MFA is telling (he Royal Court (the King's private ») that it would so much easier for them if Ihey went through the travel agencies rather than coming directly to the iwnt»»«*y!ll £y Thhi place really is Wonderland.
c P. Rirey Acting Deputy Chief of Mission American Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |>Kone: (966X1) 488-3800 ext 1311 «-n»H: [email protected]
• '•-* rr ' -2L'-. t.: C^M-'X.•"'•••>'-
/•^."''StT.
(&.£i,-£-rp
,-..
.
,••
_;
/! .
.'•' / '
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