Cablegate: Ethiopia: 1987 Annual Terrorism Report

R 150643Z MAR 88
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1847

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 01180

S/CT FOR WHARTON

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PTER ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: A) STATE 42318 B) STATE 54781

1. SINCE THE DAYS OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE,
ETHIOPIA HAS TAKEN A STRONG ANTI-TERRORIST
STANCE, LARGELY BECAUSE IT BELIEVES ANY SHOW
OR WEAKNESS TO TERRORISTS WOULD SERVE AS A STIMULUS
TO THE VARIOUS ARMED INSURGENT GROUPS WITHIN
ETHIOPIA. AS A CONSEQUENCE, ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN
FREE OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST OPERATIONS SINCE
THE DAYS OF HAILE SELASSIE WHEN SEVERAL HIJACKINGS
WERE FORCEFULLY REPRESSED.

2. LIBYA HAS FOUR OFFICERS ACCREDITED
AT ITS PEOPLE'S BUREAU IN ADDIS ABABA AND
ITS HEAD IS THE VICE DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC
CORPS. LIBYA HAS A JOINT AGRICULTURAL
PROJECT WITH ETHIOPIA, BUT THE NUMBER OF
LIBYANS INVOLVED IS UNKNOWN. ETHIO-LIBYAN
RELATIONS HAVE BEEN AT A LOW POINT FOR THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THE LIBYA-ETHIOPIA-PDRY
TRIPARTITE PACT HAS BEEN MORIBUND FOR SOME TIME.

3. THE PLO OPENED ITS ONE-PERSON OFFICE IN
ETHIOPIA IN 1978 BASED ON ITS OBSERVER
STATUS AT THE OAU. THE PLO IS NOT INCLUDED
IN THE DIPLOMATIC LIST AND DOES NOT ENJOY
OTHER DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES.

4. WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE PLO LOST THE HOUSE
AND CAR PROVIDED BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT
AFTER THE PLO OFFICE IN PYONGYANG DISTRIBUTED
A MAP OF ETHIOPIA WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE ERITREA
AS A PROVINCE. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO
CONFIRM THAT REPORT.

5. THE BUREAU OF THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE
LIBERATION OF PALESTINE HAS ALSO MAINTAINED A
ONE-PERSON OFFICE HERE SINCE 1978. IT HAS NO
DIPLOMATIC STATUS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE
REPRESENTATIVE IS PROVIDED WITH A HOUSE BY THE
ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT.

CHEEK

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