Cablegate: Uganda: 1989 Annual Terrorism Report

R 070732Z DEC 89
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4899

UNCLAS KAMPALA 04953

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE

DEPT. FOR S/CT FOR WHARTON

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PTER
SUBJECT: UGANDA: 1989 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 363024

1. THE ABILITY OF THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TO REACT IN A
TIMELY AND/OR EFFECTIVE MANNER IS LIMITED. TO THE BEST
OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC AGENCY THAT IS
SINGULARLY TASKED WITH HANDLING A TERRORISM INCIDENT.
THE MOST PROBABLE ACTION AGENCY WOULD BE THE INTERNAL
SECURITY ORGANIZATION ACTING ON APPROVAL OF THE OFFICE
OF THE PRESIDENT. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE NATIONAL
POLICE AND ITS SPECIAL BRANCH COMPONENT, AS WELL AS THE
INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL UNDER THE POLICE INSPECTOR
GENERAL WOULD COOPERATE WITH THE DIRECT ACTION AGENCY
IN HANDLING THE INCIDENT/S. THERE PROBABLY IS NO
MANAGEMENT CRISIS TEAM WITHIN THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TO
MANAGE EITHER A TERRORIST INCIDENT OR HOSTAGE TYPE
CRISIS.

2. THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) HAS AN
OFFICE IN KAMPALA WHICH RECENTLY HAS BEEN GIVEN
DIPLOMATIC STATUS BY THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT. THE PLO
MISSION IN KAMPALA ALSO RECENTLY WAS HEADED BY AN
AMBASSADOR WHO WAS NAMED/DESIGNATED BY PLO LEADER
ARAFAT. UGANDA HAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED THE PLO AS A
SEPARATE STATE WITH ARAFAT ENSCONCED AS ITS PRESIDENT.
UGANDA HAS OFTEN EXPRESSED ITS SUPPORT FOR THE PLO AND
ITS STRUGGLE FOR A HOMELAND.

3. THERE ARE TWO OTHER MISSIONS IN KAMPALA THAT COULD
BE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THESE INCLUDE THE LIBYAN
PEOPLE'S BUREAU (LPB), THE HEAD OF WHOM HAS BEEN
ELEVATED TO AMBASSADOR STATUS, AS A RESULT OF
INCREASINGLY WARM RELATIONS BETWEEN UGANDA AND LIBYA.
DURING RECENT MONTHS, UNIDENTIFIED LIBYAN PERSONNEL
HAVE CARRIED OUT SURVEILLANCE AGAINST THE U.S.
MISSION'S MARINE CONTINGENT BUT SUCH SURVEILLANCE WAS
DISCONTINUED. ALSO, THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF KOREA (DPRK) CONSISTS OF A SMALL DIPLOMATIC MISSION
WHOSE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVE IN THE PAST IN
REGARD TO SURVEILLANCE OF US MISSION PERSONNEL.
RECENTLY, THE SOVIETS HAVE SOUGHT INFORMATION TO
IDENTIFY SOME NEWLY ARRIVED US MISSION PERSONNEL,
HOWEVER, THEIR ACTIONS WERE PROBABLY RELATED TO
FURTHERANCE OF THEIR CI EFFORTS RATHER THAN BEARING ANY
RELATIONSHIP TO TERRORISM.

4. THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY STATED THAT
THEY WILL NOT ALLOW ITS TERRITORY TO BE USED AS A BASE
FOR INSURGENT GROUPS WHICH ATTACK UGANDA'S NEIGHBORS OR
FOR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES.

5. AT PRESENT THE U.S. MISSION DOES NOT HAVE ANY
INFORMATION OR EVIDENCE OF TERRORIST-RELATED ACTIVITIES
IN UGANDA. THIS, HOWEVER, DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE FACT
THAT THE MERE PRESENCE OF LIBYANS GIVE RISE TO THE
POTENTIAL OF A TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST THE USG AND OUR
INTERESTS IN UGANDA.

BURROUGHS

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