Cablegate: United Kingdom: 1999 Annual Terrorism Report

O 150701Z DEC 99
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1701
INFO AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
AMCONSUL BELFAST
AMCONSUL EDINBURGH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LONDON 010405

S/CT FOR REAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER UK
SUBJECT: UNITED KINGDOM: 1999 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 204472

1. THE UNITED KINGDOM IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES' CLOSEST ALLIES
AND PARTNERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IT
ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTES TO THE WORK OF INTERNATIONAL BODIES,
INCLUDING THE UN, THE GROUP OF EIGHT (G8), AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
IN PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST TERRORISM. IN
DECEMBER, THE BLAIR GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED A NEW, PERMANENT, UK-
WIDE ANTI-TERRORISM LAW TO REPLACE LAWS WHICH HAD BEEN ADOPTED
OVER THE YEARS IN RESPONSE TO TERRORISM RELATING TO NORTHERN
IRELAND. THE LAW INCLUDES MEASURES TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL AND
DOMESTIC TERRORISM.

A) RESPONSE OF UK JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM: DURING 1999, HMG INVOKED EXISTING COUNTERTERRORISM
LEGISLATION TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST AND/OR PROSECUTED A NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
IN FEBRUARY, 79 INDIVIDUALS WERE ARRESTED UNDER THE PREVENTION OF
TERRORISM ACT AFTER ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING THE GREEK EMBASSY IN
LONDON IN PROTEST AT THE ARREST IN ATHENS OF PKK LEADER OCALAN.
THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CHARGED AND CONVICTED UNDER
THE HMG'S PUBLIC ORDER ACT. IN MARCH, THREE ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS,
ABU HAMZA, AL SIRRI AND 'FRANK', WERE ARRESTED UNDER THE
PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT. THE POLICE INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED
IN NOVEMBER, AND BAIL CONDITIONS WERE DROPPED. IN JULY, TWO
EGYPTIANS, ABDEL ALMAGID BARY AND IBRAHIM HUSSEIN ABDEL HADI
EIDAROUS, WERE ARRESTED IN RESPONSE TO A U.S. REQUEST FOR THEIR
EXTRADITION. THEY REMAIN IN DETENTION PENDING THE COMPLETION OF
THIS PROCESS.

IN DECEMBER, THE SCOTTISH JUDGE IN THE TRIAL OF TWO LIBYANS
ACCUSED OF THE 1988 LOCKERBIE BOMBING RULED AGAINST DEFENSE
MOTIONS THAT CONSPIRACY TO MURDER CHARGES AGAINST THE DEFENDANTS
BE DROPPED. AS A RESULT, THE ACCUSED WILL BE TRIED FOR MURDER,
BREACH OF THE UK AVIATION SECURITY ACT, AND CONSPIRACY. THE
RULING OPENS THE WAY FOR THE BROADEST POSSIBLE AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE
TO BE PUT BEFORE THE COURT AS PART OF THE TRIAL, WHICH IS
SCHEDULED FOR MAY 2000.

B) UK RECORD OF EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: THE UK IS
COOPERATING FULLY WITH THE U.S. REQUEST FOR EXTRADITION OF THREE
OF THE FIFTEEN INDIVIDUALS INDICTED IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK ON TERRORISM-RELATED CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE 1998
EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM. KAHLID AL-FAWWAZ,
WHO SERVED AS USAMA BIN LADEN'S DE FACTO SPOKESPERSON IN THE UK,
IS IN DETENTION PENDING EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS IN RESPONSE TO A
U.S. REQUEST. TWO EGYPTIANS, ABEL MOHAMMED ABDUL ALMAGID BARY AND
IBRAHIM HUSSEIN ABDEL HADI EIDAROUS, ALSO REMAIN IN DETENTION
PENDING EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS TO THE U.S. IN ADDITION TO THESE
CASES, HMG IS COOPERATING WITH A FRENCH REQUEST TO EXTRADITE A
SUSPECTED GIA MEMBER, ALGERIAN RAMDA.

C) IMPEDIMENTS TO UK PROSECUTION OR EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED
TERRORISTS: IT IS HMG POLICY TO PROSECUTE AND/OR EXTRADITE
SUSPECTED TERORISTS. HMG PURSUED THIS POLICY WITHIN THE CONTEXT
OF THE 1951 UN CONVENTION ON REFUGEES AND THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS (ECHR). THE 1996 ECHR JUDGEMENT IN THE CASE OF
THE SIKH TERRORIST CHAHAL ESTABLISHED CRITERIA TO BE MET IN CASES
OF POSSIBLE DEPORTATION.

THE HOME SECRETARY ANNOUNCED IN PARLIAMENT ON JUNE 23, 1999 THAT A
TECHNICAL ERROR MADE DURING THE ANNUAL RENEWAL OF THE PROTECTION
OF TERRORISM ACTION MEANT THAT SECTION 16 OF THE ACT HAD NOT BEEN
IN FORCE FOR A PERIOD FROM MARCH 1998 TO JUNE 1999. THIS
TECHNICAL ERROR RESULTING IN THE INDICTMENT AGAINST SUSPECTED GIA
MEMBER RECHACHI BEING QUASHED.

D) UK RESPONSES TO TERRORIST INCIDENTS: HMG CONSISTENTLY
CONDEMNS ALL ACTS OF TERRORISM. IT MADE A NUMBER OF STATEMENTS IN
1999 ON SPECIFIC INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS INCLUDING THE KIDNAP AND
MURDER OF BRITISH AND OTHER TOURISTS IN UGANDA IN MARCH 1999, AND
THE KIDNAP AND MURDER OF BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS IN
CHECHNYA IN 1998.

THE UK ACTIVELY SUPPORTS BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL INFORMATION-
SHARING AND COOPERATION TO COMBAT TERRORISM. IT PROVIDES
BILATERAL COUNTERTERRORISM ASSISTANCE TO SEVERAL COUNTRIES.

E) MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE UK IN 1999,
INCLUDING IN INTERNATIONAL FORA: ON DECEMBER 2, THE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCED MAJOR NEW COUNTERTERRORISM LEGISLATION. THE
LEGISLATION WILL REFORM AND EXTEND LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED OVER
THE YEARS IN RESPONSE TO TERRORIST THREATS AND INCIDENTS IN
NORTHERN IRELAND. THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS THE NEW LAW TO BE PASSED
BY PARLIAMENT AND GIVEN ROYAL ASSENT BY AUGUST 24, 2000, WHEN ONE
OF THE EXISTING LAWS, THE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS ACT (EPA) WILL
AUTOMATICALLY BE REPEALED. PROVISIONS IN THE EPA THAT APPLY
SPECIFICALLY TO NORTHERN IRELAND WILL BE EXTENDED UNDER THE NEW
LAW, BUT ONLY FOR A PERIOD LIMITED TO FIVE YEARS.

THE NEW LAW IS MEANT TO BE PERMANENT, COMPREHENSIVE, AND UK-WIDE.
IT DOES DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
AND DEFINES TERRORISM TO INCLUDE "VIOLENCE, INCLUDING ELECTRONIC,
MEANT TO INTIMIDATE OR COERCE THE GOVERNMENT OR PUBLIC FOR
POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, OR IDEOLOGICAL ENDS." THE LAW WILL EXTEND
PROSCRIPTIVE POWERS, CURRENTLY APPLIED TO TERRORIST GROUPS IN
NORTHERN IRELAND, TO A BROADER LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC
ORGANIZATIONS. THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS THE LAW TO STRENGTHEN
CURRENT PROVISIONS DESIGNED TO PREVENT UK FINANCING OR FINANCIAL
MECHANISMS BEING USED TO SUPPORT TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS OR
ACTIVITIES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

THE PRINCIPAL INTERNATIONAL FORA IN WHICH THE UK HAS BEEN ACTIVE
ON TERRORISM ISSUES IN 1999 HAVE BEEN THE UN, THROUGH THE SIXTH
COMMITTEE, THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND ALSO
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE G8. THE UK PROVIDED STRONG LEADERSHIP
ON ANTITERRORISM ISSUES WHILE IT LED THE G8 DURING 1998. IT
SUPPORTED THE SEPTEMBER 23 STATEMENT BY THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS
OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON COMBATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IT
HAS COOPERATED FULLY WITH UNSC RESOLUTIONS MEANT TO COMBAT
TERRORISM. THESE INCLUDE RESOLUTION 1267 (ON SANCTIONS AGAINST
THE TALIBAN) AND RESOLUTION 1269 (ON TERRORISM).

THE UK HAS RATIFIED TEN OF THE UN CONVENTIONS ON TERRORISM. IT
SIGNED THE ELEVENTH, THE CONVENTION ON THE SUPPRESSION OF
TERRORIST BOMBING, IN JANUARY 1998 AND EXPECTS TO RATIFY THAT
CONVENTION IN 2000, BASED ON THE NEW COUNTERTERRORISM LEGISLATION
WHICH SHOULD BE PASSED BY MID-YEAR. THE UK EXPECTS TO SIGN THE
CONVENTION ON TERRORISM FINANCING AS SOON AS IT IS OPENED IN
JANUARY AND TO RATIFY AS SOON AFTERWARDS AS POSSIBLE.

F) POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM,
TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS: HMG DOES NOT SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS. IT IS
COMMITTED TO PREVENTING THE UK BEING USED AS A BASE FOR TERRORISM.
THE POLICE AND SECURITY SERVICE GIVE PRIORITY TO COUNTERING ANY
POSSIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN THE UK BY INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISTS, INCLUDING THE ORGANIZATION AND FUNDING OF TERRORIST
ATTACKS ABROAD. INFORMATION ABOUT TERRORISM OR SUPPORT FOR
TERRORISM IS FULLY INVESTIGATED. WHERE THERE IS CAUSE TO BELIEVE
THAT UK LAWS MAY HAVE BEEN VIOLATED, INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS ARE
PROSECUTED.

G) PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES
ON A TERRORISM ISSUE: THE UK HAS NOT MADE ANY STATEMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF U.S.-DESIGNATED STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM ON
TERRORISM-RELATED ISSUES. DURING 1999, HMG RESTORED FORMAL
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THREE COUNTRIES ON THE U.S. LIST OF
TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES, IRAN, SUDAN AND LIBYA.

H) SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HMG'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM: THERE
HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN HMG'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM DURING 1999.
THE UK REMAINS RESOLUTELY OPPOSED TO TERRORISM IN ALL FORMS,
WHATEVER ITS MOTIVATION. HAVING USED ITS CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE G8
AND PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN 1998 TO HIGHLIGHT AND
PROVIDE LEADERSHIP ON TERRORISM ISSUES, THE UK IS NOW ENCOURAGING
OTHER COUNTRIES TO ASSUME A LEADERSHIP ROLE.

I) U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVES PURSUED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
HMG: THE UK COOPERATES CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. AT ALL LEVELS ON
COUNTERTERRORISM POLICY AND ACTIVITIES, BOTH BILATERALLY AND
THROUGH INTERNATIONAL FORA. WHEN TERRORISM ISSUES COME BEFORE THE
UN OR ARE ADDRESSED BY THE G8, THE UK CLOSELY COORDINATES ITS
VIEWS WITH THE U.S.

THE UK AND THE U.S. CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO BRING TO
JUSTICE THE TWO LIBYANS ACCUSED OF BOMBING PAN AM FLIGHT 102 OVER
LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND IN 1988. IN AUGUST 1988, THE U.S. AND UK
INTRODUCED A JOINT INITIATIVE, WHICH WOULD PERMIT THE ACCUSED TO
BE TRIED BEFORE A SCOTTISH COURT SITUATED IN THE NETHERLANDS. AS
A RESULT OF THIS JOINT EFFORT, IN APRIL 1999, THE GOVERNMENT OF
LIBYA HANDED OVER THE ACCUSED TO THE UN TO AWAIT TRIAL UNDER TERMS
OF THE INITIATIVE. THE TRIAL, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MAY
3, 2000, WILL ALLOW THE ACCUSED TO BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. HMG AND
THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH U.S. OFFICIALS
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ON ALL
ASPECTS OF PLANNING, INCLUDING LEGAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, SUPPORT FOR
VICTIMS' FAMILIES AND PUBLIC/PRESS RELATIONS.

J) COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. IN THE INVESTIGATION OR PROSECUTION
OF AN ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS OR
INTERESTS: THE UNITED KINGDOM IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES'
CLOSEST ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS REFLECTED IN CLOSE COOPERATION IN
MEASURES TO PREVENT TERRORISM AND IN RESPONSES TO TERRORISTS ACTS.
THE U.S. AND UK PARTICIPATE IN REGULAR BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS AND
JOINT ACTIVITIES.

THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE UK PROVED TO BE
INVALUABLE TO THE USG IN ITS INVESTIGATION INTO USAMA BIN LADEN
AND HIS AL-QAEDA ORGANIZATION. THE U.S. AND UK CONTINUE TO WORK
CLOSELY TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT KHALID AL-FAWWAZ, ABDEL MOHAMMED
ABDUL ALMAGID BARY, AND IBRAHIM EIDAROUS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE
INDICTED IN THE U.S. ON TERRORISM-RELATED CHARGES, ARE
SUCCESSFULLY EXTRADITED.

THE UK CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE U.S. IN ITS EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE
SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF ABDELBASET ALI MOHMED AL MEGRAHI AND AL
AMIN KHALIFA FHIMAH, WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN THE BOMBING OF PAN
AM FLIGHT 102 OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND IN 1998.

THE UK CONTINUES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. IN THE
INVESTIGATION INTO THE KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF U.S. AND BRITISH
CITIZENS IN YEMEN IN DECEMBER 1998.

K) COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. IN PREVENTING ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM: THE U.S. AND THE UK LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES MAINTAIN A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN ORDER TO PREVENT
ACTS OF TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS AND/OR INTERESTS IN THE
UK. THIS COOPERATION EXTENDS TO UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF
INFORMATION-SHARING. THE UK HAS ASSISTED THE U.S. IN ITS
INVESTIGATION INTO TERRORIST ACTS IN SCOTLAND, KENYA, TANZANIA,
AND YEMEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO ASSIST THE U.S. AND UK IN THEIR
EFFORTS TO PREVENT FUTURE ACTS OF TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS
AND/OR INTERESTS.

LADER

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