Cablegate: The Charges Against International Terrorist Usama

O 151940Z DEC 99
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY COLOMBO IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL KARACHI IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL LAHORE IMMEDIATE
WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
UNCINCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS STATE 236463

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER OIIP AF
SUBJECT: THE CHARGES AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST USAMA
BIN LADEN: A PUBLIC DIPLOMACY FACT SHEET

1. NOTE: THIS FACT SHEET MAY BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
PREVIOUS PUBLIC DIPLOMACY FACT SHEET, "TALKING ABOUT
TERRORISM."

2. THE TALIBAN MOVEMENT OF AFGHANISTAN, LED BY MULLAH
MOHAMMA OMAR, CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SAFE HAVEN TO THE
INDICTED TERRORIST USAMA BIN LADEN. SPOKESMEN FOR THE
TALIBAN, AND ITS MASS MEDIA, CONTINUE THEIR DISINFORMATION
CAMPAIGN THAT NO ONE HAS PROVIDED THE TALIBAN WITH PROOF
OF BIN LADEN'S ALLEGED CRIMES.

3. ACCORDING TO THE RULE OF LAW AS PRACTICED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF NATIONS, A JUDGE AND JURY
DETERMINE PROOF OF GUILT BASED ON EVIDENCE SUBMITTED
DURING A TRIAL.

4. EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE EXISTS AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN AND
HIS COLLABORATORS. THIS EVIDENCE IS PUBLIC INFORMATION
AVAILABLE TO ALL AT TWO INTERNET WEB SITES, WHICH ARE
LISTED BELOW.

5. USAMA BIN LADEN, LEADER OF THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
AL-QAIDA, IS CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE AUGUST 7,
1998, BOMBINGS OF THE U.S. EMBASSIES IN NAIROBI, KENYA,
AND DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA. THESE ATTACKS RESULTED IN
THE DEATHS OF MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 12 AMERICAN
CITIZENS, AND INJURIES TO MORE THAN 4,000 INDIVIDUALS,
AMONG WHOM WERE MUSLIMS. A SUMMARY OF THE FACTS OF THIS
TERRORIST ACT CAN BE FOUND ON THE U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF
INVESTIGATION'S INTERNET WEB SITE:

WWW.FBI.GOV/MAJCASES/EASTAFRICA.SUMMARY.HTM

6. AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, AND
WORKING CLOSELY WITH KENYA, TANZANIA, AND OTHER NATIONS,
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS INDICTED OR FILED CRIMINAL
COMPLAINTS AGAINST BIN LADEN AND 16 OF HIS ASSOCIATES FOR
THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE TWO BOMBINGS AND OTHER TERRORIST
CRIMES. THE U.S. INDICTMENT DETAILING THE CHARGES AGAINST
BIN LADEN CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET WEB SITE OF THE
U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION:

WWW.FBI.GOV/CONTACT/FO/NYFO/11041998.HTM

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BIN LADEN: AN INDICTED CRIMINAL, NOT A HERO
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7. USAMA BIN LADEN HAS REPEATEDLY DECLARED WAR ON THE
U.S. AND ENDORSED THE MURDER OF U.S. CITIZENS. FOR THIS
REASON, SOME OF HIS ADMIRERS CONSIDER BIN LADEN A HERO.

8. USAMA BIN LADEN IS NOT A HERO.

9. ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF LAW AND
MORALITY, ANYONE WHO INCITES VIOLENCE AGAINST AN ENTIRE
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FOR IDEOLOGICAL REASONS, IS A CRIMINAL.

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AUGUST 1996 DECLARATION OF WAR
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10. ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 23, 1996, USAMA BIN LADEN SIGNED
AND ISSUED A DECLARATION OF JIHAD (HOLY WAR) FROM
AFGHANISTAN ENTITLED, "MESSAGE FROM USAMA BIN LADEN TO HIS
MUSLIM PROTHERS IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND ESPECIALLY IN THE
ARABIAN PENINSULA: DECLARATION OF JIHAD AGAINST THE
AMERICANS OCCUPYING THE LAND OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES;
EXPEL THE HERETICS FROM THE ARABIAN PENINSULA."

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FEBRUARY 1998 FATWA AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS
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11. IN FEBRUARY 1998, USAMA BIN LADEN AND HIS CLOSE
ASSOCIATE, AYMAN AL ZAWAHIRI, ENDORSED A FATWA UNDER THE
BANNER OF THE "INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT FOR JIHAD ON
THE JEWS AND CRUSADERS." THIS FATWA, PUBLISHED IN THE
NEWSPAPER, "AL-QUDS AL-ARABI," ON FEBRUARY 23, 1998,
STATED THAT MUSLIMS SHOULD KILL AMERICANS - INCLUDING
CIVILIANS - ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND.

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MAY 1998 FATWA
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12. ON OR ABOUT MAY 7, 1998, BIN LADEN ASSOCIATE MOHAMMAD
ATEF SENT KHALED AL FAWWAZ A LETTER DISCUSSING THE
ENDORSEMENT BY BIN LADEN OF A FATWA ISSUED BY THE "ULEMA
UNION OF AFGHANISTAN" WHICH TERMED THE U.S. ARMY THE
"ENEMIES OF ISLAM" AND DECLARED JIHAD AGAINST THE U.S. AND
ITS FOLLOWERS. THE FATWA WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PUBLISHED IN
"AL-QUDS AL-ARABI."

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BIN LADEN ENDORSES THE NUCLEAR BOMB OF ISLAM
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13. ON OR ABOUT MAY 29, 1998, BIN LADEN ISSUED A
STATEMENT ENTITLED "THE NUCLEAR BOMB OF ISLAM," UNDER THE
BANNER OF THE "INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT FOR FIGHTING
THE JEWS AND CRUSADERS," IN WHICH HE STATED THAT "IT IS
THE DUTY OF MUSLIMS TO PREPARE AS MUCH FORCE AS POSSIBLE
TO TERRORIZE THE ENEMIES OF GOD."

ALBRIGHT

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