US embassy cable - 99STATE236463

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