US embassy cable - 86MOGADISHU3219

S E C R E T MOGADISHU 03219 
 
TERREP 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, PINS, PREL, LY, IR, SO 
SUBJECT:  IRANIAN AND LIBYAN TERRORISM 
 
1.  SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  LIBYAN TERRORISM:  EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR MEKKY 
(PROTECT SOURCE) TOLD ME MARCH 24 THAT HE UNDERSTOOD 
THAT THE RECENT LIBYAN PUBLIC RECRUITMENT DRIVE 
(MOGADISHU 3124) HAD RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL 
RECRUITMENT OF ABOUT 40 SOMALIS, WHO LEFT MOGADISHU 
SUPPOSEDLY FOR DESTINATIONS IN THE GULF BUT ACTUALLY 
TO GO ON TO LIBYA FOR TRAINING.  MEKKY'S UNDERSTANDING 
WAS THAT QADHAFI WAS INTENDING TO PUT THESE AND 
OTHER FOREIGN RECRUITS INTO A KIND OF SUICIDE BATTA- 
LION TO BE TARGETTED AGAINST AMERICANS IN THE EVENT 
OF HOSTILITIES IN THE GULF OF SIDRA.  (NOTE:  WE WOULD 
APPRECITE RECEIVING ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE 
LIBYAN IDEA BEHIND THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, WHICH WE 
GATHER WERE UNDERTAKEN BY THE LIBYANS AS FAR AFIELD 
AS AUSTRALIA.)   MEKKY ADDED THAT EGYPTIAN INFORMATION 
WAS THAT OF THE 12 PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE LIBYAN 
PEOPLE'S BUREAU HERE, EIGHT WERE TERRORISTS.  HIS 
FEELING WAS THAT THE LIBYANS MIGHT NOT INTEND ANY 
EARLY TERRORIST ACTION IN MOGADISHU, AND HE HOPED 
THAT THEY MIGHT BE DISSUADED FROM ACTION AGAINST HIS 
EMBASSY BY THE FACT THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED THE CHILDREN 
OF THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO LIBYANS IN THE 
EGYPTIAN SCHOOL, PLUS THE FACT THAT A COUPLE OF THE 
LIBYANS HAD BEEN EDUCATED IN EGYPT.  HOWEVER, HE 
CONTINUED, LIBYAN OFFICIALS WOULD PRESUMABLY CARRY OUT 
ORDERS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY HAD BEEN EDUCATED. 
HE SAID THAT IF THERE SHOULD BE ANY ATTACK ON HIS 
PEOPLE HERE, HE HAD ORDERED THAT THE LIBYAN CHILDREN 
BE BROUGHT FOR "SAFEKEEPING" DIRECT FROM THE EGYPTIAN 
SCHOOL TO THE EGYPTIAN CHANCERY. 
- 
3.  IRANIAN TERRORISM:  MEKKY SHARED WITH ME A CAIRO 
REPORT THAT NORTH KOREAN INSTRUCTORS HAD BEEN CONDUCTING 
TERRORIST TRAINING AT A MILITARY INSTALLATION IN IRAN, 
AND THAT 40 SUCH IRANIAN TRAINEES, OF WHOM 11 WERE 
WOMEN, HAD LEFT TEHERAN EARLY ON THE MORNING OF 
JANUARY 15 BY MILITARY AIRCRAFT FOR AN UNKNOWN DESTINA- 
TION.  THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY HAD SHARED THIS INFORMA- 
TION WITH SOMALI SECURITY OFFICIALS ON MARCH 8; THERE 
WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF THE IRANIANS HAD COME 
TO SOMALIA. 
 
4.  COMMENT:  RE PARA 2, THE SOMALI AUTHORITIES DID 
THEIR UTMOST TO COUNTER THE LIBYAN RECRUITMENT EFFORTS 
AND WE ARE SOMEWHAT DOUBTFUL AS MANY AS 40 RECRUITED 
SOMALIS HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY.  NOR HAVE WE BEEN ABLE 
TO CONFIRM THAT AS MANY AS 8 OF THE 12 LIBYAN 
"DIPLOMATS" HERE ARE TERRORISTS. 
 
 
BRIDGES