US embassy cable - 03LONDON9572

UNCLAS  LONDON 009572 
 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT REAP AND EUR/UBI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PINR, PREL, PGOV, UK 
SUBJECT: UNITED KINGDOM - 2003 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 301352 
 
1. (U) This telegram contains Embassy London's contributions 
to the 2003 "Patterns of Global Terrorism" Report.  Embassy 
input is keyed to reftel questions. 
 
2. (U) A) SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS TAKEN BY HOST GOVERNMENTS TO 
SUPPORT THE GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM, PARTICULARLY 
LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST AL QAIDA OPERATIVES, 
BUT INCLUDING DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND ACTIONS TO BLOCK 
TERRORIST ASSETS, ENACT NEW COUNTER TERRORISM LAWS, AND 
RATIFY EXISTING TREATIES. 
 
-- The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act (2001) provides 
UK authorities with the power to detain indefinitely foreign 
nationals suspected of being international terrorists, but 
who cannot be removed from the UK immediately.  Since the act 
came into force in December 2001, 16 foreign nationals have 
been detained using its powers.  Of the total detained, two 
have voluntarily left the UK.  The others remain in 
detention.  The names of the detainees are not public. 
 
-- Between October 2002 and October 2003, the UK issued 25 
terrorist asset freeze orders against 74 individuals and 15 
organizations.  Two of the orders implemented the European 
Union's September 2003 decision to freeze all funds, other 
financial assets, and economic resources of Hamas. 
 
-- The UK did not enact major new counter terrorism 
legislation in 2003.  The UK has ratified all 12 UN Counter 
Terrorism Conventions. 
 
3. (U) B) DESCRIBE THE RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF THE 
UK TO ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND/OR SIGNIFICANT ACTS 
OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM DURING 2003, INCLUDING ANY HOST 
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS RELATING TO TERRORISM.  PARTICULAR 
ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ACTIONS REGARDING ACTS OF 
TERRORISM AGAINST OR AFFECTING U.S. CITIZENS OR FACILITIES. 
 
-- UK security and law enforcement authorities have disrupted 
numerous terrorist attacks by dissident Irish republican, 
particularly the Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) and the 
Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) as well as loyalist 
paramilitary groups. In one significant disruption, the 
Police Service of Northern Ireland intercepted a 1,200 pound 
car bomb in Londonderry in June that was linked to the REAL 
IRA. 
 
-- HMG continues its investigation of the 1998 bombing in 
Omagh, which killed 29 people. 
 
-- Between October 2002 and October 2003, 59 new 
terrorism-related cases have been presented to the Crown 
Prosecution Service by the police, either for advice on 
whether or how to proceed with the investigation or for 
prosecution. 
 
-- On April 1, 2003, a jury in Leicestershire convicted 
Brahim Benmerzouga and Baghdad Mezaine on charges related to 
terrorist fund raising.  The two were sentences to 11 years 
in jail. 
 
-- In connection with a long-running investigation into a 
group of North Africans involved in the 
production/importation of toxins, including ricin, into the 
UK, UK authorities have charged nine individuals with 
conspiracy to murder and other related charges.  Trials for 
the nine are scheduled to begin in April and September 2004. 
One of the individuals, Kamel Borgass, has been charged with 
the murder of Greater Manchester Police Officer Stephen Oake, 
who was attacked an killed during a January 14 raid connected 
with the investigation. 
 
4. (U) C) DID THE UK EXTRADITE OR REQUEST THE EXTRADITION OF 
SUSPECTED TERRORISTS FOR PROSECUTION DURING THE YEAR? 
PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO HOST GOVERNMENT 
RESPONSES TO U.S. REQUESTS FOR EXTRADITION OR ASSISTANCE IN 
TERRORIST CASES. 
 
-- A bilateral Extradition Treaty, which entered into force 
on January 21, 1977, and a Supplementary Treaty, which 
entered into force on December 23, 1986, govern extradition 
between the U.S. and the UK. 
 
-- The U.S. and UK completed negotiation on a new Extradition 
Treaty in 2003, which will streamline the extradition 
process.  The new treaty has not yet been ratified by either 
country, however. 
 
-- There have been no terrorism-related extraditions in the 
past year to the U.S. 
 
-- The UK continues to assist with the U.S. request for the 
extradition of Khaled Al-Fawwaz, Adel Abdel Bary, and Ibrahim 
 
Eidarous to the U.S. for their involvement in the bombing of 
the U.S. Embassies in East Africa.  In December 2001, the Law 
Lords, the UK's highest court, rejected their appeal to block 
the extradition.  These cases then passed to the Home 
Secretary for final decision as to whether these individuals 
would be extradited.  However, all three exercised their 
legal right to make representations to the Home Secretary 
against their surrender to the U.S.  Those representations 
gave rise to a set of inquiries on a range of issues from the 
Home Office to the U.S., which were made in March 2002.  In 
the intervening 18 months, there has been regular contact 
between U.S. officials and the Home Office, including replies 
to some, though not all, UK inquiries. 
 
-- The U.S. has also requested the extradition of Abu Doha in 
connection with the December 1999 plot by Ahmed Ressam and 
others to attack Los Angeles International Airport.  The U.S. 
request survived the judicial stages of the UK extradition 
process.  As in the case of the Embassy bombers, his case is 
also now before the Home Secretary.  Doha made 
representations against his surrender in January 2003.  These 
were sent to U.S. officials in May for reply. 
 
5. (U) D) DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO UK 
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION AND/OR EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED 
TERRORISTS. 
 
-- It is UK policy to prosecute and/or extradite suspected 
terrorists consistent with UK law, the European Convention on 
Human Rights, and the 1951 Convention on Refugees.  UK law 
requires prima facie evidence in support of an extradition 
request and does not allow extradition to occur where the 
request is believed to be made for the purpose of punishing a 
person on account of his/her race, religion or political 
opinion.  UK law does not allow the extradition of 
individuals if they would face the death penalty where there 
is the possibility that the sentence may be carried out.  In 
death penalty cases, the UK would seek assurances that the 
sentence would be waived before agreeing to extradition. 
 
-- In November 2002, the Government introduced legislation to 
streamline and shorten the UK extradition process. It became 
law in November 2003 and eliminates duplication of hearings 
and appeals that were part of the old system.  The 
legislation also simplifies the rules on authenticating 
foreign documents so that faxed documents would be accepted 
as valid.  However, cases that were pending under the old 
system must be completed under the old rules. 
 
6. (U) E) DISCUSS UK RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION.  THESE 
WOULD INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OR OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCIES FOLLOWING A 
TERRORIST INCIDENT (IN OR OUTSIDE THE UK) AND EFFORTS BY THE 
UK TO INVESTIGATE TERRORIST INCIDENTS OR TO ASSIST WITH 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS. 
 
-- The UK regularly condemns terrorist attacks, and this 
practice continued in 2003.  The UK condemned the May 2003 Al 
Qaida terrorist attacks in Casablanca and Riyadh and the 
attacks in Iraq against the Jordanian Embassy, the United 
Nations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
The UK also condemned the separate attacks in November on two 
synagogues and the British Consulate and a British bank in 
Istanbul. 
 
-- The UK regularly engages in public diplomacy aimed at 
highlighting the global nature of the threat posed by the 
al-Qaida network and urging other countries to respond 
vigorously to terrorist incidents and threats. 
 
-- UK law enforcement officials have assisted with 
investigations into the 2003 terrorist attacks in Saudi 
Arabia and Morocco, the 2002 attack in Bali, and the 2003 
suicide attacks by British nationals in Israel.  In Israel, 
UK authorities have worked closely with Israeli authorities 
on all aspects of the investigation, and in May 2003, the UK 
charged two UK resident with terrorism-related offences in 
connection with the suicide attack.  Finally, UK law 
enforcement is working closely with Turkish authorities on 
the investigations  into the November 2003 Istanbul bombings. 
 
7. (U) F) DESCRIBE MAJOR COUNTER TERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN 
IN 2003 BY THE UK, INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN INTERNATIONAL 
FORA. 
 
-- The UK actively campaigns in international fora, including 
the EU, NATO, OSCE, G-8, and United Nations, for coordinated 
global efforts to combat terrorism and routinely lobbies UN 
Member States to ratify the twelve international conventions 
and protocol relating to terrorism. 
 
-- The UK actively supported efforts to broaden categories of 
man portable air defense systems under the Waasenaar 
Arrangement in order to ensure that these systems do not fall 
 
into the hands of terrorists. 
 
-- The UK supported the G-8's 2003 initiative to create the 
Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) and is an active CTAG 
participant. 
 
-- In addition, the UK launched a new assistance program in 
2003 aimed at increasing international capacity to counter 
terrorism and other threats in support of UK's bilateral and 
multilateral counter terrorism policy objectives.  The 
program is focused on countries and issues assessed to 
present the greatest threat to the UK interests.  The UK 
anticipates spending approximately 4 million BPS in UK fiscal 
year 2003/04 on projects in three major categories: (1) 
Operational counter terrorism assistance aimed as counter 
terrorism experts in foreign governments, police and 
military; (2) Assistance to support the work of the UN's 
Counter Terrorism Committee, and; (3) Wider capacity building 
initiatives. 
 
8. (U) G) DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT UK SUPPORT FOR 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORISTS OR TERRORIST GROUPS. 
 
-- The UK does not provide support for international 
terrorism, terrorists or terrorist groups. 
 
9. (U) H) HAS THE UK MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF 
A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE? 
 
-- The UK has not made any public statements in support of a 
terrorist-supporting country on a terrorism issue and 
consistently and strongly condemns all acts of and support 
for terrorism. 
 
10. I) DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE 2002, POSITIVE 
OR NEGATIVE, IN THE UK'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM, 
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC. 
 
-- There has been no significant change since 2002.  The UK 
has been and remains one of the United States' strongest 
allies in the fight against terrorism.  Elimination of 
terrorism as a force in international affairs is a primary 
objective of UK foreign policy. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm 
 
 
Johnson