US embassy cable - 03ISLAMABAD8950

UNCLAS  ISLAMABAD 008950 
 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PK 
SUBJECT: 2003 TERRORISM REPORT FOR PAKISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 301352 
 
A)  Pakistan continues to be one of the United States' most 
important partners in the Global Coalition against terrorism. 
Pakistan's military, intelligence and law enforcement 
agencies are cooperating closely with the U.S. and other 
nations to identify, interdict and eliminate terrorism at 
home in Pakistan and abroad.  This includes ongoing efforts 
to capture and destroy the remnants of al-Qaida and the 
Taliban that remain in the region.  To date, over 500 
suspected operatives of these groups have been successfully 
apprehended with the cooperation of Pakistani authorities. 
Among those captured in 2003 were Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a 
key figure in the events of September 11, and Waleed bin 
Attash, a prime suspect in the October 2000 attack on the 
U.S.S. Cole. The GOP has also demonstrated its resolve by 
cracking down on previously banned militant organizations 
that had regrouped under new names, freezing their assets and 
detaining their leaders.  Along its historically porous 
border with Afghanistan, Pakistan's military is undertaking 
operations to capture or kill trans-border terrorists.  In 
October 2003, security forces achieved notable success in an 
operation that killed 8 and captured 18 al-Qaida and Taliban 
in the remote tribal area of South Waziristan Agency. 
 
Pursuant to its obligations under U.N. resolutions 1267, 1390 
and 1455 Pakistan continues to work with the U.N. Sanctions 
Committee to freeze the assets of individuals and groups 
identified as terrorist entities. 
 
At the same time, Pakistan faces difficult challenges as it 
does its part in prosecuting the war on terrorism.  The GOP 
has drafted but has yet to submit to Parliament for approval 
anti-money laundering legislation, a critical weapon in the 
terror-fighting arsenal.  Pakistan's beleaguered public 
education system is a source of concern both from a security 
standpoint and in terms of the country's future.  Religious 
schools, offering a limited curriculum and sometimes 
promoting violent ideologies have stepped in to fill the 
vacuum.  Reform and investment are urgently needed to broaden 
curriculum content and revitalize the public education system. 
 
B)  Pakistan's judicial system continues to respond to both 
international and domestic cases of terrorism.  In 2003, 
Pakistan continued to use its Anti-Terrorism Courts (created 
in 1997 to expedite the handling of terrorist cases). 
Following in the wake of the Daniel Pearl kidnap/murder 
convictions in 2002, government prosecutors in April 2003 
obtained convictions for defendants charged with organizing 
the bombing of the US Consulate in Karachi the previous year. 
 Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Hanif both received the death 
penalty while two accomplices were given life sentences for 
their roles in the vehicle bomb attack on the Consulate which 
killed 12 Pakistanis.  In November 2003, the same court 
handed death sentences to three members of the banned 
extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, for planning and 
committing sectarian murders.  Pakistani investigators, as 
demonstrated in the aftermath of the 2002 church attack in 
Islamabad that killed two Embassy family members, have shown 
greater willingness to grant their U.S. counterparts access 
to evidence. 
 
C)  No Pakistani nationals were formally extradited to the 
U.S. under the 1931 Extradition Treaty in 2003.  However, the 
GOP continues to facilitate and has stepped-up the transfer 
of captured terrorists to U.S. custody. 
 
D)  Impediments to the investigation and prosecution of 
suspected terrorists include the lack of centralized 
databases to collect, process and disseminate timely 
information leading to criminal convictions.  Pakistan lacks 
a National Crime Information Center, Department of Motor 
Vehicles, Social Security System or other database systems 
commonly used in developed countries.  Sophisticated law 
enforcement and investigative techniques need greater 
development as well. 
 
Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism have also been 
hampered by its delay in passing key anti-money laundering 
legislation.  In 2002, key anti-money laundering legislation 
- drafted with U.S. assistance - failed to be enacted.  A 
revised version has, however, been approved by the Cabinet 
and is expected to be sent to Parliament.  This legislation 
is an essential tool in broadening the capacity of Pakistani 
authorities to monitor suspicious financial transactions. 
Such legislation will enable law enforcement and financial 
regulatory agencies to develop the necessary resources and 
technical infrastructure to pursue sources of terrorist 
financing. 
 
Despite these hindrances, Pakistan has made a significant 
step forward with the recent implementation of a central 
fingerprint repository system which now includes some 70,000 
10-print cards. Pakistan's progress with respect to 
developing the legal and technical infrastructure required to 
track terrorist financing has been incremental and the USG is 
encouraging it to do more in this area. 
 
The GOP has taken many important steps to bolster its 
terror-fighting capabilities.  However, many of its resources 
are new, untested and will require time to prove their 
effectiveness. 
 
E)  President Musharraf, Prime Minister Jamali and other 
senior Pakistani officials have repeatedly condemned 
terrorism and reaffirmed the government's commitment to 
putting a stop to it both inside Pakistan and abroad.  There 
is an understanding at all levels of the government that it 
is in Pakistan's interest to be a proactive member of the 
global fight against terrorism.  This commitment has been 
manifested in the high-level of cooperation the U.S. has 
received from the GOP in ongoing terrorist investigations in 
the United States and abroad.  With regard to threats on U.S. 
soil, such efforts include providing timely intelligence and 
support to U.S. agencies in identifying and neutralizing 
terrorist cells.  These efforts play an important role in 
helping prevent attacks on American citizens, installations 
and interests.  Pakistan also provides significant assistance 
in the investigation of international terrorism, acting on 
leads provided to its counterterrorism and law enforcement 
agencies by the U.S. and other nations.  In September 2003, 
Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agents raided two 
religious seminaries in Karachi, uncovering a major student 
terrorist cell.  Those arrested included foreign nationals 
from Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma. 
 
Following the November 2003 bombing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 
in which 21 people died, Pakistan's National Assembly 
unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack and 
praising President Musharraf's "courageous and consistent 
support to the war on terrorism." 
 
After the September 11 attacks, Pakistani authorities 
arrested hundreds of suspected extremists and banned five 
militant groups.  However, many of the detainees were later 
quietly released and a number of the organizations resurfaced 
under new names and became active in 2003. 
Jaish-e-Muhammmad, for example, reemerged under the name 
Jamat-ul-Furqan while Lashkar-e-Taiba was reconstituted as 
Jamaat-ul-Dawa.  Both jihadi groups have been associated with 
terrorist activity in Kashmir while others are known to 
promote sectarian violence.  In November 2003, responding to 
increasing alarm over the active reemergence of these and 
other extremist groups, the Musharraf government ordered a 
major crackdown, banning 5 groups: 
 
Jamat-ul-Ansar (formerly Harakat ul-Mujahedin) 
Jamat-ul-Furqan (formerly Jaish-e-Muhammad) 
Hizbu-ul-Tahreer (UK-based) 
Millat-e-Islamia (formerly Sippah-e-Sihaba) 
Tahreek-e-Pakistan (formerly Tehnik-e-Jafria Pakistan) 
 
A sixth group, Jamaat-ul-Dawa was placed on a "watch list." 
As part of its actions, the government closed offices, froze 
assets and detained over 60 individuals.  Although it is too 
early to determine the duration or effectiveness of these 
actions, the USG is encouraged by the GOP's willingness to 
forcefully address the problem. 
 
(F)  In 2003, there has been significant progress in several 
areas of Pakistan's ongoing efforts to enhance its 
terrorist-fighting capabilities both within and beyond its 
borders.  Perhaps the most important development is the 
implementation of the first federal civilian counterterrorism 
force, established within the Federal Investigation Agency 
(FIA). 
 
Special Investigation Group (SIG) 
--------------------------------- 
Established in late 2002 with U.S. financial and technical 
assistance, the Special Investigation Group (SIG) is tasked 
with facilitating a unified investigative response at both 
the national and provincial levels.  The SIG is comprised of 
4 components: intelligence collection, investigations, agency 
liaison and cyber-terrorism.  On October 7, the SIG graduated 
50 officers trained in special counterterrorism techniques. 
Provincial Criminal Investigation Divisions (PCIDs) in all 4 
provinces will create sections to mirror the SIG structure 
and expand its reach to the regional level.  The SIG and its 
constituent parts are expected to be fully operational by 
mid-2004.  The USG and other governments are working closely 
with the GOP to explore more ways to augment Pakistan's 
terror-fighting capabilities, particularly in the areas of 
DNA collection/analysis, post-blast forensics and 
cyber-terrorism. 
 
Crisis Response Team 
-------------------- 
To provide a tactical dimension to Pakistan's 
counterterrorism program, the USG is now training and 
equipping Crisis Response Teams (CRT).  Modeled after SWAT 
teams in the United States, the CRTs are being trained to 
deal with "high risk" encounters with violent criminals and 
terrorists. 
 
Central Fingerprint Repository 
------------------------------- 
Pakistan's first central fingerprint repository is being 
established following Pakistan's conversion to the 
international standard 10-print card.  A key step forward in 
aiding authorities to identify terrorists and other 
criminals, the 10-print card file now holds 70,000 cards. 
Another 10,000 cards will be added by the end of 2003.  The 
next step now underway is to procure and install an Automated 
Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), a highly 
sophisticated data management system that will assist law 
enforcement agencies to rapidly identify suspects.  Funded by 
the USG, the system should be operational in 2004. 
 
PISCES 
------ 
The Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation 
System (PISCES) is now operating at all major international 
airports in Pakistan and an expansion program is underway to 
install the system at all official sea and land entry points 
by the end of 2004.  PISCES technology is helping Pakistan 
identify wanted criminals and terrorists attempting to 
transit its borders at official crossing points.  Pakistani 
authorities report that the system is already yielding 
results. 
 
Border Security Assistance Program 
---------------------------------- 
The USG remains committed to assisting Pakistan in securing 
its borders against trafficking in weapons, drugs, and 
infiltration by terrorists.  Created in 2002, the $73 million 
dollar Border Security Assistance Program provides aircraft, 
surveillance technology, communications equipment, transport 
and training to assist Pakistan in securing its western 
borders with Afghanistan and Iran.  Related assistance 
efforts also provide funding for outpost construction and 
upgrade, training and other commodities.  To date, 183 border 
personnel have been trained in port-of-entry operations and 
small unit tactics.  In the previously inaccessible Federally 
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), $24 million is being 
invested in the construction of 400k of roads.  These roads 
provide critical access to security forces and have the added 
benefit of assisting in the economic advancement of 
historically underdeveloped areas. 
 
G)  While the GOP does not overtly support any international 
terrorist groups, it does provide diplomatic and moral 
support for Kashmiri militant groups, some of whom are linked 
to terrorist acts.  There are indications that infiltration 
across the Line of Control between Pakistani and Indian-held 
Kashmir continue. 
 
H)  Host government's public statements have been uniformly 
supportive of our joint efforts in the war against terror. 
 
I)  President Musharraf said recently that Pakistan is at a 
"critical crossroads," faced with both immense opportunities 
in the world economy yet burdened by continuing threats from 
terrorism, religious extremism and sectarianism.  Measured in 
terms of its public pronouncements and deployment of 
resources to counter these threats, Pakistan's 
commitment-level to the war on the terrorism can best be 
described as steadfast in 2003 
 
 
POWELL