US embassy cable - 00LONDON8980

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LONDON 008980 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, UK 
SUBJECT: UNITED KINGDOM: 2000 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 217248 
 
 
1.  THE UNITED KINGDOM CONTINUED ITS AGGRESSIVE EFFORTS 
AGAINST DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN 2000.  IT 
PASSED A NEW TERRORISM LAW THAT GIVES THE GOVERNMENT EXPANDED 
POWERS TO FIGHT BOTH DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN TERRORISM, AND IT 
CONTINUED ITS CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES TO 
BRING TERRORISTS TO JUSTICE. 
 
A.  RESPONSE OF THE UK JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO ACTS OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND/OR SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC 
TERRORISM DURING 2000:  TWELVE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN CHARGED 
BASED ON THEIR ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN THE FEBRUARY 7 
HIJACKING OF AN AFGHAN ARIANA AIRLINER THAT LANDED AT 
STANSTED AIRPORT.  THE CHARGES INCLUDE HIJACKING, FALSE 
IMPRISONMENT, POSSESSION OF A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO CAUSE 
FEAR OF VIOLENCE, AND POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES.  THEIR TRIAL 
IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 15, 2001.  FOLLOWING A 
U.S.-UK INITIATIVE, THE TRIAL OF TWO LIBYANS CHARGED WITH THE 
BOMBING IN 1988 OF PAN AM 103 OVER LOCKERBIE SCOTLAND BEGAN 
IN MAY 2000 IN A SCOTTISH COURT SITTING IN THE NETHERLANDS. 
THE ACCUSED ARE CHARGED WITH MURDER, BREACH OF THE UK 
AVIATION SECURITY ACT, AND CONSPIRACY.  AT YEAR END, THE 
TRIAL CONTINUES. 
 
IN APRIL, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE UNITED STATES, 
THE GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE CONDUCTED SEARCHES AT TWO 
LOCATIONS IN MANCHESTER IDENTIFIED AS RESIDENCES OF TWO 
INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED HAS HAVING BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH USAMA 
BIN LADEN AND AL-QUEDA.  IN NOVEMBER, TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE 
ARRESTED IN BIRMINGHAM FOR CONSPIRACY TO CAUSE EXPLOSIONS 
UNDER THE PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT.  THE SUBJECTS, MOINUL 
ABEDIN AND FAISAL MUSTAFA, FACE LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN THE UK 
IF CONVICTED. 
 
DURING 2000, HMG CONTINUED ITS INVESTIGATIONS OF TERRORIST 
MURDERS RELATING TO THE TROUBLES IN NORTHERN IRELAND.  THESE 
INCLUDE THE 1998 BOMBING IN OMAGH, WHICH KILLED 29 PERSONS, 
AND THE MARCH, 1999 MURDER OF ROSEMARY NELSON, A DEFENSE 
LAWYER.  OFFICIALS MADE PUBLIC SOME OF THE INFORMATION THEY 
HAVE COLLECTED ON BOTH CASES AND APPEALED FOR WITNESSES TO 
COME FORWARD WITH EVIDENCE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SUSPECTS TO 
BE PROSECUTED. 
 
HMG ALSO PRESSES OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO PROSECUTE SUSPECTED 
TERRORISTS.  IT CONTINUES TO PURSUE THE CASES OF BRITISH AND 
AMERICAN CITIZENS MURDERED IN YEMEN IN 1998 AND THE MURDER OF 
BRITISH CITIZENS IN UGANDA IN 1999.  IT IS WORKING WITH GREEK 
OFFICIALS TO BRING TO JUSTICE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 
MURDER IN ATHENS ON JUNE 8 OF THE BRITISH MILITARY ATTACHE 
BRIGADIER SAUNDERS.  THE 17 NOVEMBER GROUP HAS CLAIMED CREDIT 
FOR THE MURDER.  HMG IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF 
YEMEN TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK ON 
THE BRITISH EMBASSY THERE IN OCTOBER, AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT 
OF SAUDI ARABIA RELATIVE TO THE ATTACKS AND MURDER OF BRITISH 
CITIZENS IN THAT COUNTRY. 
 
B.  UK RECORD OF EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS:  THE UK 
CONTINUES TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE UNITED STATES IN REGARD 
TO THE U.S. REQUEST FOR EXTRADITION OF INDIVIDUALS INDICTED 
IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ON TERRORISM-RELATED 
CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE 1998 EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN 
NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM. KHALED AL-FAWWAZ, IBRAHIM HUSSEIN 
ABDEL HADI EIDAROUS, AND ABEL MOHAMMED ABDUL ALMAGID BARY 
HAVE ALL BEEN FOUND BY UK COURTS TO BE SUBJECT TO EXTRADITION 
TO THE U.S.  THEIR APPEALS TO THIS FINDING ARE CURRENTLY 
BEFORE BRITISH COURTS.  HMG IS ALSO COOPERATING WITH A 
REQUEST BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT SEEKING THE EXTRADITION OF 
RASHID RAMDA, AN ALGERIAN WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH A SERIES 
OF BOMBINGS IN FRANCE. 
 
C.  IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION AND/OR 
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS:  IT IS HMG POLICY TO 
PROSECUTE AND/OR EXTRADITE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS.  HMG PURSUES 
THIS POLICY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON 
HUMAN RIGHTS, THE 1951 CONVENTION ON REFUGEES, AND UK ASYLUM 
LAWS.  UNLIKE U.S. LAW, BRITISH LAW DOES NOT GIVE UK 
AUTHORITIES EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IN TERRORISM CASES. 
 
D.  UK RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION TO TERRORIST 
INCIDENTS:  HMG CONSISTENTLY CONDEMNS ALL ACTS OF TERRORISM 
AND PRESSES OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO DEVELOP STRONG 
COUNTERTERRORIST MEASURES.  UK LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE 
WORKING CLOSELY ON THE GROUND WITH BOTH GREEK AND SAUDI 
OFFICIALS TO ASSIST THE HOST GOVERNMENTS IN THEIR 
INVESTIGATIONS INTO ATTACKS ON BRITISH SUBJECTS OR INTERESTS. 
 HMG CONSULTS WITH AND PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENTS 
THAT ARE PREPARED TO DEVELOP AND PURSUE POLICIES TO FIGHT 
TERRORISM. 
 
E.  MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY HMG IN 2000: 
 
IN JULY, A NEW UK-WIDE TERRORISM ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, 
EXTENDING MECHANISMS AND POWERS THAT HAD BEEN DEVELOPED TO 
DEAL WITH TERRORISM RELATING TO NORTHERN IRELAND TO ALL FORMS 
OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN TERRORISM ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM. 
THE LAW, WHICH COMES INTO FORCE IN FEBRUARY 2001, REPLACES 
THE PREVENTION OF TERRORISM (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) ACT OF 
1989 AND THE NORTHERN IRELAND (EMERGENCY PROVISIONS) ACT OF 
1996 (AMENDED IN 1998). 
 
THE NEW LAW WILL APPLY THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND TO 
ALL FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TERRORISM.  IT WIDENS 
THE DEFINITION OF TERRORISM TO INCLUDE ACTIONS OR THREATS OF 
ACTION THAT ARE DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE THE GOVERNMENT OR 
INTIMIDATE THE PUBLIC TO ADVANCE A POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, OR 
IDEOLOGICAL CAUSE AND THAT INVOLVE SERIOUS VIOLANCE AGAINST A 
PERSON OR SERIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, ENDANGERS A PERSON'S 
LIFE, CREATES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE HEALTH OR SAFETY OF THE 
PUBLIC, OR IS DESIGNED TO SERIOUSLY INTERFERE WITH AN 
ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.  THE ACT GIVES THE POLICE SPECIAL ARREST 
POWERS IN TERRORIST CASES AND ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO 
PROSCRIBE ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH ANY FORM OF 
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND TO PROSECUTE 
INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OR SUPPORT SUCH ORGANIZATIONS 
OR THEIR ACTIVITIES.  THE LAW ENHANCES THE GOVERNMENT'S POWER 
TO SEIZE RESOURCES RELATING TO TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. 
 
A NEW REGULATION OF INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT, WHICH BECAME 
LAW IN JULY 2000, ESTABLISHES ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTERCEPTION 
OF COMMUNICATIONS AND A STATUTORY BASIS FOR THE AUTHORIZATION 
AND USE OF COVERT SURVEILLANCE.  THE ACT GIVES ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICIALS NEEDED LEVERAGE IN DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS OR 
GROUPS SUSPECTED OF BEING INVOLVED IN TERRORIST-RELATED 
ACTIVITIES WHILE SAFEGUARDING THE PUBLIC FROM UNNECESSARY 
INVASIONS OF THEIR PRIVACY.  BRITISH OFFICIALS HAVE INITIATED 
COOPERATIVE EFFORTS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO ASSIST THEM 
IN BRINGING TO JUSTICE INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AND TO DETER ACTS OF TERRORISM. 
 
HMG SIGNED THE UN CONVENTION ON TERRORIST BOMBING ON JANUARY 
10, 2000, THE FIRST DAY THE CONVENTION WAS OPENED FOR 
SIGNING.  IT IS COMMITTED TO RATIFYING THAT CONVENTION AND 
THE CONVENTION ON TERRORIST FINANCING, WHICH WAS SIGNED IN 
1998, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
 
F.  SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORISTS, OR 
TERRORIST GROUPS:  HMG DOES NOT SUPPORT ANY FORM OF TERRORISM 
OR ANY TERRORISTS.  IT ACTIVELY OPPOSES INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST GROUPS.  THE GOVERNMENT 
IS COMMITTED TO PREVENTING THE UK BEING USED AS A BASE FOR 
TERRORISM, INCLUDING AS A SOURCE FOR FUNDING OF TERRORIST 
ACTIVITIES ABROAD.  THE NEW TERRORISM ACT WILL ENHANCE HMG 
AUTHORITIES' ABILITY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. 
 
G.  PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORIST-SUPPORTING 
COUNTRIES ON A TERRORIST ISSUE:  HMG HAS NOT MADE ANY 
STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF U.S.-DESIGNATED STATE SPONSORS OF 
TERRORISM ON TERRORISM-RELATED ISSUES.  IT CONSISTENTLY 
SPEAKS OUT PUBLICLY IN OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM AND USES ITS 
DIALOGUE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THOSE IDENTIFIED AS 
SUPPORTING OR TOLERATING TERRORISM, TO DO THE SAME. 
 
H.  SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE UK'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM 
DURING 2000:  THE UK REMAINS RESOLUTELY OPPOSED TO TERRORISM 
IN ALL FORMS. 
 
I.  U.S COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS AND INITIATIVESS PURSUED IN 
CONJUNCTION WITH HMG:  HMG COOPERATES CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. 
AT ALL LEVELS ON COUNTERTERRORISM POLICIES AND OPERATIONS, 
BOTH BILATERALLY AND THROUGH INTERNATIONAL FORA, INCLUDING 
THE G8 AND THE UN.  THIS COOPERATION INCLUDES REGULAR 
BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS ON POLICY AND OPERATIONAL ISSUES. 
 
WASHINGTON'S CLOSE TIES TO BOTH LONDON AND DUBLIN FACILITATED 
OUR CONTINUING KEY ROLE IN FACILITATING THE PEACE PROCESS IN 
NORTHERN IRELAND.  THE RESULT OF THE CLOSE COOPERATION HAS 
BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN TERRORIST ACTIVITY AND 
CONTINUED PROGRESS TOWARD NORMALIZATION OF POLITICAL, 
POLICING AND SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS AS CALLED FOR IN THE GOOD 
FRIDAY AGREEMENT.  U.S. OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY 
WITH BRITISH AND IRISH COUNTERPARTS TO CONTAIN THE CONTINUED 
TERRORIST THREAT PRESENTED BY DISSIDENT REPUBLICAN AND 
LOYALIST PARAMILITARY GROUPS.  INCIDENTS OR ATTEMPTS DURING 
2000 INCLUDE INTRACOMMUNITY FEUDS AND PUNISHMENT ATTACKS ON 
CIVILIANS AS WELL AS ACTIONS AGAINST POLICE, SECURITY AND 
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND PERSONNEL IN BOTH NORTHERN IRELAND 
AND GREAT BRITAIN.  THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS DETERMINED THE 
REAL IRA, THE CONTINUITY IRA, THE RED HAND DEFENDERS, AND THE 
ORANGE VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT MAINTAINING A TOTAL AND UNEQUIVOCAL 
CEASE-FIRE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT. 
 
IN DECEMBER, HMG JOINED THE U.S. IN VOTING IN THE UNSC FOR 
SANCTIONS TO BE IMPOSED ON THE TALIBAN.  IT HAS SUPPORTED THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF AN EU COUNTERTERRORISM STRATEGY AND ENCOURAGED 
USE OF THE G8 MECHANISM TO INCREASE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
IN COUNTERING TERRORISM. 
 
J.  COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. IN THE INVESTIGATION OR 
PROSECUTION OF ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. 
CITIZENS OR INTERESTS:  COOPERATION BETWEEN THE USG AND HMG 
HAS BEEN INVALUABLE TO THE UNITED STATES IN CONNECTION WITH 
ITS INVESTIGATION INTO USAMA BIN LADEN AND AL-QAEDA 
ORGANIZATION.  HMG CONTINUES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE USG TO 
ENSURE THAT KHALID AL-FAWWAZ, ABDEL MOHAMMED ABDUL ALMADGID 
BARY, AND IBRAHIM EIDAROUS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE BEEN INDICTED IN 
THE U.S. ON TERRORISM-RELATED CHARGES, ARE EXTRADITED TO THE 
U.S.  U.S.-UK COOPERATION HAS BEEN CRUCIAL IN BRINGING TO 
TRIAL THE TWO LIBYANS CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BOMBING 
OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103 IN 1988. 
 
K.  PREVENTION OF TERRORIST ACTS AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS IN THE 
UK:  THE USG AND HMG SHARE INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE TERRORIST 
THREATS AND SPONSOR REGULAR BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS, JOINT 
TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND EXERCISES WHICH FURTHER STRENGTHEN 
COOPERATIVE EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO TERRORIST ACTS 
OR SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM. 
 
2.  EMBASSY LONDON IS ALSO FORWARDING BY FAX SUGGESTED 
REVISIONS TO THE TEXT OF APPENDIX B OF 'PATTERNS OF GLOBAL 
TERRORISM - 1999', WHICH PROVIDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON 
TERRORIST GROUPS, AND LANGUAGE PROVIDED BY HMG REGARDING 
WHETHER CERTAIN OF THOSE GROUPS IN NORTHERN IRELAND ARE 
CONSIDERED TO BE ON CEASEFIRE. 
 
3.  EMBASSY LONDON REQUESTS THAT WE BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY 
TO REVIEW THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE MAIN TEXT AND SECTIONS OF 
THE APPENDICES OF THE 2000 REPORT THAT DEAL WITH THE UK, 
INCLUDING NORTHERN IRELAND, PRIOR TO PUBLICATION OF THE 
REPORT.  WE WILL COORDINATE THIS REVIEW WITH CONSULATE 
GENERAL BELFAST TO ENSURE THAT ALL STATEMENTS AND 
DESCRIPTIONS ARE CURRENT AND ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF 
PUBLICATION. 
 
 
LADER