US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO950

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000950 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DS FOR DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/SA, AND DS/ICI/PII 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2014 
TAGS: ASEC, CE, PTER 
SUBJECT: SOURCE REPORT ON MUSLIM MILITANCY IN SRI LANKA 
 
 
Classified By: RSO Alex Moore, Reason: 1.4(c) 
 
1. (C/NF) On 6/01/04, RSO and RSO/FSNI interviewed former 
Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII) desk officer M.I. 
CADER (Source) at Embassy Colombo (cell phone 0777-598768, 
email - iqbalcader@yahoo.co.in).  Source was a former police 
academy classmate of the RSO/FSNI, is recently retired and 
now working in the private sector.  As a desk officer in DII, 
Source's last assignment was with a Muslim domestic 
intelligence unit.  Recently, RSO and FSNI facilitated Source 
finding employment in the private sector, therefore the 
relationship could be described as cooperative.  Source 
provided the following uncorroborated information on militant 
Muslim organizations and activities in Sri Lanka. 
 
2. (C/NF) Source reported there are four primary Muslim 
groups based in Colombo: Sri Lanka Jamthi Islam, Thauhid 
Jamath, Thableeq Jamath, and Jamathi Muslim. 
 
- Sri Lanka Jamthi Islam is based in Colombo universities and 
funded by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.  Among other 
activities, the group sponsors youths to attend school in 
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen. In many instances, 
these youths then return to Sri Lanka to teach in 
universities. 
 
- Thableeq Jamath has branches in Indonesia, Malaysia, 
Pakistan, India, and the Philippines.  Source believes there 
are foreign Muslim students in Sri Lanka connected to this 
organization. 
 
- Thauhid Jamath was not discussed in detail. 
 
- Jamathi Muslim is a smaller group that is not well 
developed. 
 
3. (C/NF) Source reported that Muslim groups in eastern Sri 
Lanka have been visited by Pakistani organizers, and that 
Muslim youths have attended camps in Sri Lanka with names 
like Jihad, Ossama, Sadam, etc. These camps teach 
self-defense, but are not known to train in use of firearms. 
Source reported that some Sri Lankan Muslims have left Sri 
Lanka to fight in jihads abroad.  Others are sent to Saudi 
Arabia to work or attend college.  One NGO in Sri Lanka that 
helps fund these activities is the Saudi-based World Assembly 
of Muslim Youth (WAMY), headed locally by a Sudanese national 
named Omar Idris DIRAR. 
 
4. (C/NF) Source suggested that the primary reason for Muslim 
militancy in Sri Lanka is to defend Muslims against Tamil 
(LTTE) aggression in the east.  Source outlined that the Sri 
Lankan Muslim Congress, a political party that won a total of 
6 seats in the April Parliamentary elections, is supported by 
the loosely organized Islamic Unity Foundation (IUF).  The 
IUF has about 125 core members and has military, 
intelligence, religious, and political wings.  The political 
wing leader, Mohamed Ameer ALI, was elected to Parliament in 
the April elections under the President's SLMC party.  In 
addition, Source advised the IUF is believed to have weapons 
obtained from a variety of sources, including a substantial 
cache bought/seized from deposed LTTE rebel leader Karuna 
during his recent retreat from the Batticaloa area.  Weapons 
have also reportedly been smuggled in from India.  Source 
believes IUF members have received military training in the 
Kashmir region of India and may have fought there.  Source 
also suggested this group has a connection to Indian 
underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim.  To date, Source does not 
believe Muslim militancy is focused on targeting U.S. 
interests. 
 
5. (C/NF) In the eastern Trincomalee District, Source 
identified three primary groups organized to defend Muslims 
against the LTTE in the region: the Knox group (named after a 
revered Englishman), Ossama group, and Jetty (primarily 
harbor workers).  These groups have the backing of the Sri 
Lanka Muslim Congress. In the eastern Ampara District, Source 
identified the Mujahadeen group, comprising 150 armed 
members, as being stronger even than the Ossama group in 
Trinco. 
 
6. (C/NF) Source indicated that there is a strong connection 
between the Sri Lankan underworld and Muslim militants.  The 
connection is based on human, drug and weapons smuggling 
(many Muslims in the east are fishermen).  Source estimated 
the most effective underworld organization is a Colombo-based 
group in the Maligawatte area.  It is believed this group 
obtained much of the weaponry abandoned by LTTE rebel leader 
Karuna during his retreat in April and in turn sold automatic 
rifles, claymore mines and possibly mortars to militant 
Muslims in the east. 
 
7. (C/NF) Toward the end of the discussion, RSO asked the 
Source about one newly arrived tenant in the low-rent 
commercial office space located directly across the street 
from the U.S. Embassy: the Ministry of Eastern Development 
and Muslim Religious Affairs, headed by newly elected Muslim 
Minister ATHULLA.  Source explained that one of the primary 
missions of this Muslim-based Ministry is to support 
development of Muslims in the east.  The Minister has 
expressed no anti-American sentiment to date, but he is 
believed to have close ties to the underworld Banda Group, a 
criminal gang of 50-60 individuals who provide money and 
protection in the eastern Ampara District.  Source indicated 
the Banda Group has provided protective services to ATHULLA, 
and has reportedly trained the Ossama group in weapons and 
tactics. 
8. (SBU) Finally, Source indicated that DII maintains a list 
of Muslim NGOs operating in Sri Lanka which have 
international links.  At the request of the RSO, the 
following list was emailed by Source: 
 
- World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) 
No. 05, Turner Road, Borella, Colombo 8 
 
- International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) 
No. 6/1, Perera Lane, Galle Road, Dehiwala 
 
- Asian Federation of Muslim Youth (AFMY) 
No. 29/1 Park Avenue, Borella, Colombo 8 
 
- Al Shabab Organization 
No. 18, Grinier Road, Borella, Colombo 8 
 
- Al Eemar Organization 
No. 78/A/1, Barnes Place, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo 7 
 
- Al Islam Foundation, Caldera Place, Galle Road, Dehiwala 
 
- Ahamadiya Jamath Organization 
Baseline Road, Dematagoda 
 
- Jamiyathul Ansari Sunnathul Muhammadiya 
Paragahadeniya, Kurunegala 
 
- Center for Islamic Studies 
No. 15A, Rohini Road, Wellawatte, Colombo 6 
 
- Jamiyathul Ulema 
Orabi Pash Road, Maradana 
 
- Hubbul Avuliya Organization 
Pitchers Lane, Maradana 
 
- Serendib Institute of Research and Development 
P.O. Box 760, Colombo 
 
- Center for Muslim Ethnic Studies 
Ward Place, Colombo 7 
 
9. (C/NF) RSO Comment - The information provided by the 
Source has not been corroborated or authenticated, but the 
reality is Post has very little insight into the veiled world 
of Muslim militancy in eastern Sri Lanka and the information 
provided is just one part of a vast puzzle that makes up the 
cultural/political/religious melting pot of Sri Lanka.  The 
convoluted overlapping layers of political alliances, student 
activists, NGOs, militant groups, and criminal underworld 
associations described by the Source is a good illustration 
of the difficulty we have in assessing the militant Muslim 
threat to American interests in Sri Lanka.  One area of 
present concern is the widespread human smuggling operations 
connected to the Muslim-dominated underworld that includes 
extensive production of fraudulent documents, including false 
U.S. passports and visas.  As just one example, RSO is 
currently working with DS/CR/VF on a Muslim-oriented 
international human smuggling operation that encompasses Sri 
Lanka, India, Cyprus, and the U.S.  The potential for these 
operations to facilitate movement of militant Muslims into 
the U.S. should be of concern.  Most observers agree, 
however, that at present what Muslim militancy exists in Sri 
Lanka is directed toward defending against Tamil (LTTE) 
aggression in the east.  As Tamil-on-Tamil and 
Tamil-on-Muslim violence continues in the form of 
assassinations, extortion, and intimidation, Muslim militancy 
may escalate.  From a national security perspective, the one 
thing the U.S. has working in its favor is that the LTTE 
maintains  pretty tight control over its territory, and it is 
unlikely to permit large-scale Muslim militancy to develop in 
its areas of influence.  Any degree of militant Muslim 
organization in the east would most likely have to take place 
in the government-controlled cleared areas.  Aside from 
occasional short-lived anti-American disturbances, there is 
no current indication that U.S. interests are targeted in Sri 
Lanka.  Embassy Colombo continuously monitors this issue, 
however, and new developments will be reported as they 
emerge. 
LUNSTEAD