US embassy cable - 88ADDISABABA1180

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 01180 
 
S/CT FOR WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, ET 
SUBJECT:  ETHIOPIA:  1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  A) STATE 42318  B) STATE 54781 
 
1.  SINCE THE DAYS OF EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE, 
ETHIOPIA HAS TAKEN A STRONG ANTI-TERRORIST 
STANCE, LARGELY BECAUSE IT BELIEVES ANY SHOW 
OR WEAKNESS TO TERRORISTS WOULD SERVE AS A STIMULUS 
TO THE VARIOUS ARMED INSURGENT GROUPS WITHIN 
ETHIOPIA.  AS A CONSEQUENCE, ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN 
FREE OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST OPERATIONS SINCE 
THE DAYS OF HAILE SELASSIE WHEN SEVERAL HIJACKINGS 
WERE FORCEFULLY REPRESSED. 
 
2.  LIBYA HAS FOUR OFFICERS ACCREDITED 
AT ITS PEOPLE'S BUREAU IN ADDIS ABABA AND 
ITS HEAD IS THE VICE DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC 
CORPS.  LIBYA HAS A JOINT AGRICULTURAL 
PROJECT WITH ETHIOPIA, BUT THE NUMBER OF 
LIBYANS INVOLVED IS UNKNOWN.  ETHIO-LIBYAN 
RELATIONS HAVE BEEN AT A LOW POINT FOR THE 
PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THE LIBYA-ETHIOPIA-PDRY 
TRIPARTITE PACT HAS BEEN  MORIBUND FOR SOME TIME. 
 
3.  THE PLO OPENED ITS ONE-PERSON OFFICE IN 
ETHIOPIA IN 1978  BASED ON ITS OBSERVER 
STATUS AT THE OAU.  THE PLO IS NOT INCLUDED 
IN THE DIPLOMATIC LIST AND DOES NOT ENJOY 
OTHER DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES. 
 
4.  WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE PLO LOST THE HOUSE 
AND CAR PROVIDED BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT 
AFTER THE PLO OFFICE IN PYONGYANG DISTRIBUTED 
A MAP OF ETHIOPIA WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE ERITREA 
AS A PROVINCE.  HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO 
CONFIRM THAT REPORT. 
 
5.  THE BUREAU OF THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE 
LIBERATION OF PALESTINE HAS ALSO MAINTAINED A 
ONE-PERSON OFFICE HERE SINCE 1978.  IT HAS NO 
DIPLOMATIC STATUS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THE 
REPRESENTATIVE IS PROVIDED WITH A HOUSE BY THE 
ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. 
 
CHEEK