US embassy cable - 01BANJUL854

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000854 
 
DAKAR PASS PRAIA 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
DEPT. FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/11 
TAGS: PTER, PINR, XA, GA 
SUBJECT: GAMBIAN MUSLIMS: MAJORITY IGNORE BIN LADEN 
 
REFS: A) STATE 177569  B) BANJUL 00832  C) BANJUL 00829 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE DAPHNE TITUS FOR REASONS 1.5(C) AND (D). 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: WITH A FEW NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS, 
GAMBIAN MUSLIMS (95% OF THE POPULATION) SUPPORT THE 
U.S. AND ARE UNLIKELY TO HEED THE CALL OF ANTI- 
AMERICAN ISLAMIC RADICALS. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (S) THE MEDIA: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY MEDIA 
OUTLETS WITH A RADICAL ISLAMIC EDITORIAL POLICY. 
THE STATE-OWNED GAMBIA RADIO AND TELEVISION SERVICE 
(GRTS) HAS ARABIC-LANGUAGE AND MUSLIM-ORIENTED 
PROGRAMMING, BUT THE CONTENT IS NEITHER RADICAL NOR 
ANTI-AMERICAN. 
 
3. (S) ISLAMIC PREACHING/ TEACHING: AS POST 
REPORTED IN REFTEL B, A FEW MOSQUES HAVE HOSTED 
PAKISTANI AND SOUTH AFRICAN SPEAKERS, MARAKAS, WHO 
PREACHED ANTI-AMERICAN AND ANTI-WESTERN SERMONS AND 
PLEDGED TO BOMB THE EMBASSY IF THE U.S. TOOK 
MILITARY ACTION AGAINST AFGHANISTAN.  THE MARAKAS 
WERE SEEN AT THE POLICE, BUNDUNG, AND GRAND 
MOSQUES. 
 
4. (S) ISLAMIC PREACHING/TEACHING CONTINUED: AS 
POST ALSO REPORTED IN REFTEL B, THE GOTG'S STATE 
HOUSE IMAM, IMAM FATTY, WAS THE ONE WELL-KNOWN 
MUSLIM IN THE GAMBIA WHO SPOKE OUT PUBLICLY AGAINST 
THE US IN THE MONTH AFTER THE SEPT. 11 TRAGEDY.  HE 
BLAMED US POLICY FOR THE ATTACKS.  HIS COMMENTARY 
WAS IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THAT OF THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE GAMBIA, A DEVOUT MUSLIM WHO TOLD 
CDA AND POLOFF THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION IN ISLAM 
FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST THE U.S. (REFTEL C).  A RIVAL 
IMAM TO IMAM FATTY, IMAM BABA LEIGH, LOST A NEPHEW 
IN THE TRAGEDY AND CONTINUES TO PREACH TOLERANCE 
AND ANTI-TERRORISM MESSAGES. 
 
5. (S) POLITICAL PARTIES: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY 
POLITICAL PARTY IDENTIFIED WITH ISLAMIC RADICALISM 
IN THE GAMBIA. 
 
6. (S) NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS): THE 
ISLAMIC CALL SOCIETY (ICS) IS A LIBYAN-SPONSORED 
ORGANIZATION LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE EMR. 
THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE ICS IS TO TEACH RADICAL 
RIGHT-WING ISLAM TO GAMBIANS.  IT ALSO SENDS GAMBIANS 
FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN LIBYA. 
 
7. (S) FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE 
COMPANIES: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY BANKS, 
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, OR PRIVATE COMPANIES KNOWN 
OR RUMORED TO HAVE TIES WITH RADICAL ISLAM.  IN 
MEETINGS THAT WILL BE REPORTED SEPTEL, THE SECRETARY 
OF STATE FOR FINANCE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL 
BANK OF THE GAMBIA REPORTED THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE 
OF ANY INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WITH FINANCIAL 
ASSETS OR PROPERTY IN THE GAMBIA WHO ARE LINKED TO 
TERRORISTS.  THEY ALSO PROMISED THEY WOULD CONTINUE 
TO AGGRESSIVELY INVESTIGATE ANY SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS 
AND REPORT THEIR FINDINGS TO THE EMBASSY. 
 
8. (S) SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY ABROAD: ICS SENDS 
GAMBIAN YOUTHS TO LIBYA FOR TRAINING IN RELIGION, 
AS WELL AS SPECIAL OPERATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND 
POSSIBLY WEAPONS. LESS RADICAL LOCAL YOUTHS WHO 
WANT TO STUDY DO SO AT LOCAL SCHOOLS AND MOSQUES. 
PROSPECTIVE IMAMS TRAIN UNDER THE CURRENT IMAM AT 
LOCAL SCHOOLS OR MOSQUES. 
 
9. (S) FOREIGN ITINERANTS: POST DOES NOT HAVE ANY 
BIOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE PAKISTANI AND SOUTH AFRICAN 
INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN PARA 3 AND REFTEL B. 
HOWEVER, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE RUMORED TO HAVE LEFT 
THE GAMBIA SHORTLY AFTER POST MENTIONED THEIR 
ACTIVITIES TO POLICE AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES. 
 
10. (S) CONTACT INFORMATION AND RUMORS: ABOUT EIGHT 
MONTHS AGO SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES STOPPED A VESSEL 
ATTEMPTING TO BRING A LARGE VOLUME OF WEAPONS TO 
THE GAMBIA AND ABOUT 10 POSSIBLE MERCENARIES WERE 
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.  AROUND THE SAME TIME, A VESSEL 
FROM IRAN RUMORED TO BE CARRYING WEAPONS OF MASS 
DESTRUCTION DROPPED OFF TWO OR THREE CONTAINERS IN 
THE GAMBIA (CONTENTS UNKNOWN) AND DEPARTED FOR 
SYRIA. 
 
 
TITUS