US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO1720

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001720 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, DS/DSS/ITA, S/CT; 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD; LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  09-16-12 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, EAIR, ASEC, MV, IN, SE 
SUBJECT:  Incident remains very murky, but hijack 
attempt near Maldives may have had an Islamic connection 
 
Refs:  (A) USDAO Colombo Ce IIR 6 816 0113 02 
-      (B) USDAO Colombo Ce IIR 6 816 0111 02 
-      (C) Port Louis 1059 
-      (D) Port Louis 1055 
-      (E) USDAO Colombo Ce IIR 6 816 0110 02 
-      (F) Colombo 1662, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires. 
Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Amid many conflicting, convoluted 
reports, Mission has received tentative information that 
the attempted hijacking of an Air Seychelles flight near 
the Maldives last week may have had an Islamic 
connection.  Information is very sketchy, but DAO has 
learned that of the ten men now in detention in the 
Maldives one may be a Bangladeshi national and some of 
the rest Muslims from the Indian state of Gujarat 
(Mission has received late word that some of these men 
have been released).  Given the timeframe of the 
incident (just before the 9/11 anniversary), this latest 
information is possibly indicative of some sort of 
Islamic extremist plot, although it is not conclusive in 
any way.  A/RSO, previously scheduled to travel to the 
Maldives on September 17, will coordinate with Maldivian 
authorities in an attempt to gather definitive 
information about this murky incident.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Mission continues to pick up conflicting and 
convoluted reports about the September 9 attempt to 
hijack an Air Seychelles flight near the Maldives. 
Initial reports indicated that the attempt was carried 
out by an apparently unstable individual, an Indian 
national armed with a knife, who was apprehended by 
cabin personnel when he attempted to break into the 
cockpit.  Subsequent reports indicated that the 
Maldivian authorities were holding ten of the plane's 
passengers for investigation, all apparently Indians 
with Hindu names (see Para three).  Per Ref A, DAO 
sources now state that of the ten men being detained in 
the incident at least one may be a Bangladeshi national 
and at least some of the others Muslims from the Indian 
state of Gujarat.  This is the first information that 
Mission has received indicating that the incident may 
have had any Islamic connection.  According to DAO 
sources, there is also new information that those 
detained may have wanted to take the aircraft to an 
unknown destination in the Middle East.  (Note:  Late 
September 16, Mission heard that nine of the ten men 
detained were released.) 
 
3.  (C) The latest information that at least some of 
those detained may possibly be Muslims contradicts 
earlier reports that made out the alleged perpetrators 
to be Indian nationals who were apparently Hindus based 
on the names in their passports.  Sources now report 
that the passports of those detained may have have been 
forged, perhaps in Nairobi, Kenya.  (Note:  Ref B 
contains a list of the purported names of those 
detained.  Initial Washington checks have turned up no 
information on these names.) 
 
4.  (C) Despite the new information, there is still no 
indication on whether the attempted hijacking involved a 
political motivation, such as Islamic extremism.  For 
their part, the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and the Maldivian National Security Service have told 
Mission that they do not (repeat not) believe that the 
attempted hijacking had an Islamic extremist motivation. 
They note, however, that their investigation into the 
case is continuing.  Mission understands that the Indian 
government is also looking into what transpired.  (Note: 
The Indian High Commission has confirmed that Prime 
Minister Vajpayee plans to travel to the Maldives at 
some point in the next week on a long-planned visit.) 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  Given the constant swirl of 
conflicting reports, the whole incident seems murky at 
best.  The latest information that the alleged 
perpetrators of the attempted hijacking may be Muslims 
is very tentative, but it raises the troubling question 
of whether the incident involved some sort of Islamic 
extremist plot.  It should not be overlooked, for 
example, that the incident took place on September 9, 
just before the one-year anniversary of 9/11.  (Note: 
According to press reports, three men carrying knives 
were also detained by Indian authorities on September 9 
for attempting to board a flight to Riyadh at Bombay's 
international airport.)  The possibility that the 
incident also involved passports forged so as to make 
the bearer out to be a non-Muslim is also interesting 
from a modus operandi standpoint. 
 
6.  (SBU) In an attempt to gather definitive 
information,  A/RSO, previously scheduled to travel to 
the Maldives on September 17, will coordinate with 
Maldivian authorities about this murky incident.  End 
Comment. 
 
7.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
AMSELEM