US embassy cable - 05SOFIA1681

S E C R E T  SOFIA 001681 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR R, P, AND EUR/NCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KDEM, KPAO, KMPI, EAID, BU 
SUBJECT: COMBATING EXTREMISM IN BULGARIA 
 
REF: A. STATE 159129 
     B. SOFIA 1504 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John R. Beyrle, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY:  Bulgaria,s Muslim minority has been a 
target for recruitment by foreign extremist groups since the 
early 1990s, and local media have reported sensational 
accounts of purported radical Islamic activity.  Despite 
these reports, the vast majority of Bulgaria,s roughly 13 
percent Muslim minority remains moderate or non-religious. 
GoB officials treat the threat of extremism as a high 
priority and closely cooperate with the USG on security 
issues.  The U.S. Mission seeks to combat extremism through 
programs that enhance the GoB's anti-terror capabilities 
while addressing unemployment, education, and social 
marginalization among Bulgaria,s minority communities. 
Septel will provide an overview of the Islamic community in 
Bulgaria, Islamic institutions, and Islamic extremism. END 
SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) In addition to Islamic extremism, Bulgaria has 
recently witnessed the rise of a new extremist threat from 
right-wing nationalists.  This year's parliamentary elections 
saw a xenophobic, anti-U.S., anti-EU party known as "Ataka" 
("Attack") garner 8.75 percent of the vote.  While "Ataka" 
members do not directly advocate violence, they have 
contributed to an increase in ethnic tension that has 
manifested itself in several violent incidents between ethnic 
Bulgarians and Roma.  The USG maintains a "no contact" policy 
with Ataka and continuously monitors political events and 
incidents of hate speech.  Reftel B discusses "Ataka" and 
Bulgaria's Roma community.  There have been no reports of 
extremist activity linked to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church or 
other communities in Bulgaria. 
 
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Security Cooperation 
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10. (S/NF) Bulgaria's National Security Service extensively 
monitors suspected extremists within the country, with 
particular attention paid to expatriate communities of Arabs, 
Chechens, and Kurds.  In previous years, the GoB pursued an 
aggressive policy of deporting suspected radicals; however, 
that process has been halted following a 2001 judgment by the 
European Court of Human Rights which held that Bulgaria had 
violated the human rights of the deportees.  All sections of 
Embassy Sofia report excellent anti-terrorism cooperation 
from Bulgarian counterparts; however, corruption weakens the 
overall effectiveness of Bulgarian efforts.  To date there 
has been no evidence of links between extremists and 
Bulgaria,s well-developed organized crime groups, but the 
potential for ad hoc cooperation in, for example, procurement 
of weapons or explosives remains a threat. 
 
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Embassy Programs 
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11. (C) Combating extremism is a mission-wide priority for 
Embassy Sofia.  The Political/Economic section monitors 
ethnic and religious politics and conducts outreach to the 
Grand Mufti's office, leaders of the Movement for Rights and 
Freedoms (the principal political party representing the 
Turkish minority), and members of the NGO and academic 
community who follow Muslim issues.  Recently, an Embassy 
political/economic officer met with local imams and ethnic 
affairs specialists in Turkish, Roma, and Pomak (ethnic 
Bulgarian Muslim) areas to gain a firsthand understanding of 
minority issues, including the threat of extremism.  The 
section also monitors the GoB's progress in combating 
terrorist finance and has nominated candidates for the 
November DOJ/OSCE Conference on Combating Terrorist Financing 
in Vienna. 
 
12. (C) The Regional Security Office works closely with GoB 
partners to build capacity and bolster the Bulgarian 
services' capability to respond to the threat of extremism. 
RSO facilitates anti-terror training for members of the 
Bulgarian security services at the International Law 
Enforcement Academy in Budapest.  Through the Export Control 
and Border Security (EXBS) program, RSO also provides more 
detailed training on issues such as weapons of mass 
destruction to over 200 trainees per year from agencies such 
as the Bulgarian Border Police, the Customs Service, the 
Prosecutor's office, and the National Police. 
 
13. (U) Significant anti-terror cooperation is also 
coordinated through the Office of Defense Cooperation.  ODC 
allocates over $200,000 annually to anti-terrorism training 
 
for Bulgarian military and civilian specialists from a 
variety of ministries.  This training takes place in-country 
and at regional conferences, and also includes two fully 
funded slots for long-term anti-terrorism training at the 
National Defense University.  Funding to date has relied on 
discretionary grants from DOD's European Command, but in FY 
2006, ODC expects that a separate line item will guarantee 
approximately $150,000 in funding for anti-terrorism 
training.  Through its humanitarian assistance programs and 
excess property donations, ODC provides roughly approximately 
$500,000 in annual assistance to Bulgarian communities. 
Roughly 15% of these funds are earmarked for minority 
communities in an attempt to match the ethnic balance of the 
country. 
 
14. (U) The Public Affairs Section is active in reaching out 
to the Muslim minority in Bulgaria: 
 
-In February 2005, PAS sent a female Pomak candidate on a 
"European Young Muslim Leaders" International Visitor 
Leadership Program.  The candidate, a former youth leader in 
the majority-Muslim Movement for Rights and Freedoms 
political party, has returned to Bulgaria to work in the 
National Association of Municipalities. 
 
-In October 2005, PAS is organizing a two-week workshop that 
will send six Bulgarian journalists covering ethnic and 
religious minority issues to the U.S. to study how American 
media report on ethnic issues and the use of hate speech by 
political leaders. 
 
-For FY 2006 Post has approved a Single Country International 
Visitor Project that will provide tools for professional 
development of civil rights advocates.  The participants, 
nominated by local Peace Corps staff, include Muslims and 
representatives of NGOs that work in majority minority areas. 
 
-Embassy outreach to the Muslim community includes the 
"Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation".  Through this 
fund, PAS is assisting in the restoration of the 17th century 
Kurshum Mosque, one of the most historically significant 
Ottoman-era mosques in Bulgaria. 
 
-PAS arranged for a SEED-funded U.S. speaker on the occasion 
of the 30th anniversary of Sofia University's Department of 
Middle Eastern and Oriental Studies.  Dale Eickelman, an 
expert on Islam and Islamic politics at Dartmouth University, 
also met individually with representatives of Bulgaria's 
Muslim community and spoke at an NGO workshop on the subject 
of "Islam and the Public Sphere". 
 
15. (U) Through the SEED-funded Democracy Commission Small 
Grants Program, PAS has coordinated several additional 
programs aimed at improving opportunities for ethnic and 
religious minorities, promoting tolerance, and attacking the 
causes of extremism. 
 
-"The Muslim Community in Bulgaria: Facing the Global 
Challenges" seeks to explore the Muslim community's reaction 
to world events since September 11th through focus groups, 
press analysis, and programs to encourage public debate. 
 
-The "Possible Dialogues on Belief" project, implemented 
through the International Center for Minority Studies and 
Intercultural Relations, will produce a documentary film 
promoting dialogue between Muslim and Christian communities 
in Bulgaria. 
 
-Numerous projects focus on improving educational 
opportunities in Muslim and Roma communities.  One Democracy 
Commission project in the city of Veliko Turnovo works to 
keep minority children in school by improving their Bulgarian 
language skills.  Programs in Pleven and Silstra promote 
ethnic desegregation of extracurricular activities and 
education in tolerance, democracy, and civic values. 
 
-In advance of Bulgaria's July, 2005 parliamentary elections, 
Democracy Commission grants promoted political participation 
and electoral outreach among marginalized urban Roma 
populations in Sofia and Sliven. 
 
16. (U) USAID works extensively to promote ethnic integration 
and tolerance through its relationship with Partners Bulgaria 
Foundation.  This project, currently in its fifth year, 
incorporates a multi-faceted approach to ethnic integration. 
Initiatives include promotion of employment opportunities, 
community planning, and the establishment of leadership 
institutes and conciliation commissions in towns throughout 
Bulgaria. 
 
17. (S) COMMENT: The U.S. Mission in Bulgaria continues to 
 
seek out opportunities to combat extremism of all forms.  We 
believe the limited extremism present in Bulgaria is largely 
fed by the lack of economic opportunity.  Many in Bulgaria 
are frustrated by the country's prolonged transitional phase. 
 Populist, nationalist, and xenophobic opportunists attempt 
to play on this frustration.  We believe that programs 
addressing Bulgaria's overall economic development are the 
most effective tools in countering extremism stemming from 
this phenomenon.  In addition, support of moderate religious 
and ethnic leaders/institutions and continuous public 
diplomacy emphasis on tolerance, diversity, and equal 
opportunity are essential. END COMMENT 
BEYRLE