US embassy cable - 91HARARE10989

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 10989 
 
 
STATE FOR S/CT - BREELAND, AF/S, AND INR/IL/RD 
LONDON FOR MCKINLEY 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, KPRP, PREL, IZ, LY, SF, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ZIMBABWE: 1991 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 346420 
 
1.  EMBASSY'S SUBMISSION FOR THE ANNUAL TERRORISM 
REPORT, AS OUTLINED REFTEL, FOLLOWS. 
 
A. PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
2.  THERE WERE NO PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING TERRORISM IN 
1991.  IN OCTOBER, FOUR CONVICTED SABOTEURS BEGAN LEGAL 
ACTION TO SUE THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND A 
TELEVISION PRESENTER OVER INTERVIEWS THEY CLAIM THEY 
WERE FORCED TO GIVE ON SOUTH AFRICA'S DESTABLILIZATION 
CAMPAIGN AGAINST ZIMBABWE.  ATTORNEYS FOR THE 
FOUR--KEVIN WOODS, MICHAEL SMITH, AND PHILLIP CONJWAYO, 
WHO HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR THEIR ROLE IN THE 
BOMBING OF AN AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) RESIDENCE 
IN THE WESTERN CITY OF BULAWAYO IN 1986, AND BARRY 
BAWDEN, WHO WAS JAILED IN THE SAME YEAR FOR HELPING 
SOUTH AFRICAN COMMANDOS RAID ANC OFFICES--LODGED PAPERS 
IN THE HIGH COURT IN HARARE SEEKING AN URGENT INTERDICT 
AGAINST THE INTERVIEWS BEING BROADCAST. 
 
3.  THE AFFIDAVITS SUBMITTED BY THE FOUR MEN CLAIM THEY 
WERE TAKEN SEPARATELY FROM THEIR CELLS AND THRUST UNDER 
TELEVISION LIGHTS AND INTERVIEWED BY JERRY BRICKHILL, A 
VETERAN ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVIST WHO WAS SEVERELY INJURED 
IN A BOMB BLAST IN HARARE IN 1987.  BRICKHILL IS SUING 
THE FOUR INDEPENDENTLY FOR CIVIL DAMAGES, ALLEGING THEY 
WERE INVOLVED IN THE BOMB BLAST THAT WOUNDED HIM.  THE 
FOUR CLAIM THAT IN THEIR AFFIDAVITS THAT WARDERS 
SUGGESTED THEY MIGHT BE RELEASED IF THEY COOPERATED WITH 
BRICKHILL, WHO INTERVIEWED THEM FOR BRITISH TELEVISION. 
THEY ARE SEEKING A COURT ORDER TO HAVE THE TAPES AND 
TRANSCRIPTS OF THE INTERVIEW RETURNED TO THEM, AS WELL 
AS AN INTERDICT PREVENTING ANY FURTHER INVASION OF THEIR 
PRIVACY.  AN AFFIDAVIT FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S 
OFFICE DENIES THAT ANY PRISON REGULATIONS WERE FLOUTED 
DURING THE CONDUCT OF THE INTERVIEWS, BUT LAWYERS 
REPRESENTING MR. BRICKHILL SAY THE FOUR SABOTEURS 
COOPERATED WILLINGLY.  NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR THE 
HEARING. 
 
B. EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS 
--------------------------------------- 
4.  ZIMBABWE NEITHER EXTRADITED NOR REQUESTED 
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN 1991. 
 
C. SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO PROSECUTION AND EXTRADITION 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
5.  THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST 
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. 
HOWEVER, ZIMBABWE DOES NOT HAVE EXTRADITION TREATIES 
WITH MANY NON-COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES. 
 
D. ZIMBABWE'S RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
6.  DURING AND AFTER THE CONFLICT IN THE GULF, THE 
GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE PROVIDED ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL 
TO PROTECT MANY EMBASSIES, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN 
MISSION.  TWO IRAQIS SUSPECTED OF PLOTTING A TERRORIST 
ACT AGAINST THE AMERICAN EMBASSY WERE DEPORTED BY THE 
GOVERNMENT IN JANUARY. 
 
7.  ONLY ONE TERRORIST INCIDENT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN 
ZIMBABWE IN 1991.  A SMALL BOMB EXPLODED INSIDE THE 
HARARE SHERATON HOTEL ON JULY 20, CAUSING EXTENSIVE 
DAMAGE TO THE HOTEL'S FIRST THREE FLOORS, WHICH HOUSE 
RESTAURANTS, CONFERENCE ROOMS, AND SHOPS.  THREE PEOPLE 
WERE INJURED, TREATED AT LOCAL HOSPITALS, AND RELEASED. 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE SUSPECTS THAT SOUTH AFRICAN 
ELEMENTS OR MIDDLE EASTERN GOVERNMENT AGENTS CARRIED OUT 
THE BOMBING.  THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SUSPECTS THAT 
THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. 
 
8.  TWO LIBYANS WERE DEPORTED FROM ZIMBABWE IN 1991. 
ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE IN THE NOVEMBER 3 EDITION OF THE 
HARARE SUNDAY TIMES, THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE DEPORTED 
THE TWO LIBYANS IN AUGUST 1991 FOR "SECURITY REASONS." 
THE MEN--ABDUSSALIM ELGMATT, AN EDITORIAL COORDINATOR OF 
THE WORLD MATHABA MAGAZINE, AND ALI KHALEF, A 
CLERK--WERE DEPORTED ON AUGUST 22.  ELGMATT HAD PLANNED 
TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE, 
INCLUDING PRESIDENT MUGABE, AND LEADERS OF SOUTHERN 
AFRICAN LIBERATION MOVEMENTS.  THE ZIMBABWEAN EMBASSY IN 
TRIPOLI ISSUED THE TWO MEN VISAS.  IN JUNE 1989, THE 
THEN LIBYAN AMBASSADOR, MOHAMMED ISAMADAH, WAS ALSO 
EXPELLED FOR SECURITY REASONS. 
 
E. MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN IN 1991 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
9.  ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO CROSS BORDER ATTACKS IN 1991, 
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THE MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL RESISTANCE 
(MNR OR RENAMO) HAS OPERATED ACROSS THE 
MOZAMBIQUE-ZIMBABWE BORDER, COMMITTING ATROCITIES ON 
BOTH SIDES.  THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE RESPONDED BY 
DEPLOYING TROOPS ALONG THE EASTERN BORDER AND INTO PARTS 
OF MOZAMBIQUE TO COMBAT THE BANDITS.  IN SEPTEMBER 1991, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE AND USAID AGREED TO JOINTLY 
PROGRAM UP TO US$500,000 TO CONSTRUCT RECEPTION CENTERS 
FOR REFUGEES FLEEING THE CONFLICT. 
 
F. ZIMBABWEAN SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
10.  ZIMBABWE DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
HOWEVER, THE PLO IS ACCORDED FULL DIPLOMATIC STATUS WITH 
AN ACCREDITED AMBASSADOR WHO IS THE DEAN OF THE 
DIPLOMATIC CORPS.  THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THE 
SO-CALLED STATE OF PALESTINE. 
 
G. PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM 
-------------------------------------------- 
11.  ALTHOUGH ZIMBABWE HAS GOOD RELATIONS WITH CUBA, 
IRAN, NORTH KOREA, AND THE PLO, IT HAS NOT MADE ANY 
PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING 
COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. 
 
H.  SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
12.  THE GULF WAR HAS LED THE GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE ITS 
ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM AND TERRORIST-SUPPORTING 
STATES OVER THE PAST YEAR.  RELATIONS WITH IRAQ, IN 
PARTICULAR, HAVE COOLED, AS HAVE RELATIONS WITH CUBA AND 
LIBYA. 
 
 
SNIDER