US embassy cable - 92STATE146571

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 146571 
 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, PREL, RS 
SUBJECT:  RUSSIAN INTEREST IN COUNTER-TERRORISM 
COOPERATION 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  SUMMARY: RUSSIAN EMBASSY COUNSELLOR EDWARD MALAYAN, 
ACCOMPANIED BY SECOND SECRETARY BUGAYEV, CALLED ON S/CT 
DIRECTOR FOR REGIONAL AFFAIRS JON GREENWALD MAY 6 TO 
PICK UP COPY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S JUST ISSUED REPORT 
"PATTERNS OF TERRORISM 1991."   HE CONFIRMED RUSSIAN 
INTEREST IN RESUMING THE DIALOGUE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM 
COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. THAT HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED WITH 
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE SOVIET UNION.  GREENWALD SAID THE 
U.S. WOULD WELCOME THIS AT A TIME WHEN THE RUSSIAN 
GOVERNMENT WAS READY TO PROCEED SINCE THERE WERE 
PRACTICAL ISSUES WHICH IT COULD BENEFIT BOTH SIDES TO 
DISCUSS. END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  GREENWALD SAID THAT THE NEW REPORT PRESENTED A MIXED 
PICTURE.  THERE HAD BEEN POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS DURING 
THE YEAR, INCLUDING THE EXCELLENT INTERNATIONAL 
COOPERATION AGAINST IRAQI TERRORISM CAPABILITIES AT THE 
TIME OF THE GULF WAR AND THE BEGINNING OF THE UNITED 
NATIONS' EFFORT TO ACHIEVE JUSTICE IN THE PAN AM AND UTA 
BOMBINGS AND END LIBYAN SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISM.  IT 
WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE REPORT, HOWEVER. THAT TERRORISM 
REMAINED A SERIOUS CONCERN AND A HIGH USG PRIORITY. 
 
4.  MALAYAN ASKED ABOUT PROSPECTS FOR LIBYAN COMPLIANCE 
WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND SAID THE 
DECISION TO REMOVE RUSSIAN MILITARY ADVISERS HAD BEEN 
PAINFUL FOR MOSCOW SINCE IT FORFEITED HARD CURRENCY. 
GREENWALD SAID SANCTIONS WERE GENERALLY BEING ADHERED TO 
VERY WELL, WITH SOME ROOM FOR QUESTION ON THE 
APPROPRIATE STANDARD FOR "SIGNIFICANT" REDUCTION OF 
LIBYAN DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE.  THE UNSC WOULD REVIEW THE 
COMPLIANCE REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY MEMBER STATES BY 
MAY 15.  IT WAS TOO EARLY TO KNOW WHETHER THE SANCTIONS 
WOULD PRODUCE THE DESIRED EFFECT ON LIBYA, HE SAID, BUT 
THE TIGHTER THEIR APPLICATION, THE BETTER THE CHANCE. 
THE U.S. KNEW HOW DIFFICULT THE MILITARY ADVISER 
DECISION HAD BEEN, HE SAID, AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED THE 
RUSSIAN POSITION. 
 
5.  IN RESPONSE TO MALAYAN'S QUESTION, GREENWALD SAID 
THE RECENT TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY QUESTIONING THE 
GOVERNMENT'S VERSION OF THE PAN AM BOMBING WAS BASED ON 
OLD REPORTS THAT HAD BEEN THOROUGHLY CHECKED OUT AT THE 
TIME AND WERE CONSIDERED GROUNDLESS.  MALAYAN SAID "WE 
LOOKED INTO THEM AND REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION." 
 
6.  THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WAS STILL IN SOME FLUX WITH 
RESPECT TO RESPONSIBILITY FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM, MALAYAN 
SAID.  HE EXECTED THE LEGAL ADVISER TO RETAIN THE 
PRIMARY ROLE ON THE MFA SIDE.  IAKOVLEV, WHO HAD 
CONDUCTED THE INITIAL BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS FOR THE 
SOVIET UNION WITH AMBASSADOR BUSBY IN 1990-1991, 
HOWEVER, HAD BEEN REMOVED IN DECEMBER.  HIS "YOUNG" 
REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT TO BE TRANSFERED AS AMBASSADOR TO 
THE NETHERLANDS, AND IT WAS UNCLEAR WHO WOULD TAKE 
OVER.  WE WOULD FIND, HE ADDED, THAT MOST OF THE KGB 
SPECIALISTS WITH WHOM WE HAD DEALT IN THOSE SESSIONS 
CONTINUED TO OCCUPY SIMILAR POSITIONS IN THE NEW RUSSIAN 
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. 
 
7.  THE U.S. WAS INTERESTED IN TAKING UP THIS IMPORTANT 
DIALOGUE WHEN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WAS READY, 
GREENWALD SAID.  A U.S. DELEGATION WAS IN MOSCOW THIS 
WEEK FOR THE EXPERT LEVEL TALKS CALLED FOR UNDER THE 
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON AIRCRAFT HIJACKING 
PROCEDURES, BUT WE WISHED TO PURSUE ALSO THE BROADER 
THEMES THAT HAD BEGUN TO BE DISCUSSED PRODUCTIVELY WITH 
THE SOVIET UNION. 
 
8.  MALAYAN SAID THAT THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AGREED IT 
WAS IMPORTANT TO RESUME THIS DIALOGUE.  IN ADDITION TO 
ISSUES SUCH AS LIBYA, HE SAID, THE SITUATION IN PARTS OF 
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION GAVE RISE TO TERRORISM 
CONCERNS.  RUSSIA CONTINUED TO WORRY ABOUT NUCLEAR 
TERRORISM, WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED BY THE SOVIET 
DELEGATION IN EARLIER CONSULTATIONS AND HAD ACQUIRED 
MORE URGENCY WITH THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION. 
THERE HAD EVEN BEEN SUCH A THREAT AT ONE POINT BY 
CHECHENS IN THEIR DISPUTE WITH MOSCOW, HE NOTED. 
 
 
BAKER