US embassy cable - 94ISLAMABAD10894

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 010894 
 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR S/CT FOR REAP, AND SA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, PK 
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN:  1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 286744 
 
1.  REFTEL REQUESTED INFORMATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S 
PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM.  THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO THE QUESTIONS 
IN PARA 3 OF REFTEL. 
 
2.  A.  HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORISTS. 
 
THE GOP IN 1994 ARRESTED SEVERAL DEFENDANTS ACCUSED OF BOMBINGS 
OR OTHER INTERNAL ACTS OF VIOLENCE.  WHILE THE GOP OFTEN 
CLAIMED THAT THE INDIAN EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE WAS 
BEHIND THE ATTACKS AND SOMETIMES LABELS THEM AS INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, THE GOP HAS NOT YET PROVIDED COMPELLING EVIDENCE OF 
INTERNATIONAL LINKS.  WE BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THESE INCIDENTS 
WERE CARRIED OUT BY PAKISTANI SECTARIAN ORGANIZATIONS OR 
CRIMINAL ELEMENTS. 
 
WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROSECUTIONS ON CHARGES OF INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM. 
 
3.  B.  HOST GOVERNMENT EXTRADITIONS OF TERRORISTS. 
 
THE GOP SIGNED AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF 
EGYPT IN 1994.  THE TREATY WAS DIRECTED AT EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC 
MILITANTS LIVING IN THE TRIBAL AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND IN 
AFGHANISTAN WHO ARE WANTED ON CRIMINAL CHARGES IN EGYPT.  THE 
TREATY HAS NOT YET ENTERED INTO FORCE, AND THEREFORE THE GOP 
HAS NOT YET CARRIED OUT ANY EXTRADITIONS. 
 
4.  C.  IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION/EXTRADITION. 
 
THE "TRIBAL AREAS" OF PAKISTAN BORDERING ON AFGHANISTAN ARE NOT 
UNDER THE COMPLETE LEGAL OR PRACTICAL AUTHORITY OF THE GOP.  IT 
IS DIFFICULT FOR GOP AUTHORITIES TO APPREHEND SUSPECTED 
TERRORISTS WHO TAKE REFUGE IN THESE AREAS. 
 
ALTHOUGH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN COOPERATIVE ON 
COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES, PROVINCIAL POLICE HAVE THE PRIMARY 
AUTHORITY FOR INVESTIGATING TERRORIST CASES AND APPREHENDING 
SUSPECTED TERRORISTS.  MANY OF THESE PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS ARE 
NEITHER WELL-TRAINED NOR WELL-MOTIVATED TO CONDUCT VIGOROUS 
ANTI-TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS. 
 
PAKISTANI COUNTERTERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS ARE 
ALSO LIMITED DUE TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. 
 
5.  D.  OTHER HOST GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO TERRORISM 
 
THE GOP HAS COOPERATED FULLY IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF 
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING AND IN TRYING TO APPREHEND ONE 
OF THE SUSPECTED PARTICIPANTS IN THE BOMBING, RAMZI AHMED 
YOUSEF, WHO IS THOUGHT TO BE IN PAKISTAN. 
 
6.  E.  MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS IN 1994 
 
THE GOP, ACTING ON THE REQUEST OF SEVERAL ARAB GOVERNMENTS, 
DURING 1994 REFUSED TO EXTEND THE VISAS OF MANY ARABS WHO HAD 
FOUGHT IN THE AFGHAN WAR AND WHO HAD TAKEN REFUGE IN THE TRIBAL 
AREAS AND PAKISTAN'S NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE.  MANY OF 
THESE ARABS ARE SUSPECTED OF LINKS TO TERRORIST OR OTHER 
QUESTIONABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.  THE GOP 
ALSO CLOSED DOWN SEVERAL ARAB NGO'S IT BELIEVED MAY HAVE BEEN 
USED AS COVER ORGANIZATIONS FOR ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUPS IN THE 
MIDDLE EAST. 
 
7.  F.  SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
 
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSES THE GOP OF PROVIDING TRAINING AND 
MATERIAL SUPPORT TO MILITANTS OPERATING IN INDIAN-HELD JAMMU 
AND KASHMIR AND ELSEWHERE IN INDIA. 
 
GOP OFFICIALS HAVE STATED PUBLICLY THAT, WHILE THE GOP PROVIDES 
DIPLOMATIC, POLITICAL, AND MORAL SUPPORT FOR KASHMIR, IT IS 
FIRMLY AGAINST TERRORISM IN ALL ITS FORMS AND PROVIDES NO 
TRAINING OR MATERIAL SUPPORT FOR KASHMIRI MILITANTS.  THE GOP 
ALSO ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OF SUPPORTING TERRORIST 
ACTS ON PAKISTANI TERRITORY. 
 
8.  G.  PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM. 
 
WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY GOP STATEMENTS DURING 1994 IN SUPPORT OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORIST ACTS, OR COUNTRIES 
SPONSORING TERRORISM.  SEVERAL HIGH GOP OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PM 
BHUTTO, DURING THE YEAR CONDEMNED SPECIFIC ACTS OF TERRORISM 
AND TERRORISM IN GENERAL. 
 
THE GOP CONDEMNED THE KIDNAPPINGS IN JUNE AND OCTOBER 1994 OF 
FOREIGN TOURISTS BY REPUTED KASHMIRI MILITANTS IN INDIAN-HELD 
KASHMIR AND IN NEW DELHI. 
 
9.  H.  SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE 1993. 
 
WE HAVE NOTED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE GOP'S COOPERATION 
AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM DURING 1994. 
 
END OF ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT. 
 
MONJO