US embassy cable - 94PARIS34022

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 34022 
 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, PINR, SU, FR 
SUBJECT:  FRANCE ON SUDAN: SHOW US PROOF OF TERRORIST 
          SUPPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 277307 
 
1.  SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  SUMMARY.  QUAI OFFICIALS STATE THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY 
CONVINCED OF SUDANESE SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM, AND ASK 
FOR FIRMER PROOF OF THE EXISTENCE OF TRAINING CAMPS. 
THEY STRESS THAT THE POVERTY OF SUDAN, IN THEIR VIEW, 
PREVENTS IT FROM BEING A SUPPORTER OF TERRORISM IN THE 
FASHION OF A LIBYA OR AN IRAN.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
SUDANESE TOO POOR TO SUPPORT TERRORISM? 
-------------------------------------- 
 
3.  QUAI DIRECTOR FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICAN 
AFFAIRS BERNADETTE LE FORT AND SUDAN DESKOFF RAJA RABIA 
TOLD VISITING INR TERRORISM ANALYST GINA BENNETT 
DECEMBER 8 THAT THE FRENCH BELIEVE THE SUDANESE LACK 
THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO SUPPORT TERRORISM.  LE FORT 
MENTIONED THAT IN THE PAST, TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE 
TYPICALLY HAD SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT FROM A STATE, SUCH AS 
IRAN OR LIBYA, AND THAT SUDAN QUITE SIMPLY LACKED THE 
SAME SORT OF RESOURCES THAT THOSE COUNTRIES HAVE. 
 
4.  LE FORT SAID THE FRENCH HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE ARE 
UPWARDS OF 23 CAMPS AROUND KHARTOUM.  THEY ALSO 
UNDERSTAND THAT BIN LADEN, A SAUDI STRIPPED OF HIS 
CITIZENSHIP WHO IS STILL A PATRON TO SOME TERRORIST 
GROUPS, HAS A NUMBER OF SO-CALLED FARMS IN SOUTHERN 
SUDAN.  SHE ADDED THAT THE FRENCH DO NOT BELIEVE ANY 
SERIOUS "MILITARY" TRAINING WAS TAKING PLACE IN SUDAN. 
 
 
FRENCH FEEL SUDAN NOT AN "ACTIVE" SUPPORTER OF TERRORISM 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
5.  LE FORT SAID THAT FRANCE WAS CONCERNED BY THE 
"SYMBOLIC MEANING" OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN SUDAN 
TO SUBSAHARAN AFRICA, BUT HAD NO EVIDENCE THAT SUDAN IS 
"ACTIVELY" SUPPORTING TERRORISM.  "WE FOLLOW SOME 
GROUPS CAREFULLY, AND WORRY MORE ABOUT THEIR MORAL 
INFLUENCE MORE THAN THEIR ACTIVE INFLUENCE," SHE SAID. 
SHE OPINED THAT MOST COUNTRIES TERRORISM PROBLEMS ARE 
HOMEGROWN, CITING ALGERIA AS AN EXAMPLE.  SHE ALSO 
MENTIONED SUDAN'S PERMEABLE BORDERS AND SUGGESTED THERE 
MIGHT BE ACTIVITIES WITHIN SUDAN THAT ARE UNKNOWN TO 
ITS GOVERNMENT.  SHE SAID THAT FRANCE NEVERTHELESS 
REMAINS "VERY FIRM" IN ITS DEALINGS WITH THE SUDANESE 
GOVERNMENT.  RABIA MENTIONED SEPARATELY THAT THE GOF 
CONSIDERS TURABI "DANGEROUS", AND THAT FRANCE SHOULD IN 
NO WAY BE CONSIDERED A SUPPORTER OF THE SUDANESE 
GOVERNMENT. 
 
 
FRENCH ASK TO SEE EVIDENCE 
-------------------------- 
 
6.  LE FORT ASKED WHETHER THE USG HAS SPECIFIC EVIDENCE 
OF TRAINING OF HAMAS IN SUDAN, AND WHETHER THE USG 
COULD SHARE CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF THE EXISTENCE OF 
TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS IN SUDAN.  RABIA MENTIONED 
THAT SUCH EVIDENCE WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO 
FRANCE DURING ITS PRESIDENCY OF THE EU. 
 
7.  WE RESPONDED THAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS ANY 
LONGER THE CASE THAT TERRORIST GROUPS NEED A MAJOR 
STATE SPONSOR OR EVEN EASILY IDENTIFIABLE TRAINING 
CAMPS, IN ORDER TO TO CARRY OUT THEIR ACTIVITIES, 
CITING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBERS AS EXAMPLES.  WE 
REITERATED THAT WE VIEWED THE HARBORING OF TERRORISTS 
AND PERMITTING THEM TO TRAIN IN SUDAN AS SUPPORT FOR 
TERRORISM.  WE SAID WE WOULD PASS ON THE FRENCH REQUEST 
TO SEE MORE CONCRETE EVIDENCE. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8.  THIS IS THE FIRST SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WE HAVE 
HAD IN RESPONSE TO OUR DEMARCHE ON TERRORISM IN SUDAN 
(REF).  WE AND THE FRENCH ARE SEEING SOME OF THE SAME 
FACTS (I.E. THE EXISTENCE OF CAMPS AND THE PRESENCE OF 
KNOWN TERRORISTS IN SUDAN), BUT ARE ASCRIBING DIFFERENT 
MEANINGS TO THEM.  THE FRENCH MAY HAVE MORE OF AN 
AGENDA IN SUDAN THAN THEY ARE WILLING TO SHARE WITH 
US.  ONE WELL-INFORMED NON-GOVERNMENT SOURCE SUGGESTS 
FRANCE WANTS TO MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH TURABI ET 
AL., IN THE HOPE OF USING SUDAN TO MODERATE ISLAMISTS 
IN ALGERIA. 
 
 
BOHLEN