US embassy cable - 94LONDON20091

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 020091 
 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PTER UK 
SUBJECT:  UNITED KINGDOM:  1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 286744 
 
1.   FOLLOWING IS EMBASSY INPUT FOR THE UK PORTION OF 
THE 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT.  RESPONSES ARE KEYED 
TO QUESTIONS POSED IN PARA 3 REFTEL. 
 
2.   PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
AND/OR SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM: 
 
--   HMG CONTINUES ACTIVELY TO PROSECUTE MEMBERS OF THE 
     PROVISIONAL IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY (PIRA) AND ULSTER 
     LOYALIST TERRORIST GROUPS FOR ATTACKS IN NORTHERN 
     IRELAND AND GREAT BRITAIN BEFORE THEIR CEASEFIRES 
     ON SEPTEMBER 1 AND OCTOBER 14 RESPECTIVELY.  WE 
     HAVE NOTED AT LEAST 17 PROSECUTIONS IN ENGLAND IN 
     1994, AS WELL AS AT LEAST 100 IN NORTHERN IRELAND. 
 
--   THREE PROBABLE PKK TERRORISTS WERE CONVICTED IN 
     AUGUST FOR FIREBOMBS IN LONDON IN NOVEMBER 1993. 
 
--   DESPITE INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS, THERE HAVE BEEN 
     NO ARRESTS AS YET FOR THE MARCH SERIES OF PIRA 
     MORTAR BOMBS AT HEATHROW, OR THE BOMBINGS OF THE 
     ISRAELI EMBASSY AND A JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER IN 
     LONDON IN JULY. 
 
3.   EXTRADITIONS AND REQUESTS FOR EXTRADITION: 
 
--   HMG HAS BEEN EXTREMELY COOPERATIVE IN EXTRADITING 
     SUSPECTED TERRORISTS (MOST ASSOCIATED WITH PIRA) TO 
     THE U.S. FOR TRIAL.  FURTHER INFORMATION IS 
     AVAILABLE FROM FBI HQ IN WASHINGTON. 
 
--   HMG ALSO EXTRADITED TWO ENGLISH WOMEN TO FACE TRIAL 
     IN OREGON FOR CONSPIRACY TO MURDER A STATE ATTORNEY 
     IN 1986 IN CONNECTION WITH THE BHAGWAN SRI RAJNEESH 
     COMMUNE, DESPITE INTENSE OPPOSITION FROM BRITISH 
     HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS. 
 
--   HMG CONTINUES TO SEEK EXTRADITION FROM THE U.S. OF 
     FOUR PIRA MEMBERS WHO ESCAPED FROM THE MAZE PRISON 
     IN NORTHERN IRELAND IN 1983.  A COURT IN CALIFORNIA 
     REFUSED EXTRADITION OF THE FIRST OF THESE, JAMES 
     SMYTH, BUT AN APPEAL IS UNDER CONSIDERATION. 
 
--   IN FEBRUARY, THE IRISH HIGH COURT REFUSED TO 
     EXTRADITE JOSEPH MAGEE, WANTED FOR THE 1992 MURDER 
     OF A BRITISH ARMY RECRUITING SERGEANT. 
 
--   PKK LEADER KANI YILMAZ, ARRESTED IN LONDON IN 
     OCTOBER, IS RESISTING EXTRADITION TO GERMANY ON 
     ARSON CHARGES. 
 
4.   SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST GOVERNMENT 
PROSECUTION AND/OR EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: 
 
--   INTIMIDATION OF JUDGES, JURORS AND WITNESSES HAS 
     BEEN A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN NORTHERN IRELAND.  AS 
     A RESULT, TRIALS OF TERRORIST SUSPECTS THERE ARE 
     CONDUCTED WITHOUT JURIES (IN "DIPLOCK COURTS"), AND 
     THE IDENTITY OF WITNESSES MAY BE WITHHELD FROM THE 
     DEFENSE. 
 
--   QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF CONFESSION AND 
     FORENSIC EVIDENCE IN TRIALS OF IRA SUSPECTS IN 
     ENGLAND IN THE 1970'S CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE 
     PROSECUTORS NOT TO BRING CASES TO TRIAL UNLESS THE 
     EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING, AND MAKE JURORS RELUCTANT 
     TO CONVICT.  CURRENT COURT GUIDELINES ENABLE A 
     JUDGE, AT HIS DISCRETION, TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE TO 
     THE DEFENSE OF ALL EVIDENCE CONNECTED WITH THE 
     CASE, WHETHER OR NOT INTENDED FOR PROSECUTION USE. 
     POLICE HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO PROSECUTE CASES IN 
     WHICH INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AND METHODS MIGHT THUS BE 
     COMPROMISED. 
 
--   IN RECENT YEARS, PIRA HAS TRAINED ITS MEMBERS TO 
     REFUSE TO ANSWER ANY POLICE QUESTIONS, THEN SPRING 
     A SURPRISE ALIBI AT TRIAL; THIS HAS RESULTED IN 
     ACQUITTALS BEFORE POLICE WERE ABLE TO REFUTE THE 
     ALIBI.  IN RESPONSE, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PASSED 
     LEGISLATION (IN NORTHERN IRELAND IN 1988, IN GREAT 
     BRITAIN IN 1994) ENABLING A JUDGE TO DIRECT THE 
     JURY THAT IT MAY DRAW AN INFERENCE OF GUILT FROM 
     REFUSAL TO ANSWER REASONABLE QUESTIONS. 
 
--   WIRETAP EVIDENCE IS NOT ADMISSIBLE IN TRIALS IN THE 
     UK, SINCE WIRETAPS DO NOT REQUIRE JUDICIAL REVIEW. 
 
5.   RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION: 
 
--   HMG CONTINUED TO COOPERATE CLOSELY WITH THE USG IN 
     TRYING TO PERSUADE LIBYA TO SURRENDER FOR TRIAL THE 
     TWO SUSPECTS IN THE 1988 BOMBING OF PAN AM 103 AND 
     THE 1989 BOMBING OF UTA 772. 
 
--   BRITISH OFFICIALS COOPERATED WITH U.S. AND 
     ARGENTINE AUTHORITIES IN INVESTIGATING THE BOMBING 
     OF A JEWISH CENTER IN BUENOS AIRES. 
 
--   HMG CONDEMNED PALESTINIAN ATTACKS IN ISRAEL. 
 
--   THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE 
     PROTECTION TO AUTHOR SALMAN RUSHDIE, AND TO DEMAND 
     THAT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT LIFT THE THREAT TO HIS 
     LIFE. 
 
6.   MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS: 
 
--   HMG AND THE IRISH GOVERNMENT COOPERATED IN APPLYING 
     PRESSURE TO PIRA AND LOYALIST TERRORISTS TO ACCEPT 
     THE DECEMBER 1993 DOWNING STREET DECLARATION AND 
     CEASE TERRORISM.  SINCE THE CEASEFIRES, BRITISH 
     OFFICIALS HAVE ENTERED INTO EXPLORATORY DIALOGUE 
     WITH THE PARAMILITARIES, AND SOME RESTRICTIONS ON 
     THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MOVEMENT HAVE BEEN 
     LIFTED. 
 
--   POLICE AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN NORTHERN IRELAND 
     CONTINUED TO CRACK DOWN ON LOYALIST AND REPUBLICAN 
     PROTECTION, FRAUD, SMUGGLING, MONEY-LAUNDERING AND 
     VIDEO PIRATING RACKETS, WHICH CONSTITUTE THE MAIN 
     SOURCES OF INCOME FOR TERRORIST GROUPS. 
 
--   THE UK PARTICIPATES ACTIVELY IN INTERNATIONAL 
     COUNTERTERRORISM FORA, COORDINATING ITS ACTIVITIES 
     CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. AND OTHERS.  IT ALSO PROVIDES 
     COUNTERTERRORISM ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE TO 
     NUMEROUS GOVERNMENTS ON A BILATERAL BASIS. 
 
7.   HOST GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: 
 
--   THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PROVIDES NO SUPPORT FOR ANY 
     INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, AND 
     COOPERATES CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. IN APPLYING 
     PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENTS THAT SUPPORT OR CONDONE 
     TERRORISM. 
 
--   HMG CONTINUES TO RESIST PRESSURE FROM OTHERS IN 
     EUROPE TO RESTORE NORMAL RELATIONS WITH STATE 
     SPONSORS OF TERRORISM.  IT HAS NO MISSION IN 
     BAGHDAD, TRIPOLI OR PYONGYANG, AND ONLY A SKELETON 
     STAFF IN TEHRAN. 
 
--   SEVERAL GROUPS AFFILIATED WITH FOREIGN TERRORIST 
     ORGANIZATIONS MAINTAIN OFFICES IN THE UK, AND ARE 
     PERMITTED TO ENGAGE IN POLITICAL AND FUNDRAISING 
     ACTIVITIES AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT VIOLATE BRITISH 
     LAWS, BUT ARE CLOSELY MONITORED. 
 
8.   STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING 
COUNTRY: 
 
--   HMG HAS MADE NO SUCH STATEMENTS. 
 
9.   SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE 1993 IN THE HOST 
GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM: 
 
--   APART FROM ITS LIMITED DIALOGUE WITH PARTIES 
     AFFILIATED WITH REPUBLICAN AND LOYALIST 
     PARAMILITARY GROUPS SINCE THEIR CEASEFIRES, THERE 
     HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN HMG'S ADAMANT OPPOSITION TO 
     TERRORISM IN ALL FORMS. 
 
 
CROWE