US embassy cable - 95STATE19130

S E C R E T STATE 019130 
 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:  OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, EFIN, PREL 
SUBJECT:  THE PRESIDENT'S NEW COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE 
 
1.  SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT.  THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE. 

2.  SUMMARY:  ON JANUARY 24, PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNED AN 
EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BLOCK ASSETS IN THE UNITED STATES OF 
TWELVE DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS THAT THREATEN 
TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS.  THE ORDER 
ALSO PROHIBITS FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS WITH THESE 
GROUPS.  THE WHITE HOUSE ALSO ANNOUNCED JANUARY 24 THAT 
THE PRESIDENT WILL SOON SEND TO THE CONGRESS NEW, 
STRENGTHENED, ANTI-TERRORIST LEGISLATION.  THESE 
INITIATIVES , TOGETHER, RESPOND TO A RISING INCIDENCE OF 
TERRORISM AIMED ATTHE PEACE PROCESS, THE PROBLEM OF 
FUNDING OF TERRORIST GROUPS BY DONORS IN THE U.S., AND 
THE CONTINUING THREAT FROM INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM OF 
ALL KINDS, WORLDWIDE.  POSTS ARE ASKED TO BRIEF HOST 
GOVERNMENTS ON THESE U.S. INITIATIVES AND URGE THEM TO 
TAKE SIMILAR STEPS TO BROADEN THEIR COUNTERTERRORISM 
LAWS, INCLUDING, ESPECIALLY, MEASURES AGAINST FUND 
RAISING.  YOU MAY DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS, 
TAILORING THEM TO FIT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR HOST 
GOVERNMENT AND OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.  END SUMMARY. 

--  THE MENACE OF TERRORISM CONTINUES TO THREATEN 
THE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE AROUND 
THE WORLD, AND INTERNATIONAL CONCERN ABOUT TERRORISM IS 
RISING. 

--  TERRORISM IS A PARTICULAR THREAT TO THE MIDDLE 
EAST PEACE PROCESS, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE BOMBING 
ATTACK IN ISRAEL WHICH KILLED AT LEAST 19 ON JANUARY 22, 
AND MANY OTHER RECENT ATTACKS THERE. 

--  OTHER EXAMPLES OF TERRORISM DESIGNED TO DISRUPT 
THE PEACE PROCESS BY ATTACKING THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT, 
INCLUDE ATTACKS ON EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, 
THREATS AGAINST PALESTINIANS, THE MASSACRE AT THE MOSQUE 
IN HEBRON, AND BOMBINGS IN BUENOS AIRES AND LONDON 
AGAINST ISRAELI AND JEWISH TARGETS. 

--  SUCH ATTACKS THREATEN TO DISRUPT A PROCESS OF 
PEACE AND RECONCILIATION TO WHICH ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS 
AND SEVERAL ARAB STATES HAVE MADE AN HISTORIC AND 
COURAGEOUS COMMITMENT. 

THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING TWO IMPORTANT INITIATIVES. 
FIRST, TO STRENGTHEN UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO COUNTER 
THE DANGER OF TERRORISM TO THE PEACE PROCESS, AND 
SECOND, TO COMBAT THE GLOBAL TERRORIST THREAT. 

--------------- 
EXECUTIVE ORDER 
--------------- 

--  ON JANUARY 24, PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCED AN 
EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BLOCK ASSETS IN THE UNITED STATES OF 
TWELVE DESIGNATED MIDDLE EAST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. 
THE ORDER ALSO PROHIBITS TRANSFERS BY U.S. DONORS TO 
THESE ORGANIZATIONS. 

--  THE TWELVE DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ARE: 

--  ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION (ANO) 

--  DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (DFLP) 

--  HIZBALLAH 

--  ISLAMIC GAMA'AT (IG) 

--  ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT (HAMAS) 

--  JIHAD 

--  KACH 

--  KAHANE CHAI 

--  PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD-SHIQAQI FACTION (PIJ) 

--  PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT-ABU ABBAS FACTION (PLF-ABU ABBAS) 

--  POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP) 

--  POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE-GENERAL COMMAND     (PFLP-GC) 

OTHER GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BE DESIGNATED, AS 
NEEDED, IN ADMINISTERING THE EXECUTIVE ORDER. 

--  THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDER IS TO PREVENT FUNDING 
FROM U.S. SOURCES OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WHICH THREATEN 
TO DISRUPT THE PEACE PROCESS. 

--  THE ORDER WILL BAR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN 
CASES WHERE THE RECEIVING ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGE IN 
TERRORISM OR ACT FOR THOSE THAT DO. 

--  (AS APPROPRIATE)  WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM 
OF FOREIGN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THESE TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT IN THE PAST. 

--  (FOR ALL)  SUPPORT BY PRIVATE FOREIGN DONORS TO 
GROUPS WHICH ENGAGE IN TERRORISM AGAINST THE PEACE 
PROCESS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM WHICH REQUIRES ALL 
OF US TO TAKE A COMMON APPROACH. 

--  WE ASK THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT ADOPT SIMILAR LEGAL 
MEASURES TO PREVENT PRIVATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ANY OF 
THESE ORGANIZATIONS, IF YOU HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THEY 
ARE RECEIVING FUNDS, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM DONORS 
IN YOUR COUNTRY. 

--  WE BELIEVE SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE 
EFFORT, ON AN URGENT BASIS, WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE 
SUPPORT THESE GROUPS RECEIVE, AND THUS WEAKEN THEIR 
ABILITY TO CARRY OUT TERRORISTS ACTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO 
IMPROVING THE PROSPECTS FOR ACHIEVING A JUST, LASTING, 
AND COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, A GOAL WE 
ALL SHARE. 
 
-------------- 
NEW LEGISLATION 
--------------- 

--  THE SECOND NEW U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE 
ANNOUNCED JANUARY 24 IS NEW DRAFT LEGISLATION, A 
COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE TO UPGRADE THE ABILITY OF THE U.S. 
TO DETECT TERRORIST ACTS AND PUNISH THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN 
TERRORISM.  THE PRESIDENT WILL SEND THIS TO THE CONGRESS 
SOON. 

--  THIS LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE 
ABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES, APPLYING THE RULE OF LAW, 
TO PREVENT TERRORIST ACTS, IDENTIFY PERPETRATORS, AND 
BRING THEM TO JUSTICE. 

--  THESE TWO INITIATIVES SHOW THE STRONG COMMITMENT 
OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS 
AND TO THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM.  WE HOPE YOUR 
GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER SIMILAR INITIATIVES. 
 
 
CHRISTOPHER