US embassy cable - 95ISLAMABAD10938

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 010938 
 
 
S/CT FOR REAP/COLLINS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, PK 
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN:  1995 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 245276 
 
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. 
 
IN NOVEMBER 1995, A KARACHI COURT CONVICTED 13 MEMBERS OF AN 
EXTREMIST SUNNI MUSLIM GROUP AND SENTENCED THEM TO DEATH FOR 
ATTACKS ON TWO SHIA MOSQUES IN KARACHI IN EARLY 1995.  WE ARE 
UNAWARE OF ANY PROSECUTIONS IN PAKISTAN IN 1995 ON CHARGES OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
 
3. B.  HOST GOVERNMENT EXTRADITIONS OF TERRORISTS. 
 
THE GOP ACTED SWIFTLY AND IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE USG IN 
FEBRUARY 1995 TO EXTRADITE TO THE U.S. SUSPECTED WORLD TRADE 
CENTER BOMBER RAMZI AHMAD YOUSEF.  INTERIOR MINISTER NASERULLAH 
BABAR HAS SAID PUBLICLY THAT PAKISTAN HAS EXTRADITED TEN 
SUSPECTED EGYPTIAN TERRORISTS TO EGYPT. 
 
4. C.  IMPEDIMENTS TO EXTRADITION/PROSECUTION OF TERRORISTS. 
 
THE "TRIBAL AREAS" OF PAKISTAN BORDERING ON AFGHANISTAN DO NOT 
FALL UNDER THE WRIT OF PAKISTANI LAW AND ARE NOT UNDER THE 
CONTROL OF THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT.  IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT 
FOR THE GOP TO APPREHEND SUSPECTED TERRORISTS WHO TAKE REFUGE 
IN THESE REMOTE, MOUNTAINOUS AREAS. 
 
ALTHOUGH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN COOPERATIVE ON 
COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES, MANY POLICE OFFICIALS WITH PRIMARY 
AUTHORITY FOR INVESTIGATING TERRORIST CASES AND APPREHENDING 
SUSPECTED TERRORISTS ARE NEITHER WELL-TRAINED NOR 
WELL-MOTIVATED TO CONDUCT ANTI-TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND 
OPERATIONS.  PAKISTANI COUNTERTERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND 
OPERATIONS ARE ALSO LIMITED DUE TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. 
 
INFLUENTIAL ISLAMIC POLITICAL PARTIES PUBLICLY OPPOSE GOP 
COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. AND OTHER COUNTRIES AGAINST 
TERRORISM, TERMING SUCH COOPERATION AN OPERATION AGAINST ISLAM. 
 
5. D.  RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION. 
 
THE GOP HAS COOPERATED IN THE ONGOING USG INVESTIGATION OF THE 
MARCH 8, 1995 MURDER IN KARACHI OF TWO AMERICAN EMPLOYEES OF 
THE CONSULATE GENERAL, AND ACCEPTED U.S. ASSISTANCE IN THE 
INVEQEMBER 19, 1995, BOMBING OF THE EGYPTIAN 
EMBASSY IN ISLAMABAD.  THE GOP GRANTED A WAIVER OF SPECIALITY 
FOR ADDITIONAL CHARGES TO BE BROUGHT AGAINST RAMZI AHMAD YOUSEF 
FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN PLOTS TO BLOW UP AIRCRAFT IN ASIA. 
 
6. E.  CT EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN IN 1995. 
 
DURING HER TRIP TO WASHINGTON IN APRIL 1995, PRIME MINISTER 
BENAZIR BHUTTO OFFERED PAKISTAN'S FULL COOPERATION AGAINST 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.  INTERIOR MINISTER BABAR HAS 
SUBSEQUENTLY REITERATED THAT PLEDGE OF COOPERATION.  DURING 
1995, GOP OFFICIALS CLAIMED THAT THE GOP CLOSED DOWN SOME 
PAKISTANI OFFICES OF KASHMIRI MILITANT GROUPS. 
 
7. F.  SIGNIFICANT 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 AND PROVIDES NO TRAINING OR MATERIAL 
SUPPORT FOR KASHMIRI MILITANTS.  HOWEVER, ANTI-INDIAN MILITANT 
GROUPS OPERATE FREELY IN PAKISTAN AND ARE PERMITTED TO RAISE 
FUNDS AND RECRUIT NEW CADRE.  THIS POLICY CREATES FERTILE 
GROUND FOR THE OPERATIONS OF OTHER MILITANT AND TERRORIST 
GROUPS IN PAKISTAN. 
 
THE GOP ALSO ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OF SUPPORTING 
TERRORIST ACTS ON PAKISTANI TERRITORY, PARTICULARLY IN KARACHI. 
 
8. G.  PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM. 
 
WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY GOP STATEMENTS DURING 1995 IN SUPPORT OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM OR TERRORIST ACTS.  SEVERAL HIGH GOP 
OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER BENAZIR BHUTTO AND 
PRESIDENT FAROOQ LEGHARI, DURING THE YEAR CONDEMNED TERRORISM 
IN GENERAL AND SPECIFIC ACTS OF TERRORISM, INCLUDING THE MURDER 
OF TWO U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL EMPLOYEES IN KARACHI, THE 
KIDNAPPING OF FOREIGN TOURISTS IN INDIAN-HELD KASHMIR AND THE 
MURDER OF ONE HOSTAGE, THE ASSASSINATION OF ISRAELI PRIME 
MINISTER RABIN, THE BOMBING OF THE OPM/SANG OFFICE IN RIYADH, 
AND THE BOMBING OF THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY IN ISLAMABAD. 
 
9. H.  SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE 1994. 
 
THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN GOP COUNTERTERRORISM 
POLICY IN 1995, ALTHOUGH GOP OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED AN 
INCREASED WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE WITH THE U.S. AND OTHER 
COUNTRIES AGAINST TERRORISM.  THE BROWN AMENDMENT, IF/WHEN 
SIGNED INTO LAW, WILL PERMIT EXPANDED U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM 
ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN AND MAKE COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION 
EASIER. 
 
END OF ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
 
HOLZMAN