US embassy cable - 96HARARE11539

UNCLAS HARARE 011539 
 
 
FOR S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O, 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, ZI 
SUBJECT:  ZIMBABWE:  1996 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  A) STATE 245276 
 
1.  FORMAT PER REFTEL: 
 
(A) PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
AND/OR SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM: 
 
THERE WERE NO ACTS OF POLITICALLY MOTIVATED 
VIOLENCE IN ZIMBABWE IN 1996: 
 
(B) EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: 
 
THERE WERE NO CASES INVOLVING EXTRADITION OF 
SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN ZIMBABWE IN 1996. 
 
(C) IMPEDIMENTS TO PROSECUTION OR EXTRADITION OF 
SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: 
 
AS REPORTED IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE CURRENT ABSENCE 
OF AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE US IS THE ONLY 
IDENTIFIABLE IMPEDIMENT TO PROSECUTION OR 
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS.  HOWEVER, 
FUNCTIONING (THOUGH UNRATIFIED) BORDER REPATRIATION 
ARRANGEMENTS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS AND OUR CONTINUING 
NEGOTIATIONS WITH ZIMBABWE ON AN EXTRADITION TREATY 
INDICATE ZIMBABWE WOULD ACT RESPONSIBLY IN A CASE 
INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
 
D. HOST COUNTRY RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION: 
E. MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS IN 1996: 
 
ZIMBABWE UNDERTOOK NO MAJOR COUNTERTERRORIST 
EFFORTS THIS YEAR. 
 
F. SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: 
 
THOUGH ZIMBABWE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC 
RELATIONS WITH THE SEVEN COUNTRIES IDENTIFIED AS 
SPONSORING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM (CUBA, LIBYA, 
NORTH KOREA, IRAN AND SUDAN MAINTAIN MISSIONS IN 
HARARE), THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THE GOVERNMENT OF 
ZIMBABWE SUPPORTS OR CONDONES TERRORIST ACTS 
PERPETRATED BY THESE COUNTRIES. 
 
G. PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM: 
 
THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE ISSUED NO STATEMENTS IN 
SUPPORT OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN 1996. 
 
H. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ATTITUDE TOWARDS 
TERRORISM SINCE 1995: 
 
NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HAS BEEN NOTED.  IN RECENT 
YEARS THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE HAS BEEN GENERALLY 
COOPERATIVE IN ITS APPROACH TO MATTERS OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM -- PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE 
IS A PERCEIVED NATIONAL INTEREST.  THERE IS NO 
REASON TO BELIEVE ZIMBABWEAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS 
TERRORISM HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST YEAR. 
 
I. U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES: 
 
THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS 
AND INITIATIVES IN ZIMBABWE DURING THE PAST YEAR.. 
 
J.  COOPERATION SOUGHT FROM THE HOST GOVERNMENT 
DURING THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS IN THE INVESTIGATION 
OR PROSECUTION OF AN ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES: 
 
ZIMBABWE HAS NOT BEEN REQUESTED TO COOPERATE IN THE 
INVESTIGATION OR PROSECUTION OF ANY TERRORIST ACT. 
 
 
CARSON