SUDANESE INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM

S E C R E T STATE 117658



NAIROBI FOR EMBASSY KHARTOUM OFFICE



E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/20/10

TAGS: PTER, PREL, UNSC, SU, FR, NL, AR, BG

SUBJECT: SUDANESE INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM



CLASSIFIED BY: EDMUND HULL, DEPUTY COORDINATOR FOR

COUNTERTERRORISM, S/CT. REASON: 1.5 (B) (C) (D)



REF: STATE 113624



1. (S) THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE.



2. (S) DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS THAT THE HOST GOVERNMENTS AT

ADDRESSEE POSTS MAY BE RELUCTANT TO ENDORSE THE USG

POSITION AGAINST LIFTING SUDAN SANCTIONS BECAUSE THEY LACK

EVIDENCE THAT THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT STILL SUPPORTS

TERRORISM. THE FOLLOWING NON-PAPER, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED

SECRET/RELEASABLE TO FRANCE, ARGENTINA, BANGLADESH, AND THE

NETHERLANDS, CONTAINS USG INFORMATION IMPLICATING KHARTOUM

IN CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM. EMBASSIES ARE

REQUESTED TO SHARE THIS NON-PAPER WITH HOST GOVERNMENT

INTERLOCUTORS AT AN APPROPRIATE SENIOR LEVEL IN AN ATTEMPT

TO PERSUADE THEM THAT UNSC SANCTIONS SHOULD NOT BE LIFTED

AT THIS TIME.



3. (S/RELEASABLE TO FRANCE, ARGENTINA, BANGLADESH, AND THE

NETHERLANDS ONLY - ENTIRE TEXT) BEGIN TEXT OF NON-PAPER:



CURRENT STATUS OF SUDAN'S SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM



WE HAVE OBSERVED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SUDAN'S SUPPORT

FOR TERRORISM SINCE THE DECEMBER 1999 POLITICAL SHAKEUP IN

WHICH PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR CONSOLIDATED POWER AND

SIDELINED NATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT (NIF) LEADER HASSAN AL-

TURBAI. TERRORISTS FROM A VARIETY OF ISLAMIC EXTREMIST

GROUPS---SUCH AS USAMA BIN LADIN'S ORGANIZATION, EGYPTIAN

ISLAMIC JIHAD (EIJ),AND HAMAS---CONTINUE TO USE SUDAN FOR

SAFEHAVEN, TRAINING, AND, IN SOME CASES, AS A PLATFORM TO

PLAN OPERATIONS.



USAMA BIN LADIN



SUDAN'S CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO HAVE HAD LITTLE

EFFECT ON BIN LADIN OPERATIVES, WHO CONTINUE TO OPERATE

FREELY FROM KHARTOUM. SEVERAL BIN LADIN BUSINESSES---

INCLUDING ATYAF INVESTMENTS AND THE KHARTOUM TANNERYE---ARE

RUN BY AL-QA'IDA LIEUTENANTS AND STILL OPERATE IN SUDAN,

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE TRYING TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE



-- SUDAN MAINTAINS A FINANCIAL STAKE IN SOME OF THESE

COMPANIES AND HAS TRIED TO OBSCURE BIN LADIN'S COMMERCIAL

TIES BY CHANGING THE NAME OF AT LEAST ONE OF HIS COMPANIES.



EGYPTIAN GROUPS



THE EIJ AND AL-GAMA'AT AL-ISLAMIYYA ALSO RECEIVE SAFEHAVEN

AND SUPPORT IN SUDAN. MORE THAN 20 EIJ AND GAMA'AT MEMBERS

AFFILIATED WITH BIN LADIN ARE OPERATING IN SUDAN AND MEET

ON A REGULAR BASIS TO DISCUSS COMMON ISSUES OF CONCERN.



-- SENIOR GAMA'AT LEADER RIFA'I TAHA MUSA---WHO IS ALLIED

WITH BIN LADIN AND LST OCTOBER CALLED FOR AN INCREASE IN

ANTI-US ATTACKS---TRAVELED TO SUDAN IN APRIL TO RALLY LOCAL

GAMA'AT SUPPORT FOR HIS PLAN TO RETURN THE GROUP TO VIOLENT

OPERATIONS.



PALESTINIAN GROUPS



SEVERAL PALESTINIAN EXTREMIST GROUPS---SUCH AS HAMAS, THE

PALESTINE ISLAMIC JIHAD (PIJ) AND THE ABU NIDAL

ORGANIZATION (ANO)--MAINTAIN A PRESENCE IN SUDAN AND

CONTINUE TO CONDUCT A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING

FUNDRAISING, RECRUITMENT, IDEOLOGICAL AND PARAMILITARY

TRAINING, AND OTHER LOGISTICAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES.



-- HAMAS--WHICH HAS A FEW HUNDRED SUPPORTERS AMONG THE

LOCAL PALESTINIAN POPULATION--HAS AN OFFICIAL

REPRESENTATIVE IN KHARTOUM, OPERATES AT LEAST ONE SMALL

FRONT COMPANY, AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL NGOS THERE.



-- THE PIJ MAINTAINS A SMALLER PRESENCE THAN HAMAS IN

SUDAN BUT HAS AN OFFICE AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATION IN

KHARTOUM. ITS MEMBERSHIP IS PRIMARILY COMPOSED OF

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, AND IT ALSO OPERATES SMALL COMMERCIAL

VENTURES.



SOME INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THESE GROUPS HAVE BEEN WARY

OF POSSIBLE CHANGES IN SUDANESE POLICY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS,

SUGGESTING THEY HAVE MADE PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE SUDAN.

OTHER SOURCES INDICATE, HOWEVER, THAT PIJ OPERATIVES

MAINTAIN CLOSE TIES TO THE SUDANESE REGIME DESPITE THE

CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT.



IRAN AND NGO'S



SUDAN ALSO PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR IRAN TO MEET WITH

EXTREMIST GROUPS AND SUPPORTS VARIOUS NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE TERRORIST ACTIVITY.



-- IRAN COUNTS ON SUDAN'S GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY AND BENIGN

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT TO ALLOW IRANIAN AGENTS TO MEET WITH

AND CHANNEL FUNDS, WEAPONS, AND TRAINING TO ISLAMIC

EXTREMISTS.



-- KHARTOUM'S WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE PROVIDING SAFEHAVEN

FOR VARIOUS RADICAL PALESTINIAN GROUPS FACILITATES IRAN'S

EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THEIR TERRORIST OPERATIONS AGAINST

ISRAEL AND TO IMPROVE THEIR OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES.



AFRICAN OPPOSITIONISTS



BASHIR HAS TAKEN SOME INITIAL STEPS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS

WITH ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA SINCE TAKING OFFICE, BUT A

VARIETY OF REPORTS SUGGEST THAT SUDAN STILL AIDS OPPOSITION

GROUPS FROM THESE COUNTRIES AND OTHERS---INCLUDING SOMALIA

AND UGANDA. KHARTOUM PROVIDES THESE GROUPS WITH FUNDING,

ARMS, MILITARY ASSISTANCE, AND SAFEHAVEN.



LIMITED PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE



BASHIR WILL MOVE AGAINST SOME EXTREMIST GROUPS ONLY IF IT

SERVES SUDAN'S BROADER ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INTERESTS AND

ASSISTS HIM IN HIS ONGOING BATTLE WITH TURABI'S NIF

FACTION. PROGRESS WILL ONLY COME SLOWLY. WE CANNOT

CONFIRM THAT KHARTOUM HAS DEPORTED ANY TERRORIST GROUPS OR

INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.



-- BASHIR'S OUSTER OF THE POPULAR ARAB AND ISLAMIC

CONFERENCE (PAIC) IS AN EARLY INDICATOR THAT HE COULD PLACE

TRAVEL AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON SOME EXTREMISTS TO ISOLATE

TURABI FURTHER AND TO PLACATE THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER

GOVERNMENTS, SUCH AS SAUDI ARABIA AND KUWAIT, WHICH HAVE

CRITICIZED SUDAN'S SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM.



-- BASHIR HAS TAKEN SOME STEPS--SUCH AS SIGNING

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS TO COMBAT TERRORISM--IF ONLY TO

ATTRACT MORE WESTERN EUROPEAN AND MODERATE ARAB BUSINESSMEN

AND TO GAUGE THE RESIDUAL STRENGTH OF TURABI'S SUPPORTERS.

BUT HE NONETHELESS HAS NOT TAKEN ACTION CONSISTENT WITH

THOSE CONVENTIONS.



(END TEXT OF NON-PAPER)





ALBRIGHT