ETHIOPIA: 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 003801

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- PAR NUMBERING AND CLASSIFICATIONS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2012
TAGS: PTER PREL PINS ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: A) STATE 201772 B) ADDIS ABABA 2978 C) ADDIS
ABABA 3273 D) ADDIS ABABA 2973 E) IIR 6 830
0115 02 F) IIR 7 723 0396 02

CLASSIFIED BY: COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
DAVID C BECKER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B),(C) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: ETHIOPIA IS A CONFIRMED AND COMMITTED
PARTNER IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM (GWOT) AT ALL LEVELS.
ALTHOUGH OFTEN LACKING IN CAPACITY, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA (GFDRE) HAS RESPONDED
PRO-ACTIVELY TO THE GLOBAL THREAT. EMBASSY KNOWS OF NO
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) ACTIVITY IN ETHIOPIA,
AND NO SUCH TOLERANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE GWOT FITS
NEATLY INTO THE RULING COALITION'S POLITICAL AGENDA, WHICH
EQUATES ARMED OPPOSITION WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
ETHIOPIA'S CURRENT GOVERNMENT WILL REMAIN WITH US AS A
STEADFAST PARTNER AGAINST TERRORISM. END SUMMARY.

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ANNUAL RESPONSE
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2. (U) THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES FOR 2002 ARE KEYED TO
INSTRUCTIONS IN REFTEL A, PARA. 2:


A. (U) THE GFDRE STANDS FIRMLY AGAINST ALL FORMS OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AND HAS CONSISTENTLY OFFERED
COOPERATION TO SUPPORT THE GWOT.


B. (U) THE JUDICIARY HAS NOT HAD TO RESPOND TO ANY ACTS OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.


C. (U) ETHIOPIA HAS NOT EXTRADITED NOR REQUESTED
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS FOR PROSECUTION. IF
REQUESTED, THE GFDRE WOULD EXTRADITE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS TO
THE U.S. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NO EXTRADITION TREATY.


D. (U) THE GFDRE'S ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO
TERRORISM IS HAMPERED BY INSUFFICIENT FUNDING AND INADEQUATE
TRAINING OF ITS SECURITY FORCES AND JUDICIARY. CRIMINAL
CASES OFTEN LANGUISH IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND SUSPECTS CAN
SPEND YEARS AWAITING TRIAL.


E. (U) GFDRE RESPONSES TO TERRORISM: THE GFDRE HAS
CONSISTENTLY CONDEMNED TERRORISM, INCLUDING THE 1998 NAIROBI
AND DAR ES SALAAM BOMBINGS AND THE 9/11 ATTACKS. PRIME
MINISTER MELES ZENAWI REGULARLY CONDEMNS ALL FORMS OF
TERRORISM. THE GFDRE HAS TAKEN ACTIONS TO CONTROL ITS BORDER
WITH SOMALIA TO PREVENT SMUGGLING AND TERRORIST MOVEMENT. THE
GFDRE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF DJIBOUTI ARE DISCUSSING WAYS TO
REDUCE TERRORISTS, ABILITY TO MOVE ACROSS THEIR BORDER EN
ROUTE TO AND FROM YEMEN.


F. (U) SIGNIFICANT GFDRE COUNTERTERRORISM (CT) ACTIVITIES
INCLUDE POLITICAL, FINANCIAL, MEDIA, MILITARY AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT ACTION. ETHIOPIA SIGNED THE OAU DRAFT
CONVENTION ON TERRORISM PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE SEPTEMBER
11-14 AFRICAN UNION TERRORISM CONFERENCE IN ALGIERS (ALTHOUGH
THEY FAVORED THE "FREEDOM FIGHTER" CLAUSE DESPITE EMBASSY,S
REFTEL B REQUEST). IN A STATEMENT AFTER A SEPTEMBER BOMBING
OF AN ADDIS ABABA HOTEL, THE GFDRE SAID ETHIOPIA HAD BEEN
PLAGUED BY TERRORISM LONG BEFORE THE GWOT. IN OCTOBER,
FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM MESFIN TOLD UNGA THAT ALL WHO
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE TERRORISM SHOULD
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE ETHIOPIAN CENTRAL BANK HAS BEEN
PROMPT IN COMPLYING WITH OUR REQUESTS FOR NAME CHECKS AND
ASSET FREEZES. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO FTOS HAVE ASSETS IN
ETHIOPIA. TO COUNTER THE THREAT OF AL-ITTIHAD AL-ISLAMIYA
(AIAI),THE GFDRE HAS UNDERTAKEN INCREASED MILITARY EFFORTS
TO CONTROL ITS LONG BORDER WITH SOMALIA. MEDIA REPORTS
INDICATE THAT FOUR PAKISTANIS WERE ARRESTED IN DIRE DAWA "ON
SUSPICION OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITY." POLICE
ARRESTED FOUR YEMENIS AND THREE PAKISTANIS ENTERING FROM
SUDAN. WHILE IN TRANSIT TO ADDIS ABABA, THE SUSPECTS KILLED
A GUARD AND ALL SEVEN MANAGED TO ESCAPE.


G. (U) THE GFDRE DOES NOT LEND SUPPORT TO INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM, AND OFFERS NO SUPPORT, PRIVILEGES OR TRAINING TO
TERRORISTS.


H. (U) THE GFDRE HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF ANY TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES ON ISSUES
RELATED TO TERRORISM.


I. (U) THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE GFDRE'S STRONG
SUPPORT FOR THE COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM IN 2002.


J. (U) THE GFDRE HAS CONSISTENTLY OFFERED FULL COOPERATION
IN THE GWOT, AND BURNISHES ITS ROLE AS A U.S. PARTNER. THE
EMBASSY WORKS CLOSELY WITH MANY GFDRE COMPONENTS IN ALL
FACETS OF CT. SEYOUM RECENTLY TOLD THE AMBASSADOR, "UNLESS
OUR CAPACITY LIMITS US, WE WILL NOT FAIL YOU."


K. (U) THE EMBASSY HAS RECEIVED CONTINUING COOPERATION FROM
THE GFDRE IN THE INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING THE 9/11 ATTACKS.


L. (U) THE GFDRE IS FULLY RESPONSIVE TO REQUESTS TO PROTECT
U.S. CITIZENS AND FACILITIES.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
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3. (C) CONFIRMING REF. C, WE KNOW OF NO FTOS ON ETHIOPIAN
SOIL ACTIVE OR WORTH WATCHING.


4. (S) MELES MAY BE GOING TOO FAR: THE PM MAY HAVE SOME
DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THE GWOT FROM SECTARIAN RIVALRY.
AS REPORTED IN REF. D, MELES TOLD CODEL IN AUGUST THAT
ETHIOPIA IS IN THE GWOT FOR ITS OWN NATIONAL SECURITY. HIS
PRIVATE COMMENTS INDICATE THAT HE MAY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ISLAM, ISLAMISM, AND TERRORISM. HE
EQUATES ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM WITH TERRORISM, SAYING
WAHHABISM IS "INFILTRATING AND DOMINATING THE REGION." HE
DESCRIBES ETHIOPIA AS BEING "AT THE EPICENTER" OF TERRORISM
SINCE THE SEVENTH CENTURY (REF. E). FORTUNATELY, MELES HAS
NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS BETRAYING SUCH A
"LUMP-THEM-ALL-TOGETHER" OUTLOOK. THE OPPOSITION IS ALSO
WORRIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF EXTREMISM, AND, NOT
PRIVY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS, FEARS THE GFDRE IS NOT
DOING ENOUGH. ACCORDING TO A PROMINENT OPPOSITION
POLITICIAN, OVERT SAUDI AND COVERT IRANIAN INFLUENCE ARE
SPREADING EXTREMISM WHILE THE RULING COALITION IS TOLERATING
AN INCREASE IN SECTARIANISM.


5. (S) A SOURCE WITH UNESTABLISHED RELIABILITY HAS REPORTED
THAT THE ERITREAN "GREATER ALLIANCE," AN UMBRELLA GROUP
CONSISTING OF TEN ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE ERITREAN
ISLAMIC JIHAD, HAS MOVED ITS HEADQUARTERS TO ETHIOPIA. WE
HAVE SEEN THE REF. F REPORT THAT THE JIHAD IS BELIEVED TO
RECEIVE POLITICAL BACKING FROM THE GFDRE, BUT CANNOT CONFIRM
SUCH.


6. (C) THE GFDRE CONSIDERS ITS DOMESTIC ARMED OPPOSITION AS
TERRORISTS, DRAWING LITTLE JURIDICAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUCH
DIPARATE GROUPS AS AL-QAEDA AND THE HOME-GROWN OROMO
LIBERATION FRONT (OLF). MELES TOLD PARLIAMENT IN SEPTEMBER
THAT THE FIGHT AGAINST THE OLF SHOULD NOT BE SEEN IN
ISOLATION FROM THE GWOT. THE GFDRE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE
SEEKING USG SUPPORT AGAINST THE OLF, INCLUDING ITS ADDITION
TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS AS AN FTO. THE OLF IS WIDELY BELIEVED TO
HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR A JUNE ATTACK ON A RAILWAY STATION
IN DIRE DAWA AND A SEPTEMBER BOMBING OF AN ADDIS ABABA HOTEL.
THE TEN HOTEL BOMBING SUSPECTS APPEARED IN COURT THIS WEEK
AND PLED NOT GUILTY. THE OLF HAS DENIED THE GFDRE'S PUBLIC
ALLEGATIONS.


7. (C) COMMENT: MELES FINDS THE GWOT POLITICALLY
ADVANTAGEOUS FOR BOTH ETHIOPIA AND HIS RULING COALITION, AND
EVEN CALLED IT A "GODSEND" BECAUSE OF ETHIOPIA'S UNFORTUNATE
EXPERIENCE WITH INTERNAL VIOLENCE AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
(AS THEY DEFINE IT). SHORTLY AFTER 9/11, ETHIOPIAN MILITARY
LEADERS SOUGHT U.S. ENGAGEMENT IN A PROPOSAL FOR A SERIES OF
LARGE-SCALE STRIKES ON NEIGHBORING SOMALIA, A BREEDING GROUND
AND SAFEHAVEN FOR TERRORISTS, AND A PERENNIAL THORN IN THE
SIDE OF EVERY ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. FOR THIS GOVERNMENT, THE
GWOT IS A TWO-FER: THEY USE IT TO DRAW CLOSER TO THE U.S.
AND/AND GAIN RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN CT EFFORTS. END COMMENT.


BRAZEAL