GHANA: 2003 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS ACCRA 002208 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL GH SUBJECT: GHANA: 2003 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 301352 THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO REFTEL PARAGRAPH 2: ¶A. SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS TO SUPPORT COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM: THE GOG PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY CONDEMNED THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ATTACKS AGAINST THE U.S., AND HAS REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED ITS SYMPATHY FOR VICTIMS OF THE ATTACKS SINCE THEN. HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATIONS ATTENDED THE MISSION'S THREE-MONTH, ONE-YEAR, AND TWO-YEAR COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONIES, THE FIRST TWO LED BY MUSLIM VICE PRESIDENT ALIU MAHAMA, THE LAST BY INTERIOR MINISTER HACKMAN OWUSU-AGYEMANG, WITH THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE ALSO IN ATTENDANCE. GHANAIAN SECURITY SERVICES CONTINUE THEIR CLOSE SUPPORT OF THE MISSION, FROM INCREASED INFORMATION-SHARING TO ENHANCED COMPOUND SECURITY. THE GOVERNMENT LAST SUMMER ADOPTED THE REMAINING FIVE INTERNATIONAL ANTI-TERRORIST CONVENTIONS TO WHICH IT HAD NOT YET ACCEDED. FOLLOWING MEETINGS IN THE SUMMER OF 2002 ON FIGHTING TERRORIST FINANCE, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEGUN DRAFTING LOCAL LEGISLATION TO UPDATE ITS CRIMINAL CODE AND FINANCIAL MONITORING REGIMES. RECENTLY THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN WORK ON AN EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL OF ITS ENTIRE BUDGETARY PROCESS, INVOLVING BOTH THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND THE CENTRAL BANK AS WELL AS LINE MINISTRIES, WHICH WILL ENHANCE INFORMATION-GATHERING CAPABILITIES ON FINANCIAL MATTERS. ACCESS TO LOCAL FACILITIES BY U.S. AIR AND NAVAL ASSETS CONTINUES (WITH BOTH THE EVACUATION OF U.S. CITIZENS FROM COTE D'IVOIRE IN 2002, AND U.S. MILITARY FORWARD PLANNING FOR THE ECOWAS INTERVENTION IN LIBERIA THIS SUMMER, STAGED FROM ACCRA). ¶B. RESPONSE OF JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL/DOMESTIC TERROR: THE GHANAIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM DID NOT HAVE OCCASION TO RESPOND TO ANY ACTS OF TERRORISM IN 2003. ¶C. EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY REQUESTS TO EXTRADITE, NOR REQUEST THE EXTRADITION OF, ANY SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN 2003. ¶D. SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO EXTRADITION: THERE ARE NO IMPEDIMENTS TO EXTRADITION OR PROSECUTION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. THE U.S. AND GHANA HAVE AN EXTRADITION TREATY. ¶E. HOST RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION: SEE ANSWER TO ITEM A. ¶F. MAJOR COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS BY HOST GOVERNMENT: SEE ANSWER TO ITEM A. ¶G. HOST SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM: NONE. ¶H. HOST GOVERNMENT PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE: NONE. ¶I. CHANGES, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, IN HOST GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORISM SINCE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES ITS CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE MISSION ON ANTI-TERROR ISSUES. YATES