ANONYMOUS THREAT LETTER

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000122

SIPDIS

TERREP

SENSITIVE

FOR DS/IP/SA, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA AND SA/INS

E.0. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC CE
SUBJECT: ANONYMOUS THREAT LETTER


Sensitive but unclassified - protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) Colombo British High Commission (BHC) counterpart
contacted RSO yesterday to report receipt of an anonymous
threat letter addressed to Americans and British in Sri
Lanka. Presumably, letters were sent to both the BHC and
the Embassy, but we have not yet received our letter. The
BHC has already forwarded their letter to the Sri Lanka
Police for investigation.

BEGIN TEXT -

WARNING TO THE AMERICANS AND THE BRITISH LIVING IN SRI
LANKA.

WE MUSLIMS IN SRI LANKA CONDEMN THE THREAT OF ATTACKING
IRAQ. THE DAY YOU INVADE IRAQ WE WILL KIDNAP THE AMERICANS
AND BRITISH FAMILIES LIVING IN SRI LANKA.

LIKE PREVIOUSLY WE WILL NOT PROTEST BUT WE WILL DO ALL WHAT
AL-QAEDA AND OSAMA BIN LADEN WILL ORDER US TO DO.

WE ARE FOLLOWING AL-QAEDA AND OSAMA BIN LADEN. WE WILL NOT
KEEP ANY ROOM FOR THE BRITISH/AMERICAN FORCES TO ATTACK OR
STRIKE OR INVADE IRAQ, AT ANY COST.

WE ARE BOLD TO SAY OUR MUSLIM POLITICAL PARTIES ARE ALLIED
OR JOINTLY WORKING WITH AL-QAEDA ORGANIZATION LED BY OSAMA
BIN LADEN.

ONCE WE GET OUR SEPARATE STATE AND A MUSLIM PORT IN SRI
LANKA WE WILL DO THE NEEDFUL.

END TEXT.


2. (SBU) Whereas we take all threats seriously, we also see
an endless number of Sri Lankan-based anonymous poison pen
letters. We generally view these with a good deal of
skepticism. We are reporting this one however, because it
threatens kidnapping family members. We continue to believe
the threat is minimal. We will nonetheless continue to
monitor related additional developments and threats closely.

Amselem