POSSIBLE THREAT TO US EMBASSIES IN EAST AFRICA

S E C R E T HARARE 000175 SIPDIS SECRET NOFORN SIPDIS TERREP DEPT FOR DS/OP/AF, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2013 TAGS: ASEC PTER SUBJECT: POSSIBLE THREAT TO US EMBASSIES IN EAST AFRICA REF: 01 STATE 75291 Classified By: RSO - JOHN S. DICARLO. REASON 1.5(D) ¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: ON 24 JANUARY 2003 RSO WAS CONTACTED AFTER HOURS BY MR. JERRY REDEMPTUS WHO PROVIDED LIMITED INFORMATION REGARDING A POSSIBLE TERRORIST OPERATION AGAINST THE US EMBASSIES KAMPALA, NAIROBI, AND DAR ES SALAAM FROM AL-QAEDA. REDEMPTUS STATED THAT INDIVIDUALS IN DAR ES SALAAM WOULD PROVIDE THREAT RELATED INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY TARGETING US EMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM FOR THREE MILLION US DOLLARS. IN ADDITION, SOURCES IN DAR ES SALAAM WOULD ALSO PROVIDE THE IDENTITIES AND LOCATION OF 3 OR 4 SENIOR AL-QAEDA MEMBERS IN CHECHENIA. RSO BRIEFED ORCA SAME DAY OF ABOVE INFORMATION AND HOW TO CONTACT REDEMPTUS. ¶2. (C/NF) WALK-IN BIO DATA: ¶A. NAME: JERRY REDEMPTUS ¶B. DPOB: 21 OCTOBER 1971 INDIA "ETHNIC INDIAN" ¶C. PASSPORT INFORMATION: ZIMBABWE CITIZEN. SUBJECT HAS AN ARIZONA DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER B13724585, ISSUED ON 8/6/1996, EXPIRATION DATE 10/29/2031 WITH A LAST KNOWN ADDRESS OF 1440 EAST PIERCE STREET PHOENIX, AZ. ¶D. DESCRIPTION: BROWN MALE, APPROXIMATELY 5'8", HEAVY BUILD, BLACK HAIR, BROWN EYES ¶E. CURRENT PROFESSION: AIR FREIGHT OPERATOR ¶F. CURRENT RESIDENCE: 77 ENTERPRISE ROAD, HARARE, ZIMBABWE ¶G. PARTIAL CV: N/A ¶H. RELATIVES: MARRIED WITH TWO CHILDREN I: CONTACT INFORMATION: 263-4-705-796, OR 263-4-091-345-089 ¶3. (S/NF) ON 24 JANUARY 2003, RSO RECEIVED A PHONE CALL AT 1510 HOURS FROM REDEMPTUS REQUESTING AN URGENT MEETING AND STATING THAT HE WOULD NOT COME TO THE EMBASSY. THEREFORE, AT 1600 HOURS, RSO MET SUBJECT AT HIS RESIDENCE, 77 ENTERPRISE ROAD, HARARE, ZIMBABWE. SUBJECT STATED THAT HE IS CHRISTIAN AND OPERATES AN AIR FREIGHT BUSINESS HERE IN HARARE. HE MAKES REGULAR TRIPS TO EAST AND SOUTH AFRICA HAULING AIR FREIGHT FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS. REDEMPTUS STATED THAT WHILE ON A RECENT BUSINESS TRIP TO DAR ES SALAAM, HE WAS APPROACHED BY BUSINESS ASSOCIATES STATING THAT THEY HAD SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT A PLANNED ATTACK BY AL-QAEDA ON THE US EMBASSY IN DAR ES SALAAM. THIS INFORMATION INCLUDED EITHER "BLUE PRINTS" AND OR DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT NEW SECURITY SYSTEMS AT THE EMBASSY. HE STATED THAT THESE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES WANT TO SELL THIS INFORMATION FOR THREE MILLION US DOLLARS. FURTHERMORE, THEY HAD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUTURE PLANNED ATTACKS AGAINST US EMBASSIES IN KAMPALA AND NAIROBI. REDEMPTUS ALSO ADVISED THESE ASSOCIATES HAD INFORMATION CONCERNING THE LOCATION AND IDENTITIES OF 3 OR 4 SENIOR AL-QAEDA MEMBERS IN CHECHENIA. THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE THREATS TO US EMBASSIES MENTIONED ABOVE ORIGINATED FROM KAMPALA AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT AL-QAEDA MEMBERS IN CHECHENIA ORIGINATES FROM NAIROBI. REDEMPTUS STATED THAT BUSINESS ASSOCIATES IN DAR ES SALAAM WOULD BE WILLING TO FLY TO HARARE FOR A DEBRIEF AND DISCUSS PAYMENT. REDEMPTUS IS ALSO MOTIVATED BY ANY REWARD MONEY RESULTING FROM THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ATTACKS AGAINST THE USG. ¶4. (C/NF) RSO COMMENTS: REDEMPTUS BELIEVES INFORMATION GIVEN BY BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. HOWEVER, WHEN RSO PRESSED FOR DETAILS I.E. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW - REDEMPTUS COULD ONLY GIVE LIMITED, FRAGMENTED THIRD PARTY INFORMATION. ANOTHER SUSPICIOUS ITEM WAS THE EXPIRATION DATE OF HIS ARIZONA DRIVERS LICENSE. THE EXPIRATION DATE IS OCTOBER 29, ¶2031. RSO IS NOT AWARE OF ANY STATE ISSUING A DRIVERS LICENSE IN 1996 WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 2031. ¶5. (S/NF) RSO PLANS NO FURTHER MEETINGS WITH REDEMPTUS AND PASSED INFORMATION TO ORCA FOR THEIR ACTION. REGARDS. SULLIVAN