2003 TERRORISM REPORT FOR PAKISTAN

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 008950


S/CT FOR REAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PK
SUBJECT: 2003 TERRORISM REPORT FOR PAKISTAN

REF: STATE 301352

A) Pakistan continues to be one of the United States' most
important partners in the Global Coalition against terrorism.
Pakistan's military, intelligence and law enforcement
agencies are cooperating closely with the U.S. and other
nations to identify, interdict and eliminate terrorism at
home in Pakistan and abroad. This includes ongoing efforts
to capture and destroy the remnants of al-Qaida and the
Taliban that remain in the region. To date, over 500
suspected operatives of these groups have been successfully
apprehended with the cooperation of Pakistani authorities.
Among those captured in 2003 were Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a
key figure in the events of September 11, and Waleed bin
Attash, a prime suspect in the October 2000 attack on the
U.S.S. Cole. The GOP has also demonstrated its resolve by
cracking down on previously banned militant organizations
that had regrouped under new names, freezing their assets and
detaining their leaders. Along its historically porous
border with Afghanistan, Pakistan's military is undertaking
operations to capture or kill trans-border terrorists. In
October 2003, security forces achieved notable success in an
operation that killed 8 and captured 18 al-Qaida and Taliban
in the remote tribal area of South Waziristan Agency.

Pursuant to its obligations under U.N. resolutions 1267, 1390
and 1455 Pakistan continues to work with the U.N. Sanctions
Committee to freeze the assets of individuals and groups
identified as terrorist entities.

At the same time, Pakistan faces difficult challenges as it
does its part in prosecuting the war on terrorism. The GOP
has drafted but has yet to submit to Parliament for approval
anti-money laundering legislation, a critical weapon in the
terror-fighting arsenal. Pakistan's beleaguered public
education system is a source of concern both from a security
standpoint and in terms of the country's future. Religious
schools, offering a limited curriculum and sometimes
promoting violent ideologies have stepped in to fill the
vacuum. Reform and investment are urgently needed to broaden
curriculum content and revitalize the public education system.

B) Pakistan's judicial system continues to respond to both
international and domestic cases of terrorism. In 2003,
Pakistan continued to use its Anti-Terrorism Courts (created
in 1997 to expedite the handling of terrorist cases).
Following in the wake of the Daniel Pearl kidnap/murder
convictions in 2002, government prosecutors in April 2003
obtained convictions for defendants charged with organizing
the bombing of the US Consulate in Karachi the previous year.
Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Hanif both received the death
penalty while two accomplices were given life sentences for
their roles in the vehicle bomb attack on the Consulate which
killed 12 Pakistanis. In November 2003, the same court
handed death sentences to three members of the banned
extremist group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, for planning and
committing sectarian murders. Pakistani investigators, as
demonstrated in the aftermath of the 2002 church attack in
Islamabad that killed two Embassy family members, have shown
greater willingness to grant their U.S. counterparts access
to evidence.

C) No Pakistani nationals were formally extradited to the
U.S. under the 1931 Extradition Treaty in 2003. However, the
GOP continues to facilitate and has stepped-up the transfer
of captured terrorists to U.S. custody.

D) Impediments to the investigation and prosecution of
suspected terrorists include the lack of centralized
databases to collect, process and disseminate timely
information leading to criminal convictions. Pakistan lacks
a National Crime Information Center, Department of Motor
Vehicles, Social Security System or other database systems
commonly used in developed countries. Sophisticated law
enforcement and investigative techniques need greater
development as well.

Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism have also been
hampered by its delay in passing key anti-money laundering
legislation. In 2002, key anti-money laundering legislation
- drafted with U.S. assistance - failed to be enacted. A
revised version has, however, been approved by the Cabinet
and is expected to be sent to Parliament. This legislation
is an essential tool in broadening the capacity of Pakistani
authorities to monitor suspicious financial transactions.
Such legislation will enable law enforcement and financial
regulatory agencies to develop the necessary resources and
technical infrastructure to pursue sources of terrorist
financing.

Despite these hindrances, Pakistan has made a significant
step forward with the recent implementation of a central
fingerprint repository system which now includes some 70,000
10-print cards. Pakistan's progress with respect to
developing the legal and technical infrastructure required to
track terrorist financing has been incremental and the USG is
encouraging it to do more in this area.

The GOP has taken many important steps to bolster its
terror-fighting capabilities. However, many of its resources
are new, untested and will require time to prove their
effectiveness.

E) President Musharraf, Prime Minister Jamali and other
senior Pakistani officials have repeatedly condemned
terrorism and reaffirmed the government's commitment to
putting a stop to it both inside Pakistan and abroad. There
is an understanding at all levels of the government that it
is in Pakistan's interest to be a proactive member of the
global fight against terrorism. This commitment has been
manifested in the high-level of cooperation the U.S. has
received from the GOP in ongoing terrorist investigations in
the United States and abroad. With regard to threats on U.S.
soil, such efforts include providing timely intelligence and
support to U.S. agencies in identifying and neutralizing
terrorist cells. These efforts play an important role in
helping prevent attacks on American citizens, installations
and interests. Pakistan also provides significant assistance
in the investigation of international terrorism, acting on
leads provided to its counterterrorism and law enforcement
agencies by the U.S. and other nations. In September 2003,
Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agents raided two
religious seminaries in Karachi, uncovering a major student
terrorist cell. Those arrested included foreign nationals
from Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma.

Following the November 2003 bombing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
in which 21 people died, Pakistan's National Assembly
unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack and
praising President Musharraf's "courageous and consistent
support to the war on terrorism."

After the September 11 attacks, Pakistani authorities
arrested hundreds of suspected extremists and banned five
militant groups. However, many of the detainees were later
quietly released and a number of the organizations resurfaced
under new names and became active in 2003.
Jaish-e-Muhammmad, for example, reemerged under the name
Jamat-ul-Furqan while Lashkar-e-Taiba was reconstituted as
Jamaat-ul-Dawa. Both jihadi groups have been associated with
terrorist activity in Kashmir while others are known to
promote sectarian violence. In November 2003, responding to
increasing alarm over the active reemergence of these and
other extremist groups, the Musharraf government ordered a
major crackdown, banning 5 groups:

Jamat-ul-Ansar (formerly Harakat ul-Mujahedin)
Jamat-ul-Furqan (formerly Jaish-e-Muhammad)
Hizbu-ul-Tahreer (UK-based)
Millat-e-Islamia (formerly Sippah-e-Sihaba)
Tahreek-e-Pakistan (formerly Tehnik-e-Jafria Pakistan)

A sixth group, Jamaat-ul-Dawa was placed on a "watch list."
As part of its actions, the government closed offices, froze
assets and detained over 60 individuals. Although it is too
early to determine the duration or effectiveness of these
actions, the USG is encouraged by the GOP's willingness to
forcefully address the problem.

(F) In 2003, there has been significant progress in several
areas of Pakistan's ongoing efforts to enhance its
terrorist-fighting capabilities both within and beyond its
borders. Perhaps the most important development is the
implementation of the first federal civilian counterterrorism
force, established within the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA).

Special Investigation Group (SIG)
--------------
Established in late 2002 with U.S. financial and technical
assistance, the Special Investigation Group (SIG) is tasked
with facilitating a unified investigative response at both
the national and provincial levels. The SIG is comprised of
4 components: intelligence collection, investigations, agency
liaison and cyber-terrorism. On October 7, the SIG graduated
50 officers trained in special counterterrorism techniques.
Provincial Criminal Investigation Divisions (PCIDs) in all 4
provinces will create sections to mirror the SIG structure
and expand its reach to the regional level. The SIG and its
constituent parts are expected to be fully operational by
mid-2004. The USG and other governments are working closely
with the GOP to explore more ways to augment Pakistan's
terror-fighting capabilities, particularly in the areas of
DNA collection/analysis, post-blast forensics and
cyber-terrorism.

Crisis Response Team
--------------
To provide a tactical dimension to Pakistan's
counterterrorism program, the USG is now training and
equipping Crisis Response Teams (CRT). Modeled after SWAT
teams in the United States, the CRTs are being trained to
deal with "high risk" encounters with violent criminals and
terrorists.

Central Fingerprint Repository
--------------
Pakistan's first central fingerprint repository is being
established following Pakistan's conversion to the
international standard 10-print card. A key step forward in
aiding authorities to identify terrorists and other
criminals, the 10-print card file now holds 70,000 cards.
Another 10,000 cards will be added by the end of 2003. The
next step now underway is to procure and install an Automated
Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS),a highly
sophisticated data management system that will assist law
enforcement agencies to rapidly identify suspects. Funded by
the USG, the system should be operational in 2004.

PISCES
--------------
The Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation
System (PISCES) is now operating at all major international
airports in Pakistan and an expansion program is underway to
install the system at all official sea and land entry points
by the end of 2004. PISCES technology is helping Pakistan
identify wanted criminals and terrorists attempting to
transit its borders at official crossing points. Pakistani
authorities report that the system is already yielding
results.

Border Security Assistance Program
--------------
The USG remains committed to assisting Pakistan in securing
its borders against trafficking in weapons, drugs, and
infiltration by terrorists. Created in 2002, the $73 million
dollar Border Security Assistance Program provides aircraft,
surveillance technology, communications equipment, transport
and training to assist Pakistan in securing its western
borders with Afghanistan and Iran. Related assistance
efforts also provide funding for outpost construction and
upgrade, training and other commodities. To date, 183 border
personnel have been trained in port-of-entry operations and
small unit tactics. In the previously inaccessible Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA),$24 million is being
invested in the construction of 400k of roads. These roads
provide critical access to security forces and have the added
benefit of assisting in the economic advancement of
historically underdeveloped areas.

G) While the GOP does not overtly support any international
terrorist groups, it does provide diplomatic and moral
support for Kashmiri militant groups, some of whom are linked
to terrorist acts. There are indications that infiltration
across the Line of Control between Pakistani and Indian-held
Kashmir continue.

H) Host government's public statements have been uniformly
supportive of our joint efforts in the war against terror.

I) President Musharraf said recently that Pakistan is at a
"critical crossroads," faced with both immense opportunities
in the world economy yet burdened by continuing threats from
terrorism, religious extremism and sectarianism. Measured in
terms of its public pronouncements and deployment of
resources to counter these threats, Pakistan's
commitment-level to the war on the terrorism can best be
described as steadfast in 2003


POWELL