Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03PRETORIA5198
2003-09-26 13:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pretoria
Cable title:  

SOUTH AFRICA AND HAMAS, ISLAMIC JIHAD, HIZBULLAH

Tags:  PREL PTER KPAL IS SF 
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P 261326Z SEP 03
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4406
INFO AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 005198 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2013
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL IS SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA AND HAMAS, ISLAMIC JIHAD, HIZBULLAH

REF: PRETORIA 3217

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL COUNSELOR GAYLEATHA B. BROWN.
REASON: 1.5 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 005198


E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2013
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAL IS SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA AND HAMAS, ISLAMIC JIHAD, HIZBULLAH

REF: PRETORIA 3217

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL COUNSELOR GAYLEATHA B. BROWN.
REASON: 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT (SAG) HAS BEEN INVOLVED
IN TALKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF HAMAS,
ISLAMIC JIHAD AND HIZBULLAH AT THE DIRECT REQUEST OF
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA) LEADERS SUCH AS ABU MAZEN AND ABU
ALLAH, ACCORDING TO SAG FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT LEVANT
DIRECTOR ISAAC MOGOTSI. MOGOTSI TOLD POLOFF SEPTEMBER 26
THAT THE PA ASKED THE SAG ABOUT EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO TO WORK
WITH THE TERRORIST GROUPS AND CONVINCE THEM THAT VIOLENCE WAS
LEADING THE PALESTINIANS DOWN THE WRONG PATH. THE PA WAS
HOPING, MOGOTSI SAID, THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE IN
NEGOTIATING AN END TO APARTHEID WOULD DEMONSTRATE TO THE
TERROR GROUPS THAT POLITICAL NEGOTIATIONS COULD BE
SUCCESSFUL. THE SAG HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PERSUADING
REPRESENTATIVES OF HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD TO VISIT SOUTH
AFRICA (REFTEL). MOGOTSI SAID THE SAG HAS NOT APPROACHED
HIZBULLAH WITH AN OFFER TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA.


2. (C) MOGOTSI EXPECTS THE SAG TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO ENGAGE
THE TERROR GROUPS. ISRAEL IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SAG'S
APPROACH, BUT MOGOTSI SAID IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE EFFORTS
ABU MAZEN MADE AND THAT THE SAG EXPECTS ABU ALLAH TO FOLLOW.
THE TERROR GROUPS WILL NOT BE DEFEATED MILITARILY, HE SAID,
AND THEY MUST BE PERSUADED TO LET NEGOTIATIONS GO AHEAD.


3. (C) MOGOTSI SAID THE PA TOLD THE SAG THAT IRAN AND SYRIA
CONTROLLED THE TERROR GROUPS (UNLIKE THE AL AQSA MARTYR'S
BRIGADE, WHICH WAS UNDER FATAH'S CONTROL) AND THE PA HAD
LITTLE INFLUENCE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE SYRIANS TOLD MOGOTSI IN
JUNE 2003 THEY WERE VERY UNHAPPY WITH ARAFAT AND THE PA,
WHICH MOGOTSI TOOK AS CONFIRMATION THAT SYRIA REMAINED
INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE TERROR GROUPS. NOW, HOWEVER, THE
SYRIANS SAY TO THE SAG THAT FOLLOWING SECRETARY POWELL'S
POST-IRAQ WAR VISIT TO DAMASCUS THEY HAVE CUT BACK ON THIS
SUPPORT. TERROR GROUP REPRESENTATIVES MUST ROTATE IN AND OUT
OF DAMASCUS RATHER THAN MAINTAIN A BASE THERE. IN THE SAG'S
VIEW, IRAN IS THE PRIMARY FINANCIAL AND ARMS SUPPLIER FOR THE
MIDDLE EAST TERROR GROUPS.


4. (C) THE SAG'S POLICY TOWARDS THE MIDDLE EAST IS TO
SUPPORT THE QUARTET AND THE ROAD MAP, AND TO CONDEMN VIOLENCE
ON ALL SIDES, SPECIFICALLY INCLUDING FROM SUICIDE BOMB
ATTACKS, MOGOTSI SAID. IN SUPPORT OF THIS, MOGOTSI POINTED
TO DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER PAHAD'S SEPTEMBER 13 PRESS
RELEASE, IN WHICH HE SAID THAT THE SAG "CALLS ON THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE NOT TO USE VIOLENCE AS A MEANS TO ACQUIRE
PEACE. VIOLENCE AS A TACTIC OR STRATEGY WILL NEVER DELIVER
THE PEACE SO DEARLY SOUGHT BY THE ISRAELI OR
PALESTINIAN PEOPLES." HE SAID THIS IS THE SAG'S MESSAGE
WHENEVER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO THE REGION. MOGOTSI
SAID THE SAG SUPPORTS THE PA AND ARAFAT, WHICH "IS WHAT THE
AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS CONSTITUENCY DEMANDS," BUT
PRESIDENT MBEKI SUPPORTS THE ROAD MAP'S TWO-STATE SOLUTION.
MBEKI WOULD LIKE ISRAEL TO PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN SUPPORTING
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT AND SHED WHAT MOGOTSI SAID WAS ITS
CURRENT "PARIAH" STATUS ON THE CONTINENT.


5. (C) WITH REGARD TO NEXT STEPS, MOGOTSI SAID THE SAG IS
BACKING OFF ITS SPIER INITIATIVE FOR THE TIME BEING (REFTEL)
AS IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT THE INITIATIVE IS ADDING VALUE TO THE
PEACE PROCESS. MOGOTSI BELIEVES THE SAG MIGHT TRY TO REVIVE
SPIER AROUND NEXT APRIL, THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SOUTH
AFRICA'S TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY.


HUME