Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MANILA1847
2005-04-22 06:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manila
Cable title:  

BUILDING MOMENTUM BEHIND REWARDS FOR JUSTICE

Tags:  PTER ASEC MOPS PREL PINS ID RP 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001847 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO/PETERSON, DS/ICI/RFJ/SCHINDEL GOMBIS
STATE ALSO FOR SS/CT AND EAP/PMBS
ASD/ISA/AP FOR BG ALLEN
NSC FOR GREEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2015
TAGS: PTER ASEC MOPS PREL PINS ID RP
SUBJECT: BUILDING MOMENTUM BEHIND REWARDS FOR JUSTICE

REF: A. MANILA 1614

B. MANILA 1773

Classified By: (U) Political Officer Paul O'Friel
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001847

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO/PETERSON, DS/ICI/RFJ/SCHINDEL GOMBIS
STATE ALSO FOR SS/CT AND EAP/PMBS
ASD/ISA/AP FOR BG ALLEN
NSC FOR GREEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2015
TAGS: PTER ASEC MOPS PREL PINS ID RP
SUBJECT: BUILDING MOMENTUM BEHIND REWARDS FOR JUSTICE

REF: A. MANILA 1614

B. MANILA 1773

Classified By: (U) Political Officer Paul O'Friel
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) Action request: To build momentum behind the Rewards
for Justice (RFJ) program in the Philippines (as recommended
in ref a),we urge the inter-agency committee led by DS to
publicize specific payout amounts and to adopt an expedited
rewards approval process for the capture of the following
terrorists:

Dulmatin Up to $10 million
Khadaffy Janjalani Up to $5 million
Abu Solaiman Up to $5 million
Isnilon Hapilon Up to $1 million

Justification
--------------


2. (C) The Armed Forces of the Philippines -- backed by
training from PACOM, operational advice from JSTOF-P, and
intelligence from the USG -- has over the past six months
engaged in an intensified manhunt for the Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI) terrorist Dulmatin -- who, as one of the masterminds of
the Bali bombing, is directly responsible for the deaths of
seven US citizens -- and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leaders
Khadaffy Janjalani, Abu Solaiman, and Isnilon Hapilon, who
are responsible for the kidnapping of at least three American
citizens and subsequent beheading of one, as well as the
Superferry bombing in 2004 and the 2005 Valentine's Day
bombings in the Philippines. On at least four occasions in
the past six months, AFP units came close to capturing these
terrorists, most recently April 15-16 (ref b). Philippine
Army contacts on the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation
of Hostilities (CCCH) have indicated privately to poloffs
that elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) --
motivated by the prospects of a reward -- may be ready to
handover Dulmatin and Janjalani.


3. (C) Intelligence reporting on these high-value targets is
steadily improving, and publicizing RFJ now will probably
accelerate the flow -- and step up the pressure on these
killers as they plot their next attacks. DoD Rewards and RFJ
payouts in 2004 and the ongoing DoD Rewards advertising
program have already had an impact. Currently, RFJ does not
specify individual amounts for the ASG leaders on its list,
and omits Dulmatin completely. Public awareness of the
specific reward amount for each of the ASG leaders and
Dulmatin, backed by the USG's ability to pay such rewards
quickly, can help bring these terrorists to justice.


Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
Ricciardone