Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05NDJAMENA115
2005-01-25 09:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ndjamena
Cable title:  

CHAD: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREF CD SU PTER 
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SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT KINCANNON AND MCCUTHCHAN, AF/C, INR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CD SU PTER
SUBJECT: CHAD: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 245841

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000115

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT KINCANNON AND MCCUTHCHAN, AF/C, INR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CD SU PTER
SUBJECT: CHAD: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 245841


1. Summary: Chad continues to be a strong partner in the
global war against terrorism. Chad was not covered in the
2003 Patterns of Global Terrorism Report. Post responses are
keyed to reftel paragraph 15.


A. The Government of Chad continues to take significant
actions to support the global coalition against terrorism.
In 2004, Chadian troops were trained as part of the Pan Sahel
Initiative. Chadian police and immigration officials
participated in two Anti-terrorism Assistance (ATA) training
programs in 2004. A group of 24 Chadian police traveled to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana for training in May and 24 Chadian
police officers participated in the follow-up training held
in N'Djamena in December. The programs are designed to
assist government officials in detecting the movement of
suspicious goods or people across borders. A noteworthy
anti-terrorism event occurred in northern Chad earlier this
year. From March 8 to 11, Chadian security forces engaged
the GSPC, a terrorist organization, which entered Chad from
Niger. Over 20 members of the GSPC and three Chadian
soldiers were killed in the ensuing clashes. In the days
following the encounters, the MDJT captured GSPC leader
Abderrazak el-Para. The MDJT handed over el-Para to Algerian
authorities in October 2004.


B. The GOC has fully cooperated with all USG requests for
assistance. There have been no instances in 2004 where the
US asked the GOC for counter-terrorism cooperation aimed at
preventing attacks and protecting US persons or interests.
There were no terrorist attacks in Chad against US persons or
interests. During the year, the Government held a number of
meetings to discuss the harmonization of its penal code with
international conventions against terrorism.


C. The GOC military engaged with the Salifist Group for
Preaching and Combat (GSPC),which is designated as a
terrorist organization, in March 2004 (See paragraph A).


D. Chad's judicial system has not been called upon to
respond to any acts of international or domestic terrorism.
The GOC did not extradite or request the extradition of any
suspected terrorists for prosecution during 2004. Chad has a

weak judicial system. Chad would not be a suitable forum for
the prosecution of a terrorist. All host country agencies,
police, military and GOC officials are cooperative, but
ill-equipped to combat terrorism.


E. The police lack the capability to deal with terrorism
issues. The police serve a political role in that they are
one means by which the president secures his position.
However, they are considered inferior to the armed forces.
Combining that factor with an absence of resources creates a
situation in which the national police force of Chad is not
just minimally effective, but seriously marginalized. The
police have no tactical capability. Police special
operations capability is non-existent. There is no
bomb-disposal capability in Chad in the law-enforcement
sense. The police have no long-range or integrated
communications capabilities and very minimal tactical radio
capability. The police are not properly equipped with
weapons, and not equipped at all with other basic tools of
law-enforcement. Investigative capabilities within the
different directorates of the national police are
rudimentary, but can be effective nonetheless. Relying on a
wide-spread information-gathering network at the grassroots
level, they are able to effectively monitor activities within
their own borders. Preventive-intelligence gathering is
functional, but hampered significantly by communications
problems.


F. Chad's shares land borders with five other countries.
Chad does not have the resources to patrol its borders. As a
result, all of its borders are porous.


G. Chad participated in PSI training in June/July 2004.
Chadian police and immigration officials received ATA
training in June and August 2004. The Chadian Law
Enforcement community has been very receptive to ATA

training. The Chadian Police have received two ATA classes
so far, Critical Incident Management and Vital Installation.
The attitude towards this type of counter-terrorism training
has been very positive. The biggest responsibility in the
future for the police and military is to control
transnational terrorism and the difficult task of controlling
their porous borders. Physical security of the frontiers of
Chad is the responsibility of the military, rather than the
police, who control ports of entry. The intelligence bureau
of the national police force, also has responsibility for
monitoring the borders of Chad in conjunction with the
military. RSO Chad has requested training in 2006 to improve
Chad's rural border patrol operations and has requested that
this training be coordinated with PSI to ensure that there is
no duplication of effort between ATA and DOD.


H. The military unit that received PSI training has been
re-designated as the "anti-terrorism unit".


I. For information on the Chadian military encounter with
the GSPC, see paragraph A. Internally, cooperation between
the High Council for Islamic Affairs and the Government of
Chad has resulted in the banning of specific groups and
imams. The Muslim community in Chad is largely
self-regulating and the predominately Muslim Government is
consistently ready to curb extremist activities.


J. The Chadian military conducts operation in the north to
counter-terrorism and protect its borders. The GOC has 500
troops and participates in a joint border patrol with 200
French soldiers along the border with Sudan. This deployment
is aimed at preventing cross-border attacks from Darfur and
protecting Chad from Chadian rebel groups allegedly forming
inside Sudan.


K. Chadian Government officials, from President Deby to low
level police and immigration officials, demonstrate
consistent support for counter-terrorism efforts and a strong
desire for more C/T training.


L. As previously mentioned, the Chadian Government is
willing to counter terrorist activities. However, Chad is
one of the poorest countries in the world and lacks the
resources to strengthen its capacity to fight terrorism.


M. The GOC does not harbor or support the financial or
training activities of terrorists. In 2002, Chad ordered all
of the country's banks to freeze any accounts suspected of
suspected terrorist groups or organizations.


N. The GOC does not make public statements regarding states
that sponsor terror.


O. Status of terrorist activity in Chad will be sent via
classified e-mail.


P. Northern Chad is the area in which terrorist groups would
be most likely to operate because of its inaccessibility.
However, due to the extremely difficult desert terrain and
harsh climate, a group wishing to operate in the north would
require the assistance of locals to survive.


Q. The Chadian military encounter with the GSPC constitutes
a preventive attack against terrorism. Reporting on a
terrorism-related arrest will follow in classified channels.


R. The Chadian military engaged with the terrorist
organization GSPC in March 2004. See paragraph A.


2. Embassy POCs are Kathleen FitzGibbon (P/E Officer),
e-mail: fitzgibbonka@state.gov and Patrick Leonard (RSO),
e-mail: leonardpa@state.gov



3. Khartoum and Tripoli Minimize Considered.
WALL


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