BULGARIA: 2005 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 002051

SIPDIS

S/CT Rhonda Shore, S/CT Ed Salazar, NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: 2005 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: STATE 193439


1. The following submission provides Post's contributions
to the Department's "Country Reports on Terrorism 2005"
report.


2. Bulgaria remains a steadfast member of the global
coalition against terrorism. No significant acts of
terrorism occurred in Bulgaria in 2005. Bulgaria is not a
sponsor of terrorism and does not provide safe haven to
terrorist organizations. Significant actions taken by the
government of Bulgaria to support U.S. efforts against
terrorism are detailed below:

-- Bulgaria has ratified all major international instruments
on terrorism, extradition, and judicial cooperation in
criminal matters.

-- During 2005, Bulgaria participated in the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan. Bulgaria's support consisted
of 75 military personnel, including staff officers, a
mechanized infantry platoon, and military instructors. In
June, 2005, Bulgaria agreed to an expanded mission in
Afghanistan in which its troops will provide security for
Kabul Airport starting in August, 2006.

-- In addition, one Bulgarian battalion (386 personnel)
served in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Bulgarian troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by the
end of 2005, but the Bulgarian government remains committed
to the international effort to bring peace and stability to
Iraq and will likely provide troops for a smaller mission of
a different character in 2006.

-- During 2005, the Bulgarian government continued its high-
level of cooperation with the USG in preventing acts of
terrorism against United States citizens in Bulgaria and
elsewhere. This included information sharing on potential
terrorist threats and a heightened level of protection for
USG facilities.

-- The government maintained an anti-terror task force to
protect diplomatic missions.

-- The Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) was charged with
inspecting financial institutions and investigating
transactions valued at BGN 30,000 (approximately USD 18750)
or more.

-- The FIA remained vigilant against terrorist financing and
continued to cooperate with the U.S. government on
identifying terrorist assets. The FIA distributed lists of
individuals and organizations linked to terrorism to all of
the banks in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Interior, Customs,
and the Border Police. The FIA coordinated information
received on searches for persons and entities named in E.O.
13224 lists.

-- The FIA provided feedback, including information on the
response level of Bulgaria's banks, to the U.S. Treasury
Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN),
as well as to the Embassy. The FIA also provided statistics
to the USG on suspicious transactions referred to the
Prosecutor General for further action.

-- In February 2005, Bulgarian services and their Irish
counterparts foiled a plan by the individuals linked to the
Irish Republican Army (IRA) to move money through a
Bulgarian bank, reportedly for the purposes of money
laundering.

-- Neither the U.S. nor Bulgaria requested extradition of
suspected terrorists for prosecution during 2005. The
current U.S.-Bulgarian extradition treaty dates from 1924
and applies only to third-country nationals. However, in
February 2005, Parliament adopted a constitutional amendment
allowing future extradition treaties to provide for the
extradition of Bulgarian citizens.

-- Bulgarian law limits the use of specialized investigative
techniques (SITs),including interception and surveillance
of wire, oral, and electronic communications. SITs can be
used for the prevention and disclosure of grave crimes -
legally defined as punishable by more than five years
imprisonment -- and to the extent that the necessary
information cannot be gathered otherwise.

-- Bulgarian responses to terrorism included numerous
official public statements and efforts to assist with
international terrorism investigations. While Bulgarian
border control has been strengthened in preparation for EU
accession in 2007, Bulgaria's strategic location on major
Balkan transit routes makes it vulnerable to illegal flows
of people, contraband, narcotics, and money. Fraudulent
documents continue to be readily available despite renewed
efforts by the Bulgarian government -- in cooperation with
the U.S. Secret Service -- to curb counterfeiting.

-- Bulgaria's religious leaders, including leaders of the
nation's Muslim community, continued to speak out strongly
against extremism and the use of terrorism.

-- There is no significant change since 2004 in Bulgarian
government's attitude toward terrorism. Continuing
casualties among Bulgarian soldiers and civilians in Iraq
underscored the fact that terrorism is a threat to
Bulgarians. Since 2003, Bulgarian casualties in Iraq have
included 13 military and 6 civilians killed, as well as 80
military personnel wounded. Bulgarian diplomatic missions
worldwide increased their level security due to a rise in
terrorist-related threats.

-- The GoB does not provide any kind of support for
international terrorism, terrorists or terrorist groups.

-- The GoB has not made any public statements in support of
a terrorist-supporting country on a terrorism issue.


3. Embassy Point of Contact is Political Officer John
Senior:
Office Telephone: +359 2 937 5270
Office Fax: +359 2 937 5320
Email: seniorjm@state.gov

BEYRLE