Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRUSSELS3930
2006-11-27 12:46:00
SECRET
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

USG DELEGATION APPROACHES BELGIUM ON PKK TERRORISM

Tags:  BE PREL PTER TU 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #3930/01 3311246
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 271246Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3713
S E C R E T BRUSSELS 003930 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
TAGS: BE PREL PTER TU
SUBJECT: USG DELEGATION APPROACHES BELGIUM ON PKK TERRORISM

REF: A. BRUSSELS 1585


B. BRUSSELS 1083 C. BRUSSELS 225

Classified By: POLCOUNS TED ANDREWS. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

S E C R E T BRUSSELS 003930

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
TAGS: BE PREL PTER TU
SUBJECT: USG DELEGATION APPROACHES BELGIUM ON PKK TERRORISM

REF: A. BRUSSELS 1585


B. BRUSSELS 1083 C. BRUSSELS 225

Classified By: POLCOUNS TED ANDREWS. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (S) SUMMARY: An inter-agency USG team, led by S/CT
Principal Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator Frank Urbancic,
met with representatives of Belgium's counterterrorism, law
enforcement, and intelligence communities to discuss ways to
engender joint cooperation against the Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK),a USG and EU-designated foreign terrorist
organization. The meetings were the first step in initiating
an ongoing bilateral dialogue that would explore various ways
to combat PKK activities in Belgium, including through
intelligence exchange, investigating organized crime,
prosecutions, diplomatic initiatives, and steps against
terrorist financing. The Belgians, who have indicated in the
past that increasd dialogue would help facilitate their
effort to monitor and combat the PKK (ref A),reacted
positively to the idea of increased bilateral cooperation.
They were optimistic about the November 7 Belgian Court of
Appeals decision to uphold DHKP-C convictions (and in some
case apply longer sentences) under Belgium's 2003
antiterrorism law. According to MFA Counterterrorism Adviser
Andre Ceulemans, Belgium "will look at this and other avenues
to fight the PKK." END SUMMARY.


2. (S) S/CT Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator Frank
Urbancic, EUR/SE Director Doug Silliman, Department of
Treasury Advisor on Terrorism Finance Justin Serafini,
Department of Justice Legal Adviser Suzanne Hayden, and S/CT
Regional Affairs Officer Zachary Rothschild, accompanied by
embassy staff, met with representatives from Belgium's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Security Service (Surete),
and Federal Police November 8 to discuss ways the U.S. and
Belgium can develop an agreed set of measures to combat PKK
activities in Belgium. The MFA's Deputy Political Director
and Counterterrorism Adviser Andre Ceulemans and Surete's
Chief of Intelligence Operations Robin Libert chaired
separate meetings with the USG team. Embassy staff and
Ambassador Korologos met with the USG team prior to their
meetings with the Belgians to discuss Belgian thinking on the

PKK and consider the most promising approach to use with the
GoB.


3. (S) Urbancic laid out USG thinking to the Belgians. He
said the United States is trying to engage European partners
on the PKK and find a new way to talk about the group, not
just as a terrorist organization but as an organized crime
group engaging in a myriad of criminal activities to support
terrorism, activities that host countries could investigate
and prosecute, under local criminal laws. These include
extortion, money laundering, and tax evasion. A broader view
of what constitutes terrorism -- and what activities support
and facilitate terrorism -- could be crucial in host country
efforts to combat the PKK.


4. (S) Both MFA and Surete officials pointed to the November
7 Belgian Court of Appeals decision to uphold the DHKP-C
convictions handed down in February under the 2003
antiterrorism law as very important; they thought the ruling
would influence the PKK to limit its activities in Belgium.
They said Belgian authorities will now review the court
decision and assess if and how they can go after the PKK
under the law, particularly in terms of sentencing and the
type of activity criminalized. Ceulemans said Belgium "will
look at this and other avenues to fight the PKK." He said
racketeering and extortion by the PKK was difficult to prove,
but thought the 2003 antiterrorism law provided a good
vehicle for going after criminal activity. Urbancic
concurred that the court ruling was a major positive step,
and agreed with Ceulemans that any avenue for disrupting PKK
operations and making their activities more transparent is
important. He said the U.S. wants to work with Belgian
authorities to help investigate criminal activity and
vehicles for financing terrorism.


5. (S) Ceulemans, pointing to the DHKP-C and the Moroccan
Islamic Combatant Group (GICM) prosecutions, said Belgium's
2003 Terrorist Offence Act has made it easier to fight
terrorism. He said Belgium was considering creating a
separate national list of terrorists, hopefully by next year,
that might list PKK "subsidiary" groups. Right now, Belgium
follows EU listings. Ceulemans mentioned the case against
ROJ-TV, pending in a Brussels court, where prosecutors are
exploring whether ROJ-TV was involved in money laundering.
He called the case a "good sign" for Belgian activism against
the PKK. (He was not sure when the case would be resolved.)


6. (S) EUR/SE Silliman noted it was important to look at the
activities of NGO's used to raise and launder money for the
PKK, and pointed to the use of direct flights from Europe
(including Brussels) into northern Iraq to carry cash to PKK
terrorists in Iraq. Surete's Libert said cash couriers were
used extensively, often funneling money through the Channel
Islands. In terms of investigating other criminal activity,
police officials lamented it was often difficult to bring
criminal cases ("no one complains about extortion").


7. (S) Silliman further inquired about the kind of
information that would be useful to Belgian officials in
focusing their investigations. He said the U.S. was working
on raising the quality of information provided by Turkey.
Ceulemans noted Belgian prosecutors could not use classified
information in their criminal files and the quality of
Turkey's information was limited. Belgian authorities
signaled a willingness to cooperate with the US against the
PKK through both a law enforcement approach, as well as
through counterterrorism measures.


8. (S) Despite barriers to the use of classified information
in courts, new Belgian authorities permit new types of
investigations. Representatives from the Belgian Federal
Police said the Federal Prosecutor's office is seriously
considering investigating both large and small non-profit
groups under year-old legislation that permitted Belgian
authorities to review NGO finances. The investigation would
focus initially at a national level, but may broaden to
include international connections in due course, and not only
cover potential fronts for the PKK, but organizations aiding
and abetting other terrorist organizations.


9. (S) Silliman also asked if it were possible for Belgium
to withdraw the asylum, refugee, or residence status granted
years earlier to PKK leaders. Ceulemans thought it would be
difficult if no criminal charges were pending. He said PKK
members can circulate freely and organize events authorized
by local authorities, as long as they engaged in
"non-incitement activities." Ceulemans' assistant, Veronique
Petit, thought refugee status could be refused or rescinded
under the Geneva Convention based on the commission of war
crimes or crimes against humanity, but specific evidence was
needed on a case-by-case basis. Petit said she would review
the question further, but thought it would be difficult to
use such an approach in Belgium.


10. (S) Urbancic expressed appreciation to the Belgians for
their cooperation and called these initial meetings the first
in a series in which we want to deepen our discussion of the
PKK, collaborate to combat PKK activities, and explore host
countries' capabilities. He wondered about the possibility
of Belgium hosting an inter-ministerial meeting to further
discuss the PKK. Ceulemans responded that the bilateral
collaboration was "a productive path" for Belgium and noted
he would alert relevant ministries about the meeting,
including Justice Minister Onkelinx. Police officials wanted
to proceed with cautious optimism, until Belgian authorities
could complete their review of the Court of Appeals ruling in
the DHKP-C case and assess how much can be done under the
2003 antiterrorism law. Libert, however, thought approaching
the PKK from an organized crime and terrorism angle might
work.


11. (U) Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator Urbancic
approved this message.

KOROLOGOS
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