(C) FOILED CAIRO TERROR ATTACK TURNS OUT TO BE A

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 000741

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2026
TAGS: ASEC PTER EG KE
SUBJECT: (C) FOILED CAIRO TERROR ATTACK TURNS OUT TO BE A
NON-STORY

REF: NAIROBI 627

Classified By: Pol/C Michael J. Fitzpatrick, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The February 12 Kenyan press reports that
Kenyan Police foiled an Al Qa'ida terrorist plot against
Cairo appears to be another case of the media jumping the gun
and getting the story wrong. While some suspects were indeed
arrested following an information request from Interpol, no
link to terrorist activity has yet been established. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) Kenya's NATION newspaper reported February 12 that
Kenyan police arrested five individuals planning a terrorist
attack against the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cairo
(reftel). Post is unable to confirm however, exactly how
many persons were arrested, much less that they had been
planning a terrorist attack in Cairo (against an
already-concluded sports event) -- or anywhere else.
According to contacts in the Criminal Investigation Division
(CID) of the Kenya Police, CID received a cable from Interpol
HeadQuarters in France requesting they track a telephone
number of interest. CID investigators identified the owner of
the number as a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) employee in
Wajir, in Kenya's North Eastern Province (near the Somali
border). The CID officers proceeded to arrest the KWS
employee as well as several people he had contacted via the
telephone in question. A CID contact informed LEGAT that no
mention of Al Qa,ida, bombs, Cairo or Egypt was ever
documented. Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) Commandant,
Nicholas Kamwende, said this was a case of young CID officers
blowing a case out of proportion and jumping at the possible
opportunity to make a big arrest. To date, Kamwende believes
there is no proof that the suspects have any terrorist
connections, and the case will likely never go to trial.


3. (C) The newspaper article also asserted the raid was part
of an international effort involving Kenyan, South Africa and
Egyptian Police. According to an Egyptian diplomat in
Nairobi, the Egyptian police had no role in this arrest. In
fact, the Egyptians were caught by surprise when they read
the article. In July 2004, the Egyptians passed information
to the Kenyan Government that Kenyans of Somali origins were
possibly planning attacks against Egyptian interests in the
Horn of Africa. However, they never had information that
anyone in Kenya was planning attack on Egyptian soil.


4. (C) COMMENT: This event highlights several serious issues
in Kenya,s handling of terrorist activity. First, CID
officers should be handing any terrorist-related
investigations over to the ATPU, not running out to make
pre-mature arrests on their own. In fact, Commandant
Kamwende told RSO previously that ATPU needs to realign under
the CID as opposed to being gazetted as a separate entity.
Currently, ATPU reports to the Kenya Police leadership
directly, and Commissioner Ali does not want to relinquish
that oversight by joining ATPU up with the CID. The manner
in which the various police and investigative entities work,
or do not work, together makes terrorist interdiction a
serious challenge.


5. (C) COMMENT (Cont.): Of course, the media,s lack of
professionalism -- they apparently never asked for official
police confirmation -- does not help the situation.
Commissioner Ali and CID officials are now scrambling to
figure out exactly how the press got their hands on the story
and how they were able to blow it so out of proportion.
(Self-promotion within police ranks is not out of the
question.) This serves as a reminder to take Kenyan press
reporting with a grain of salt. END COMMENT.
BELLAMY