GOVERNMENT REACTION: GUYANA AND THE JFK TERROR PLOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000556 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS CARACAS ALSO FOR LEGATT PORT OF SPAIN ALSO FOR LEGATT E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2017 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL CVIS GY SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT REACTION: GUYANA AND THE JFK TERROR PLOT Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID M. ROBINSON FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: With emotions ranging from defensiveness, to apprehension, to contrition, President Bharrat Jagdeo initiated multiple conversations with the Ambassador through the weekend regarding the JFK terror plot, distancing his government from the Guyanese involved and reiterating that Guyana remains a partner in the fight against global terrorism. The GOG released an official statement on June 2, denying that Abdul Kadir, the former Guyana Parliament member arrested for terrorism, was a government official. The Ambassador met with Islamic leaders in Guyana, who said that terrorism is a violation of Islamic principals and condemned the plot. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Upon learning that Guyanese citizens were directly involved in the terrorist plot to attack JFK Airport, President Jagdeo initiated an on-going dialogue with the Ambassador, pledging Guyana's support and offering assistance in prosecuting the alleged terrorists. Jagdeo initially welcomed news of the arrests, but later, as he watched the reports on CNN and Fox News unfold, he became concerned that this would be a "big, black eye for Guyana" since Guyanese played a central role in the plot. Jagdeo told the Ambassador that the GOG was committed to assisting the U.S. and he offered to extradite, if necessary, any of the Guyanese involved in the terrorist plot. ¶3. (C) The GOG released an official statement on June 2nd, distancing itself from the Guyanese involved in the incident, specifically pointing out that former PNCR Parliamentarian Abdul Kadir "is not nor was never (sic) a Government of Guyana official." To emphasize this point, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee held a press conference wherein he pronounced that Guyana is a partner in the fight against global terrorism and that it will cooperate with all countries in pursuance of this objective. Various other political entities, from the Guyana Police Force to the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) party, released statements and pledged their support in the fight against terrorism. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Robinson met with Wazir Baksh, Leader of the Guyana Islamic Trust to convey that the arrest of the JFK plotters was an action to protect the U.S. from terrorism, but in no way represents a USG action against Islam, as had been implied by some local news reports. Baksh said that terrorism is a violation of Islamic principals and condemned the plot. He noted that Kadir was on the fringe of the Guyanese Islamic community and that Kadir's actions in no way represent the mainstream of Guyanese Islam. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: It is clear from both Jagdeo's response to the Ambassador, and the official GOG statement, that Guyana is concerned about the ramifications of having its citizens so closely involved in a planned U.S. terrorist attack. AFC leader Rapheal Trotman summed it up best, stating that "unfortunately, Guyana has once again achieved notoriety for something on the dark side." In order to counter this taint, the GOG went out of their way to both distance themselves from the alleged terrorists and to pledge support for the fight against terrorism. Although the GOG is often careful not to seem too supportive of the U.S., they closed ranks on this issue. Robinson