PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SAYS SALAFIST THREAT IN

S E C R E T TUNIS 000053 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA/FO - GRAY; NEA/MAG - HOPKINS AND HARRIS NSC FOR ABRAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER TS SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR SAYS SALAFIST THREAT IN TUNISIA HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED REF: A. TUNIS 44 ¶B. TUNIS 31 ¶C. TUNIS 30 ¶D. TUNIS 16 ¶E. 05 TUNIS 2980 ¶F. 05 TUNIS 2973 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Summary: Minister of State and Special Presidential Advisor Ben Dhia today told the Ambassador with "quasi certitude" that the Tunisian security services had finished their operations against the armed Salafist group (reftels), which had been planning to target the US and British embassies. He said that GOT security services had found detailed plans of the embassies, as well as the names of "some" US and UK embassy officials, in the houses used by the armed men. Security services also found between 50-60 kg of locally produced explosives. Twelve of the suspects had been killed and 15 arrested; among the Tunisian security services, two had died and three were injured. End Summary. -------------- Threat Neutralized; US, UK Embassies Were Targets -------------- ¶2. (S) In a 50-minute courtesy call on January 8, Tunisian Minister of State, Special Advisor to the President, and Official Spokesperson of the Presidency Abdelaziz Ben Dhia told the Ambassador with "quasi certitude" that the GOT had wrapped up its security operations against the Salafist group with its December 23 and January 3 operations (reftels). The group had intended to target the US and British Embassies, according to the GOT's investigation of the matter and interrogation of the suspects. In the several houses used by the group, Tunisian security services found highly detailed maps of the US and British Embassies, including some that had been downloaded from googleearth.com, as well as lists with the names of "some officials" of those Embassies. Asked if the GOT security services had also found indications that the group had been planning to target some of the residences of employees of the US, UK, or French Embassies (as had been indicated by Foreign Minister Abdallah, ref A),Ben Dhia responded negatively. He also said that the group had not intended to target Tunisian interests. ¶3. (S) GOT security services found between 50-60 kilograms of explosives in the group's residences. Ben Dhia described the explosives as locally produced, "artisanal" in nature. Ben Dhia explained that the Tunisian security services had been monitoring the group since an initial group of six armed men had crossed the Algerian border. The security services kept these six suspects under surveillance as they were gradually joined by 21 others in the Grombalia area. On December 23, concluding that the group was beginning preparations for attacks planned to coincide with the end of the year, the GOT decided to act proactively to take the group down. Noting that local newspapers had published photographs of one of the residences used by the group, Ben Dhia explained that some of the suspects in the house during the December 23 shoot-out had managed to flee via an open window. -------------- Casualties -------------- ¶4. (S) In the aftermath of the GOT security operations, 12 of the suspects had been killed and 15 arrested, accounting for all 27 suspects, according to Ben Dhia. As for GOT casualties, Ben Dhia said there had been two killed and three wounded. Asked whether the GOT had been able to account for the support network that would have been required to sustain the group, Ben Dhia responded that the security services had investigated this matter, and that they consider the operation "terminated for the instant." -------------- Information-Sharing -------------- ¶5. (S) Ben Dhia credited the GOT's intelligence liaison relationships with friendly countries, notably Algeria and Libya, with producing the actionable intelligence to neutralize this threat. Thanking Ben Dhia for sharing this information, the Ambassador also reiterated that the USG stands reay to help the GOT in the fight against terrorism,emphasizing that "We are all in this fight togethe." Ambassador also encouraged Ben Dhia to share his information directly with the British and Frnch ambassadors, and other key members of the dilomatic corps, a suggestion Ben Dhia took on boar. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) In addiion to immediately sharing the above informationwith his British counterpart, Ambassador will folow up on this information in a January 9 meeting ith Minister of Interior and Local Development Raik Belhaj Kacem. ¶7. (S) While we welcome the pparent effectiveness of the Tunisian security srvices, and the willingness of two senior officils to share some information with us, we are troubed by several issues. First and foremost is the ailure of the GOT to share information sooner, ad in more detail. Second, we are struck by the ontradictions in some of the information we are eceiving. Tuesday's meeting with the Minister o the Interior may (and we underscore may) producemore concrete and detailed information. Until we et better information, we have only bits and piees of what increasingly appears to be a complex nd dangerou puzzle. -------------- Bio Notes -------------- ¶8. (C) Ben Dhia was confident, friendly, nd gracious during the meeting, and he appeared o be in good health. Twice invoking President Bn Ali's name, Ben Dhia underscored that he well nderstands Ben Ali's intentions, specifically noting that Ben Ali wants tosolidify relations with the United States. Ben hia also indicated that he comes from a family o imams; as such, he said, he takes particular umbrae at the "deviation" of Islam represented by Islmic extremists. Repeatedly bemoaning how easy itis for Islamic extremists to manipulate the ignoant, he ventured that were Mohammed to return toearth today, he would not recognize the Islam that many practice. Ben Dhia remembered fondly his fist official trip to the United States, which he ndertook as Minister of Higher Education at a tie when the USG and Tunisia were launching an eduational exchange program. He also noted that hisson travels to the United States "almost monthly." GODEC