IRANIAN AND LIBYAN TERRORISM

S E C R E T MOGADISHU 03219

TERREP

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER PINS PREL LY IR SO
SUBJECT: IRANIAN AND LIBYAN TERRORISM


1. SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. LIBYAN TERRORISM: EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR MEKKY
(PROTECT SOURCE) TOLD ME MARCH 24 THAT HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT THE RECENT LIBYAN PUBLIC RECRUITMENT DRIVE
(MOGADISHU 3124) HAD RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL
RECRUITMENT OF ABOUT 40 SOMALIS, WHO LEFT MOGADISHU
SUPPOSEDLY FOR DESTINATIONS IN THE GULF BUT ACTUALLY
TO GO ON TO LIBYA FOR TRAINING. MEKKY'S UNDERSTANDING
WAS THAT QADHAFI WAS INTENDING TO PUT THESE AND
OTHER FOREIGN RECRUITS INTO A KIND OF SUICIDE BATTA-
LION TO BE TARGETTED AGAINST AMERICANS IN THE EVENT
OF HOSTILITIES IN THE GULF OF SIDRA. (NOTE: WE WOULD
APPRECITE RECEIVING ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE
LIBYAN IDEA BEHIND THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, WHICH WE
GATHER WERE UNDERTAKEN BY THE LIBYANS AS FAR AFIELD
AS AUSTRALIA.) MEKKY ADDED THAT EGYPTIAN INFORMATION
WAS THAT OF THE 12 PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE LIBYAN
PEOPLE'S BUREAU HERE, EIGHT WERE TERRORISTS. HIS
FEELING WAS THAT THE LIBYANS MIGHT NOT INTEND ANY
EARLY TERRORIST ACTION IN MOGADISHU, AND HE HOPED
THAT THEY MIGHT BE DISSUADED FROM ACTION AGAINST HIS
EMBASSY BY THE FACT THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED THE CHILDREN
OF THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO LIBYANS IN THE
EGYPTIAN SCHOOL, PLUS THE FACT THAT A COUPLE OF THE
LIBYANS HAD BEEN EDUCATED IN EGYPT. HOWEVER, HE
CONTINUED, LIBYAN OFFICIALS WOULD PRESUMABLY CARRY OUT
ORDERS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY HAD BEEN EDUCATED.
HE SAID THAT IF THERE SHOULD BE ANY ATTACK ON HIS
PEOPLE HERE, HE HAD ORDERED THAT THE LIBYAN CHILDREN
BE BROUGHT FOR "SAFEKEEPING" DIRECT FROM THE EGYPTIAN
SCHOOL TO THE EGYPTIAN CHANCERY.
-

3. IRANIAN TERRORISM: MEKKY SHARED WITH ME A CAIRO
REPORT THAT NORTH KOREAN INSTRUCTORS HAD BEEN CONDUCTING
TERRORIST TRAINING AT A MILITARY INSTALLATION IN IRAN,
AND THAT 40 SUCH IRANIAN TRAINEES, OF WHOM 11 WERE
WOMEN, HAD LEFT TEHERAN EARLY ON THE MORNING OF
JANUARY 15 BY MILITARY AIRCRAFT FOR AN UNKNOWN DESTINA-
TION. THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY HAD SHARED THIS INFORMA-
TION WITH SOMALI SECURITY OFFICIALS ON MARCH 8; THERE
WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF THE IRANIANS HAD COME
TO SOMALIA.


4. COMMENT: RE PARA 2, THE SOMALI AUTHORITIES DID
THEIR UTMOST TO COUNTER THE LIBYAN RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
AND WE ARE SOMEWHAT DOUBTFUL AS MANY AS 40 RECRUITED
SOMALIS HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY. NOR HAVE WE BEEN ABLE
TO CONFIRM THAT AS MANY AS 8 OF THE 12 LIBYAN
"DIPLOMATS" HERE ARE TERRORISTS.


BRIDGES