UGANDA: 1989 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS KAMPALA 04953 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE DEPT. FOR S/CT FOR WHARTON E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PTER SUBJECT: UGANDA: 1989 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 363024 ¶1. THE ABILITY OF THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TO REACT IN A TIMELY AND/OR EFFECTIVE MANNER IS LIMITED. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC AGENCY THAT IS SINGULARLY TASKED WITH HANDLING A TERRORISM INCIDENT. THE MOST PROBABLE ACTION AGENCY WOULD BE THE INTERNAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION ACTING ON APPROVAL OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE NATIONAL POLICE AND ITS SPECIAL BRANCH COMPONENT, AS WELL AS THE INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL UNDER THE POLICE INSPECTOR GENERAL WOULD COOPERATE WITH THE DIRECT ACTION AGENCY IN HANDLING THE INCIDENT/S. THERE PROBABLY IS NO MANAGEMENT CRISIS TEAM WITHIN THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE EITHER A TERRORIST INCIDENT OR HOSTAGE TYPE CRISIS. ¶2. THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) HAS AN OFFICE IN KAMPALA WHICH RECENTLY HAS BEEN GIVEN DIPLOMATIC STATUS BY THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT. THE PLO MISSION IN KAMPALA ALSO RECENTLY WAS HEADED BY AN AMBASSADOR WHO WAS NAMED/DESIGNATED BY PLO LEADER ARAFAT. UGANDA HAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED THE PLO AS A SEPARATE STATE WITH ARAFAT ENSCONCED AS ITS PRESIDENT. UGANDA HAS OFTEN EXPRESSED ITS SUPPORT FOR THE PLO AND ITS STRUGGLE FOR A HOMELAND. ¶3. THERE ARE TWO OTHER MISSIONS IN KAMPALA THAT COULD BE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THESE INCLUDE THE LIBYAN PEOPLE'S BUREAU (LPB),THE HEAD OF WHOM HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO AMBASSADOR STATUS, AS A RESULT OF INCREASINGLY WARM RELATIONS BETWEEN UGANDA AND LIBYA. DURING RECENT MONTHS, UNIDENTIFIED LIBYAN PERSONNEL HAVE CARRIED OUT SURVEILLANCE AGAINST THE U.S. MISSION'S MARINE CONTINGENT BUT SUCH SURVEILLANCE WAS DISCONTINUED. ALSO, THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK) CONSISTS OF A SMALL DIPLOMATIC MISSION WHOSE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVE IN THE PAST IN REGARD TO SURVEILLANCE OF US MISSION PERSONNEL. RECENTLY, THE SOVIETS HAVE SOUGHT INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY SOME NEWLY ARRIVED US MISSION PERSONNEL, HOWEVER, THEIR ACTIONS WERE PROBABLY RELATED TO FURTHERANCE OF THEIR CI EFFORTS RATHER THAN BEARING ANY RELATIONSHIP TO TERRORISM. ¶4. THE UGANDAN GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT ALLOW ITS TERRITORY TO BE USED AS A BASE FOR INSURGENT GROUPS WHICH ATTACK UGANDA'S NEIGHBORS OR FOR TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. ¶5. AT PRESENT THE U.S. MISSION DOES NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR EVIDENCE OF TERRORIST-RELATED ACTIVITIES IN UGANDA. THIS, HOWEVER, DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE FACT THAT THE MERE PRESENCE OF LIBYANS GIVE RISE TO THE POTENTIAL OF A TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST THE USG AND OUR INTERESTS IN UGANDA. BURROUGHS