RUSSIAN INTEREST IN COUNTER-TERRORISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 146571


E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PTER PREL RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN INTEREST IN COUNTER-TERRORISM
COOPERATION


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: RUSSIAN EMBASSY COUNSELLOR EDWARD MALAYAN,
ACCOMPANIED BY SECOND SECRETARY BUGAYEV, CALLED ON S/CT
DIRECTOR FOR REGIONAL AFFAIRS JON GREENWALD MAY 6 TO
PICK UP COPY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S JUST ISSUED REPORT
"PATTERNS OF TERRORISM 1991." HE CONFIRMED RUSSIAN
INTEREST IN RESUMING THE DIALOGUE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM
COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. THAT HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED WITH
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE SOVIET UNION. GREENWALD SAID THE
U.S. WOULD WELCOME THIS AT A TIME WHEN THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT WAS READY TO PROCEED SINCE THERE WERE
PRACTICAL ISSUES WHICH IT COULD BENEFIT BOTH SIDES TO
DISCUSS. END SUMMARY.


3. GREENWALD SAID THAT THE NEW REPORT PRESENTED A MIXED
PICTURE. THERE HAD BEEN POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS DURING
THE YEAR, INCLUDING THE EXCELLENT INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION AGAINST IRAQI TERRORISM CAPABILITIES AT THE
TIME OF THE GULF WAR AND THE BEGINNING OF THE UNITED
NATIONS' EFFORT TO ACHIEVE JUSTICE IN THE PAN AM AND UTA
BOMBINGS AND END LIBYAN SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISM. IT
WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE REPORT, HOWEVER. THAT TERRORISM
REMAINED A SERIOUS CONCERN AND A HIGH USG PRIORITY.


4. MALAYAN ASKED ABOUT PROSPECTS FOR LIBYAN COMPLIANCE
WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND SAID THE
DECISION TO REMOVE RUSSIAN MILITARY ADVISERS HAD BEEN
PAINFUL FOR MOSCOW SINCE IT FORFEITED HARD CURRENCY.
GREENWALD SAID SANCTIONS WERE GENERALLY BEING ADHERED TO
VERY WELL, WITH SOME ROOM FOR QUESTION ON THE
APPROPRIATE STANDARD FOR "SIGNIFICANT" REDUCTION OF
LIBYAN DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE. THE UNSC WOULD REVIEW THE
COMPLIANCE REPORTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY MEMBER STATES BY
MAY 15. IT WAS TOO EARLY TO KNOW WHETHER THE SANCTIONS
WOULD PRODUCE THE DESIRED EFFECT ON LIBYA, HE SAID, BUT
THE TIGHTER THEIR APPLICATION, THE BETTER THE CHANCE.
THE U.S. KNEW HOW DIFFICULT THE MILITARY ADVISER
DECISION HAD BEEN, HE SAID, AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED THE
RUSSIAN POSITION.


5. IN RESPONSE TO MALAYAN'S QUESTION, GREENWALD SAID
THE RECENT TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY QUESTIONING THE
GOVERNMENT'S VERSION OF THE PAN AM BOMBING WAS BASED ON
OLD REPORTS THAT HAD BEEN THOROUGHLY CHECKED OUT AT THE
TIME AND WERE CONSIDERED GROUNDLESS. MALAYAN SAID "WE
LOOKED INTO THEM AND REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION."


6. THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WAS STILL IN SOME FLUX WITH
RESPECT TO RESPONSIBILITY FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM, MALAYAN
SAID. HE EXECTED THE LEGAL ADVISER TO RETAIN THE
PRIMARY ROLE ON THE MFA SIDE. IAKOVLEV, WHO HAD
CONDUCTED THE INITIAL BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS FOR THE
SOVIET UNION WITH AMBASSADOR BUSBY IN 1990-1991,
HOWEVER, HAD BEEN REMOVED IN DECEMBER. HIS "YOUNG"
REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT TO BE TRANSFERED AS AMBASSADOR TO
THE NETHERLANDS, AND IT WAS UNCLEAR WHO WOULD TAKE
OVER. WE WOULD FIND, HE ADDED, THAT MOST OF THE KGB
SPECIALISTS WITH WHOM WE HAD DEALT IN THOSE SESSIONS
CONTINUED TO OCCUPY SIMILAR POSITIONS IN THE NEW RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.


7. THE U.S. WAS INTERESTED IN TAKING UP THIS IMPORTANT
DIALOGUE WHEN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WAS READY,
GREENWALD SAID. A U.S. DELEGATION WAS IN MOSCOW THIS
WEEK FOR THE EXPERT LEVEL TALKS CALLED FOR UNDER THE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON AIRCRAFT HIJACKING
PROCEDURES, BUT WE WISHED TO PURSUE ALSO THE BROADER
THEMES THAT HAD BEGUN TO BE DISCUSSED PRODUCTIVELY WITH
THE SOVIET UNION.


8. MALAYAN SAID THAT THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AGREED IT
WAS IMPORTANT TO RESUME THIS DIALOGUE. IN ADDITION TO
ISSUES SUCH AS LIBYA, HE SAID, THE SITUATION IN PARTS OF
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION GAVE RISE TO TERRORISM
CONCERNS. RUSSIA CONTINUED TO WORRY ABOUT NUCLEAR
TERRORISM, WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED BY THE SOVIET
DELEGATION IN EARLIER CONSULTATIONS AND HAD ACQUIRED
MORE URGENCY WITH THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION.
THERE HAD EVEN BEEN SUCH A THREAT AT ONE POINT BY
CHECHENS IN THEIR DISPUTE WITH MOSCOW, HE NOTED.


BAKER