FRANCE ON SUDAN: SHOW US PROOF OF TERRORIST

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 34022


E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER PINR SU FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE ON SUDAN: SHOW US PROOF OF TERRORIST
SUPPORT

REF: STATE 277307


1. SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY. QUAI OFFICIALS STATE THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY
CONVINCED OF SUDANESE SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM, AND ASK
FOR FIRMER PROOF OF THE EXISTENCE OF TRAINING CAMPS.
THEY STRESS THAT THE POVERTY OF SUDAN, IN THEIR VIEW,
PREVENTS IT FROM BEING A SUPPORTER OF TERRORISM IN THE
FASHION OF A LIBYA OR AN IRAN. END SUMMARY.


SUDANESE TOO POOR TO SUPPORT TERRORISM?
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3. QUAI DIRECTOR FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICAN
AFFAIRS BERNADETTE LE FORT AND SUDAN DESKOFF RAJA RABIA
TOLD VISITING INR TERRORISM ANALYST GINA BENNETT
DECEMBER 8 THAT THE FRENCH BELIEVE THE SUDANESE LACK
THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO SUPPORT TERRORISM. LE FORT
MENTIONED THAT IN THE PAST, TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE
TYPICALLY HAD SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT FROM A STATE, SUCH AS
IRAN OR LIBYA, AND THAT SUDAN QUITE SIMPLY LACKED THE
SAME SORT OF RESOURCES THAT THOSE COUNTRIES HAVE.


4. LE FORT SAID THE FRENCH HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE ARE
UPWARDS OF 23 CAMPS AROUND KHARTOUM. THEY ALSO
UNDERSTAND THAT BIN LADEN, A SAUDI STRIPPED OF HIS
CITIZENSHIP WHO IS STILL A PATRON TO SOME TERRORIST
GROUPS, HAS A NUMBER OF SO-CALLED FARMS IN SOUTHERN
SUDAN. SHE ADDED THAT THE FRENCH DO NOT BELIEVE ANY
SERIOUS "MILITARY" TRAINING WAS TAKING PLACE IN SUDAN.


FRENCH FEEL SUDAN NOT AN "ACTIVE" SUPPORTER OF TERRORISM
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5. LE FORT SAID THAT FRANCE WAS CONCERNED BY THE
"SYMBOLIC MEANING" OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN SUDAN
TO SUBSAHARAN AFRICA, BUT HAD NO EVIDENCE THAT SUDAN IS
"ACTIVELY" SUPPORTING TERRORISM. "WE FOLLOW SOME
GROUPS CAREFULLY, AND WORRY MORE ABOUT THEIR MORAL
INFLUENCE MORE THAN THEIR ACTIVE INFLUENCE," SHE SAID.
SHE OPINED THAT MOST COUNTRIES TERRORISM PROBLEMS ARE
HOMEGROWN, CITING ALGERIA AS AN EXAMPLE. SHE ALSO
MENTIONED SUDAN'S PERMEABLE BORDERS AND SUGGESTED THERE
MIGHT BE ACTIVITIES WITHIN SUDAN THAT ARE UNKNOWN TO
ITS GOVERNMENT. SHE SAID THAT FRANCE NEVERTHELESS
REMAINS "VERY FIRM" IN ITS DEALINGS WITH THE SUDANESE
GOVERNMENT. RABIA MENTIONED SEPARATELY THAT THE GOF
CONSIDERS TURABI "DANGEROUS", AND THAT FRANCE SHOULD IN
NO WAY BE CONSIDERED A SUPPORTER OF THE SUDANESE
GOVERNMENT.


FRENCH ASK TO SEE EVIDENCE
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6. LE FORT ASKED WHETHER THE USG HAS SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
OF TRAINING OF HAMAS IN SUDAN, AND WHETHER THE USG
COULD SHARE CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF THE EXISTENCE OF
TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS IN SUDAN. RABIA MENTIONED
THAT SUCH EVIDENCE WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO
FRANCE DURING ITS PRESIDENCY OF THE EU.


7. WE RESPONDED THAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS ANY
LONGER THE CASE THAT TERRORIST GROUPS NEED A MAJOR
STATE SPONSOR OR EVEN EASILY IDENTIFIABLE TRAINING
CAMPS, IN ORDER TO TO CARRY OUT THEIR ACTIVITIES,
CITING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBERS AS EXAMPLES. WE
REITERATED THAT WE VIEWED THE HARBORING OF TERRORISTS
AND PERMITTING THEM TO TRAIN IN SUDAN AS SUPPORT FOR
TERRORISM. WE SAID WE WOULD PASS ON THE FRENCH REQUEST
TO SEE MORE CONCRETE EVIDENCE.

COMMENT
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8. THIS IS THE FIRST SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WE HAVE
HAD IN RESPONSE TO OUR DEMARCHE ON TERRORISM IN SUDAN
(REF). WE AND THE FRENCH ARE SEEING SOME OF THE SAME
FACTS (I.E. THE EXISTENCE OF CAMPS AND THE PRESENCE OF
KNOWN TERRORISTS IN SUDAN),BUT ARE ASCRIBING DIFFERENT
MEANINGS TO THEM. THE FRENCH MAY HAVE MORE OF AN
AGENDA IN SUDAN THAN THEY ARE WILLING TO SHARE WITH
US. ONE WELL-INFORMED NON-GOVERNMENT SOURCE SUGGESTS
FRANCE WANTS TO MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH TURABI ET
AL., IN THE HOPE OF USING SUDAN TO MODERATE ISLAMISTS
IN ALGERIA.


BOHLEN