THE PRESIDENT'S NEW COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE

S E C R E T STATE 019130





E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR

TAGS: PTER, EFIN, PREL

SUBJECT: THE PRESIDENT'S NEW COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE



1. SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE.



2. SUMMARY: ON JANUARY 24, PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNED AN

EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BLOCK ASSETS IN THE UNITED STATES OF

TWELVE DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS THAT THREATEN

TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. THE ORDER

ALSO PROHIBITS FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS WITH THESE

GROUPS. THE WHITE HOUSE ALSO ANNOUNCED JANUARY 24 THAT

THE PRESIDENT WILL SOON SEND TO THE CONGRESS NEW,

STRENGTHENED, ANTI-TERRORIST LEGISLATION. THESE

INITIATIVES , TOGETHER, RESPOND TO A RISING INCIDENCE OF

TERRORISM AIMED ATTHE PEACE PROCESS, THE PROBLEM OF

FUNDING OF TERRORIST GROUPS BY DONORS IN THE U.S., AND

THE CONTINUING THREAT FROM INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM OF

ALL KINDS, WORLDWIDE. POSTS ARE ASKED TO BRIEF HOST

GOVERNMENTS ON THESE U.S. INITIATIVES AND URGE THEM TO

TAKE SIMILAR STEPS TO BROADEN THEIR COUNTERTERRORISM

LAWS, INCLUDING, ESPECIALLY, MEASURES AGAINST FUND

RAISING. YOU MAY DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS,

TAILORING THEM TO FIT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR HOST

GOVERNMENT AND OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. END SUMMARY.



-- THE MENACE OF TERRORISM CONTINUES TO THREATEN

THE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE AROUND

THE WORLD, AND INTERNATIONAL CONCERN ABOUT TERRORISM IS

RISING.



-- TERRORISM IS A PARTICULAR THREAT TO THE MIDDLE

EAST PEACE PROCESS, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE BOMBING

ATTACK IN ISRAEL WHICH KILLED AT LEAST 19 ON JANUARY 22,

AND MANY OTHER RECENT ATTACKS THERE.



-- OTHER EXAMPLES OF TERRORISM DESIGNED TO DISRUPT

THE PEACE PROCESS BY ATTACKING THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT,

INCLUDE ATTACKS ON EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES,

THREATS AGAINST PALESTINIANS, THE MASSACRE AT THE MOSQUE

IN HEBRON, AND BOMBINGS IN BUENOS AIRES AND LONDON

AGAINST ISRAELI AND JEWISH TARGETS.



-- SUCH ATTACKS THREATEN TO DISRUPT A PROCESS OF

PEACE AND RECONCILIATION TO WHICH ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS

AND SEVERAL ARAB STATES HAVE MADE AN HISTORIC AND

COURAGEOUS COMMITMENT.



THE PRESIDENT IS TAKING TWO IMPORTANT INITIATIVES.

FIRST, TO STRENGTHEN UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO COUNTER

THE DANGER OF TERRORISM TO THE PEACE PROCESS, AND

SECOND, TO COMBAT THE GLOBAL TERRORIST THREAT.



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EXECUTIVE ORDER

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-- ON JANUARY 24, PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCED AN

EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BLOCK ASSETS IN THE UNITED STATES OF

TWELVE DESIGNATED MIDDLE EAST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.

THE ORDER ALSO PROHIBITS TRANSFERS BY U.S. DONORS TO

THESE ORGANIZATIONS.



-- THE TWELVE DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ARE:



-- ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION (ANO)



-- DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (DFLP)



-- HIZBALLAH



-- ISLAMIC GAMA'AT (IG)



-- ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT (HAMAS)



-- JIHAD



-- KACH



-- KAHANE CHAI



-- PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD-SHIQAQI FACTION (PIJ)



-- PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT-ABU ABBAS FACTION (PLF-ABU ABBAS)



-- POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP)



-- POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE-GENERAL COMMAND (PFLP-GC)



OTHER GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BE DESIGNATED, AS

NEEDED, IN ADMINISTERING THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.



-- THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDER IS TO PREVENT FUNDING

FROM U.S. SOURCES OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WHICH THREATEN

TO DISRUPT THE PEACE PROCESS.



-- THE ORDER WILL BAR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN

CASES WHERE THE RECEIVING ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGE IN

TERRORISM OR ACT FOR THOSE THAT DO.



-- (AS APPROPRIATE) WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM

OF FOREIGN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THESE TERRORIST

ORGANIZATIONS WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT IN THE PAST.



-- (FOR ALL) SUPPORT BY PRIVATE FOREIGN DONORS TO

GROUPS WHICH ENGAGE IN TERRORISM AGAINST THE PEACE

PROCESS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM WHICH REQUIRES ALL

OF US TO TAKE A COMMON APPROACH.



-- WE ASK THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT ADOPT SIMILAR LEGAL

MEASURES TO PREVENT PRIVATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ANY OF

THESE ORGANIZATIONS, IF YOU HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THEY

ARE RECEIVING FUNDS, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM DONORS

IN YOUR COUNTRY.



-- WE BELIEVE SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE

EFFORT, ON AN URGENT BASIS, WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE

SUPPORT THESE GROUPS RECEIVE, AND THUS WEAKEN THEIR

ABILITY TO CARRY OUT TERRORISTS ACTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO

IMPROVING THE PROSPECTS FOR ACHIEVING A JUST, LASTING,

AND COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, A GOAL WE

ALL SHARE.



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NEW LEGISLATION

--------------



-- THE SECOND NEW U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVE

ANNOUNCED JANUARY 24 IS NEW DRAFT LEGISLATION, A

COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE TO UPGRADE THE ABILITY OF THE U.S.

TO DETECT TERRORIST ACTS AND PUNISH THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN

TERRORISM. THE PRESIDENT WILL SEND THIS TO THE CONGRESS

SOON.



-- THIS LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE

ABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES, APPLYING THE RULE OF LAW,

TO PREVENT TERRORIST ACTS, IDENTIFY PERPETRATORS, AND

BRING THEM TO JUSTICE.



-- THESE TWO INITIATIVES SHOW THE STRONG COMMITMENT

OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

AND TO THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. WE HOPE YOUR

GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER SIMILAR INITIATIVES.





CHRISTOPHER