Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
98STATE156972
1998-08-26 20:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

EXECUTIVE ORDER AMENDMENT: USAMA BIN LADIN

Tags:  PREL PTER ASEC 
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O 262018Z AUG 98
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS IMMEDIATE
SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM IMMEDIATE
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
US DOE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
DEPT OF JUSTICE
TREASURY DEPT WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY ASMARA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL PESHAWAR IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL KARACHI IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL LAHORE IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY TIRANA IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS STATE 156972 

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: EXECUTIVE ORDER AMENDMENT: USAMA BIN LADIN

UNCLAS STATE 156972

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: EXECUTIVE ORDER AMENDMENT: USAMA BIN LADIN


1. (U) POSTS MAY DRAW FROM THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN
BRIEFING HOST COUNTRY INTERLOCUTORS AND RESPONDING TO
INQUIRIES CONCERNING THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO AMEND
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12947 TO INCLUDE USAMA BIN LADIN AND HIS
KEY ASSOCIATES.


2. (U) BEGIN POINTS:

-- ON AUGUST 20, 1998, PRESIDENT CLINTON AMENDED EXECUTIVE
ORDER NUMBER 12947 TO ADD USAMA BIN LADIN AND THE "ISLAMIC
ARMY", AS WELL AS TWO KEY BIN LADIN ASSOCIATES, ABU HAFS
AL-MASRI AND RAFA'I AHMAD TAHA MOUSA, TO THE LIST OF
TERRORISTS SUBJECT TO THE PROHIBITIONS CONTAINED IN THAT
EXECUTIVE ORDER. THESE PROHIBITIONS INCLUDE THE BLOCKING
OF ALL PROPERTY AND INTERESTS IN THE PROPERTY OF THE
TERRORISTS, THE PROHIBITION OF ANY TRANSACTION OR DEALING
BY UNITED STATES PERSONS OR WITHIN THE UNITED STATES IN
PROPERTY OR INTERESTS IN PROPERTY OF THE TERRORISTS, AND
THE PROHIBITION OF ANY TRANSACTION BY ANY UNITED STATES
PERSONS OR WITHIN THE UNITED STATES THAT EVADES OR AVOIDS,
OR HAS THE PURPOSE OF EVADING OR AVOIDING, ANY OF THE
PROHIBITIONS SET FORTH IN THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.

-- THE PRESIDENT FIRST ISSUED THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON
JANUARY 23, 1995, TO COUNTER THE THREAT POSED BY GRAVE ACTS
OF VIOLENCE COMMITTED BY FOREIGN TERRORISTS SEEKING TO
DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. SUCH TERRORIST
ACTIVITIES POSE AN UNUSUAL AND EXTRAORDINARY THREAT TO THE
UNITED STATES.

-- USAMA BIN LADIN AND HIS ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATES
HAVE REPEATEDLY CALLED UPON THEIR SUPPORTERS TO PERFORM
ACTS OF VIOLENCE. BIN LADIN HAS DECLARED THAT KILLING
AMERICANS AND THEIR ALLIES "IS AN INDIVIDUAL DUTY FOR EVERY
MUSLIM IN ORDER TO LIBERATE THE AL-AQSA MOSQUE AND THE HOLY
MOSQUE."

-- WE BELIEVE IT IS ESSENTIAL TO THWART THE ABILITY OF
USAMA BIN LADIN AND HIS ASSOCIATES TO FINANCE AND CARRY OUT
TERRORISM. BIN LADIN DIRECTS A NETWORK THAT ORGANIZES,
FUNDS, AND INSPIRES A WIDE RANGE OF ISLAMIC EXTREMIST
GROUPS WHICH PERPETRATE ACTS OF TERRORISM AROUND THE WORLD.
THE BIN LADIN NETWORK IS MULTI-NATIONAL AND HAS ESTABLISHED
A WORLDWIDE PRESENCE. SENIOR FIGURES IN THE NETWORK ARE
ALSO SENIOR LEADERS IN OTHER ISLAMIC TERRORIST NETWORKS,
INCLUDING THOSE DESIGNATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AS
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE EGYPTIAN AL-
GAMA'AT AL-ISLAMIYYA AND THE EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD.

-- WE HAVE CONVINCING INTELLIGENCE THAT BIN LADIN'S
NETWORK, WORKING WITH OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS, WAS BEHIND
THE HEINOUS ATTACKS OF AUGUST 7 AGAINST THE U.S. EMBASSIES
IN NAIROBI, KENYA AND DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA. ELEMENTS OF
BIN LADIN'S NETWORK WERE ALSO INVOLVED LAST WEEK IN A PLOT
TO ATTACK OTHER U.S. EMBASSIES.

-- THESE LATEST ATROCITIES IN AFRICA ARE NOT THE FIRST
OCCASION IN WHICH MEMBERS OF BIN LADIN'S NETWORK HAVE
CARRIED OUT ACTS OF TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICA AND ITS
FRIENDS.

-- THE BIN LADIN NETWORK SUPPORTS TERRORISTS IN
AFGHANISTAN, BOSNIA, CHECHNYA, TAJIKISTAN, SOMALIA, YEMEN,
AND NOW KOSOVO. IT ALSO TRAINS MEMBERS OF TERRORIST
NETWORKS FROM SUCH DIVERSE COUNTRIES AS THE PHILIPPINES,
ALGERIA AND ERITREA. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE RELIABLE
EVIDENCE THAT THE BIN LADIN NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVELY
SEEKING TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, INCLUDING
CHEMICAL WEAPONS.

-- WE ENCOURAGE OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO UNDERTAKE SIMILAR
EFFORTS TO DISRUPT THE ACTIVITIES AND FINANCIAL DEALINGS OF
BIN LADIN AND HIS ASSOCIATES.


MINIMIZE CONSIDERED


ALBRIGHT