TerrorismCentral Newsletter
-- For the week ending February 17, 2002 --
AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - February 17, 2002
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, February 17, 2002
TEXT:
This week's feature gives the background to the Northern Ireland conflict that was illustrated in the last two weeks' "Bloody Sunday" and the "Omagh bombing and Good Friday Agreement" articles.
The online edition of this Newsletter is linked to selected data from the TerrorismCentral Library.
CONTENTS:
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
1. Africa
Liberia's state of emergency continues, following recent Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy rebel attacks. There have been widespread arrests of suspected militants as well as editors and journalists in a media crackdown. The refugee crisis continues to grow both in Liberia and into Sierra Leone.
Following huge daily protests in Madagascar, the rival Presidential candidates, opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana, and current President Didier Ratsiraka, are in discussions to break the deadlock over the disputed election results.
Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda have met to discuss measures that will reduce tensions along their common border, the site of many rebel and militia group violence.
In Tanzania, running battles between rival Muslim groups turned into riots that killed at least 2. Facing allegations that smugglers have used tanzanite to help fund al Qaeda, the government is more strictly monitoring production and trade of the gem.
Violence increases in Zimbabwe as elections approach, including petrol bombings of newspaper and printing offices. The government has forced the head of the European Union's election observer mission to leave the country. The EU will revisit the question of sanctions on Monday.
Canada, with troops stationed in Afghanistan under US operational control, is outraged over the continued refusal to give Afghan prisoners Prisoner of War status. This controversy is likely to have an impact on the discussion of integrated continental defense between the two countries.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been blamed for the mortar bombing of an army garrison, killing 10 and wounding more than 30. Three suspected IRA members held in Colombia for allegedly providing training in bombing techniques to Colombian rebels, have protested their innocence, highlighting their fear of an unfair trial in a newspaper advertisement.
In Peru, justices are considering an appeal from the American woman, Lori Berenson, jailed for 20 years for her support of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. A possible pardon may be discussed during US President Bush's visit next month.
Meanwhile, the jailed leaders Abimael Guzman, of the Shining Path, and Victor Polay, of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, along with 4 of their top lieutenants, have begun a hunger strike to demand new trials and a move from the specially designed maximum-security prison. The Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement were responsible for bloody insurrections in Peru over the last 20 years.
In the US, the FBI warned of a new terror attack, the third and most specific since the attacks last September. For the first time, they provided names and photographs of the suspects, based on information gathered from interrogations of prisoners from the Afghan war. A special alert was enacted at the American Embassy in Yemen, identified as the nationality of several suspects.
International criticism and controversy over President Bush's "axis of evil" remarks has been dismissed by the administration, which now openly supports the removal of Saddam Hussein of Iraq, initially through covert activities, but leaving all other options open.
The need for practical support of security within Afghanistan by the US has been stressed by Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, as well as other international leaders. Removing the old government is not enough; financial support and security assistance is needed to help stabilize the fragile country.
Cambodia presses on with trials of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, while the United Nations is under pressure to reconsider their decision to back away from the tribunal.
The eastern Indonesian Moluccas Islands have agreed an end to the armed conflict between Christian and Muslim factions that has led to over 5,000 deaths since January 1999. Following the peace agreement, a number of explosions were reported, attributed to people unsatisfied with the peace agreement. This does not seem to have jeopardized the peace process. (Note a similar discussion in this week's Feature Article on Northern Ireland.)
In Japan, Yoshimi Tanaka, a former member of the Japanese Red Army, has pleaded guilty to charges of hijacking a Japan Airlines flight to North Korea in 1970.
The Philippines and the US have agreed on the rules of military engagement for joint military exercises. While these exercises are focused on Abu Sayyaf militants, it has been suggested that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could pose a greater terrorist threat. As the troops began their joint exercises, explosions in the southern island of Jolo have led to at least 5 deaths and 40 injuries.
4. Europe
European criticism of the US policy towards Afghan detainees and the "axis of evil" remarks has been dismissed by the US.
Jorg Haider, founder of Austria's right-wing Freedom party, has generated controversy by meeting with Saddam Hussein. He has withdrawn from politics, but is considering what his future role in the party could be.
Russian President Putin protests "axis of evil" remarks and calls for the US to work through diplomatic channels, stressing that Iraq should not become a target for unilateral US action.
Sweden continues to protest freezing of the assets of 3 of its citizens without evidence and has asked the United Nations to intervene.
Disturbances have continued in north Belfast, Northern Ireland, including brief episodes of rioting and petrol bombs. The Bloody Sunday inquiry was adjourned while a legal challenge regarding witnesses testifying behind a screen is heard by the High Court.
There have been 2 arrests in connection with the explosions last year outside the BBC in London and in Birmingham.
The Balkan countries of the former Yugoslavia are facing their past during the trial, in the Hague, of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, charged with 66 counts of atrocities and for crimes against humanity in Croatia in 1991-2, genocide in Bosnia in 1992-5, and crimes against humanity in Kosovo in 1999.
5. Middle East
Bahrain has declared itself a constitutional monarchy and passed legislation giving women the right to stand for public office.
Tens of thousands of Iranians joined an anti-US rally to denounce President Bush's "axis of evil" remarks
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has responded to continuing threats from the US by demanding a halt to US interference, leaving the window open for the possible return of UN weapons inspectors.
Israelcontinues its incursions in the West Bank and air strikes on the Gaza Strip, including missile attacks directed against Palestinian security headquarters. Palestinian militants continue violent response and for the first time were able to blow up an Israeli tank.
For the first time, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has accepted responsibility for the attempted arms smuggling last month. He denies military ties with Iran.
A Jordanian military court has sentenced Raed Hijazi to death for conspiracy to commit terrorist attacks against US and Israeli tourists during the 2000 New Year celebrations.
Saudi Arabia has prepared strict security for the 2.5 million Muslims expected to the Hajj pilgrimage.
In a battle with Yemeni security forces, Sameer al-Hada accidentally blew himself up. Al-Hada was suspected of al Qaeda ties and of complicity in the bombing of the USS Cole.
6. South Asia
While US military action continues in Afghanistan, the rest of the world has turned its attentions to trying to stabilize the region with de-mining, humanitarian aid, financial assistance, and security. Controversy over the conditions of the prison camps and civilian casualties continues. Continuing insecurity across the country has led to reports that the Taliban and local warlords are regrouping. The rising violence culminated in the murder of Civil Aviation Minister Abdul Rahman. 10 suspects, including 3 senior government officials, have been detained.
In Nepal, over 2,000 Maoist rebels fought a gun battle lasting many hours, in two simultaneous attacks against government and military targets. More than 120 security forces and civilian officials were killed, in the fiercest fighting of the 6 year insurrection.
Twelve people were killed in gun battled in Kashmir. Pakistan's President Musharraf is looking for outside mediation in the continued dispute between India and Pakistan over Jammu/Kashmir. Following reports of civilian deaths at the hands of Indian authorities, a general strike was called in protest.
India has said it will continue its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
President Musharraf of Pakistan has been welcomed by US President Bush as a key ally against terrorism. The US has offered limited debt relief but no assistance towards trade benefits or military assistance.
The fate of kidnapped journalist Daniel Pearl remains unknown. Contradictory statements by the British-born Islamic militant and member of Jaish e Mohammed, Sheikh Omar Saed, arrested in Pakistan, have shed little light on the situation. . Imtiaz Siddiqui (one of many aliases), alleged member of the extremist group Harkat-al-Mujahideen is now under investigation.
In Sri Lanka, Scandinavian monitors have been proposed to enforce the ceasefire and lay the groundwork for peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
Criticism over widespread security holes in the Microsoft Windows operating systems has led the Chairman, Bill Gates, to re-deploy 7,000 programmers to repair the security holes.
Facing allegations that smugglers have used tanzanite to help fund al Qaeda, the Tanzanian government is more strictly monitoring production and trade of the gem. Working with jewelry industry leaders, an agreement called the "Tucson Tanzanite Protocol" sets out these guidelines.
US Treasury Secretary O'Neil has asked other countries to contribute names to its list of suspects for asset seizures.
9. Human Rights
A United Nations treaty banning child soldiers has been ratified by the required number of states and is now in force.
Controversy over the treatment of Afghans (in Afghanistan and Cuba) by US military forces continues. Allegations of civilian casualties and beatings, indefinite detention without trial, and the refusal to grant Prisoner of War status continues to generate criticism of US policy.
The Algerian pilot held in the UK under US allegations of connections to the September 11 attacks has been freed after the US said it would not bring terrorist charges against him.
Australia has agreed to a visit from the United Nations to investigate the conditions of detainees in the Woomera camp for asylum seekers. The cost to Australia for dealing with boat people has risen to over A$500 (US$250) million, largely from the expense of paying neighboring countries to house illegal immigrants on its behalf.
Cambodia presses on with trials of surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, while the United Nations is under pressure to reconsider their decision to back away from the tribunal.
Fiji is abolishing the death penalty for treason.
The latest case in Turkey of controversial laws used to silence freedom of speech was dismissed, helped by the intervention of US intellectual Noam ChomskyChomsky, whose remarks are now under investigation by a Turkish security court as possibly fomenting Kurdish separatism.
The war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, has begun in the Hague. Chief UN Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, opened with the words "Today, as never before, we will see international justice in action". The trial is being eagerly watched around the world, providing sensational evidence of international involvement in atrocities, an outspoken defendant, and the challenge of opening new legal ground.
Singapore is under criticism from its own Muslim population and neighboring Muslim countries for its ban on headscarves.
10. Law and Legal Issues
In Peru, justices are considering an appeal from the American woman, Lori Berenson, jailed for 20 years for her support of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. A possible pardon may be discussed during US President Bush's visit next month.
Ali Fayez Darwiche, Sam Chahrour, and Angela Georgia Tsioumas have reached deals with the US Attorney, to testify against the other 7 defendants accused of conspiring to aid Lebanese Hizballah. This is the first case in which anyone accused of aiding overseas terrorists is on trial in the US.
Raed Hijazi has been sentenced to death by a Jordanian court for conspiracy to commit terrorist attacks against US and Israeli tourists during the 2000 New Year celebrations.
John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban", has pleaded not guilty to the 10-count indictment for supporting terrorist groups and attacking Americans. His trial has been set for August.
Al-Meghri, a former Libyan intelligence agent, is waiting for the results of his appeal against the result the Lockerbie trial, based on new evidence that there was a break-in at Heathrow prior to the fatal Pan Am 103 flight that allowed access to the baggage area.
Sheikh Omar Saed, British-born Islamic militant and member of Jaish e Mohammed, has been arrested in Pakistan, for the kidnapping of journalist Daniel Pearl.
Yoshimi Tanaka, a former member of the Japanese Red Army, has pleaded guilty to charges of hijacking a Japan Airlines flight to North Korea in 1970.
Six Peruvian militants, held in a specially designed maximum-security prison , have begun a hunger strike to demand new trials and a move to a different prison. The hunger strikers include Abimael Guzman, leader of the Shining Path, and Victor Polay, of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, responsible for widespread political violence in Peru for 2 decades.
11. Weapons of Mass Destruction
India has said it will continue its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
The "Amerithrax" investigation continues, with the FBI now focusing on anthrax from military laboratories. Advances in technology have allowed genotyping of sub-variants in the particular strain of anthrax used in the letter attacks.
A bill, the Safe Explosives Act, proposed in the US Congress would require explosives buyers to get permits, require background checks on users, and ban certain categories of people. The bill would not cover common fertilizers used in bombs such as that at Oklahoma City.
12. Newly Published:
Bishara, Marwan. Palestine/Israel: Peace or Apartheid. Zed Books.
Carlson, Lewis H., Remembered Prisoners of a Forgotten War: an Oral History of Korean War POWs. St Martin's
Ginsborg, Paul. Italy and its Discontents: 1980-2001. Allen Lane
Hayden, Tom, editor. The Zapatista Reader. Thunder's Mouth/Nation
Rucker, Patrick Michael. This Troubled Land: Voices from Northern Ireland on the Front Lines of Peace. Ballentine.
FEATURE ARTICLE:
Paramilitaries and Peace: Roots of the Northern Ireland Conflict
We have covered atrocities on both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland over the last two weeks. First, we talked about Bloody Sunday when British paratroopers opened fire on a civil rights demonstration in 1972 and last week we discussed 1998's Good Friday Agreement and the Omagh bombing.
While both these events are the topics of ongoing investigations, their commonality goes back to the roots of the Troubles that have plagued Ireland for many years. This week, we review this history, with an emphasis on paramilitary groups, the progress of peace initiatives and the lessons this situation holds for similar conflicts in the rest of the world.
Trouble between the Irish and the British began in 1169, when Anglo-Norman troops invaded the island to depose the king and, over time, to defeat the regional chieftains. The battle for sovereignty took on a religious flavor in the 16th century after Henry VIII's break with Rome. The 17th century saw the beginning of Protestant settlements. The first peace treaty between the Protestant British and the Catholic Irish was in 1691: The Treaty of Limerick.
Protestant dominance and British supremacy, (that led to "Home Rule" by Britain in the 19th century), led to anti-Catholic legislation, restricting civil rights and leading to serious economic disparities. In 1905 the Ulster Unionist Council was formed to oppose Home Rule, beginning a rallying cry in Ireland of "Sinn Fein" (Ourselves Alone).
Facing another Home Rule bill in 1913, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was formed to violently resist. This is the first organized paramilitary group in Ireland, fighting the National Volunteers who favored Home Rule. Later, some members of the National Volunteers and the UVF fought together in World War I.
The Easter Rising of 1916 was the beginning of the Troubles that continue to tear the nation apart today. It began when an Irish Republic was proclaimed by Patrick Pearse and a group of some 1,500 rebels made up of the Irish Volunteers, who had broken away from the National Volunteers and the socialist Irish Citizen Army. After 5 days of fighting, with 400 dead, and 2,500 injured, the rebellion was defeated, but public opinion turned toward the rebels after a series of drawn-out executions. The 1918 general election showed how polarized the country had become, with over 90% of seats going to Unionists.
The Irish Volunteers, now known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) started their declared War of Independence. British officers, called "Black and Tans" because of their uniforms, were called in to help the Irish police.
This led to the first Bloody Sunday, in Dublin in 1920 when the IRA killed 14 suspected British agents, and the Black and Tans retaliated by killing 12 at a football match and burning large areas of Cork City. The violence ended with a truce in 1921, which eventually led to the 1922 treaty that created the Irish Free State.
At that point, Ireland, now independent as a dominion of the British Commonwealth, was now comprised of the 26 predominantly Catholic counties. The remaining 7 counties made up Northern Ireland, which was directly ruled by Britain. Anti-treaty forces opposed to the division of the island stepped up the violence, leading to the outlawing of the IRA, and the scene was set for ongoing conflict we see today.
Ireland was formally declared a Republic in 1949, but Northern Ireland was maintained as part of the United Kingdom. An independent Ireland, like other former colonies, had to contend with the challenges of political and economic autonomy amid the cultural, religious and political legacies of colonialism. In Northern Ireland, the Catholic minority was marginalized just as they had been by Henry VIII. This led, in the 1960s, to a Civil Rights movement and the explosion of the Troubles.
The Civil Rights movement in Northern Ireland followed that in the U.S. Peaceful protest continually struggled against violent action, the cause of peace made more difficult by the often violent response of the police. In 1972, Bloody Sunday caused the simmering conflict to explode. (See Newsletter of February 3, 2002).
The Troubles were a war in which everyone was an enemy. The paramilitary rebels fought the troops, but they also fought each other. There was no such thing as an innocent civilian: people were targeted because of where they lived, where they walked, how they worshipped, where they went to school or bought a newspaper.
This violence continued, first locally, then spreading to the British mainland. Years of cease-fires that were not observed, violence ranging from beatings to bombs, was widespread, and civilian authorities had neither credibility nor authority. Finally, after nearly 3 decades of violence, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, laying out the peace process that would be followed by Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
While the peace process was overwhelmingly endorsed by a referendum of the populations of the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, it had a very different impact on the most dedicated of the revolutionaries. They felt that the IRA, now controlled by pragmatists, had betrayed an idealistic and patriotic cause. Hence, the rise of a number of hard-line paramilitary groups.
The first breakaway group was the Continuity IRA, which greeted the Good Friday Agreement with a series of bombings. The Continuity IRA remains the only known Irish Republican paramilitary organization that has not declared a cease-fire.
More successfully violent was the Real IRA, whose cease-fire, though declared following the disastrous Omagh bombing, has not been observed. They have been responsible for a number of bombings in England. The bomb planted in Birmingham late last year failed to detonate, but police suggested that, had it gone off, it would have killed more people than Omagh.
There are a number of other groups. Following the September 11 attacks, the US included 5 of the paramilitary organizations on a European Union list of suspected terrorists: Continuity IRA, Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), Orange Volunteers (OV), Red Hand Defenders (RHD), and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)/Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
The LVF is a loyalist group formed by extremists who felt the other paramilitaries were wavering from the cause. Their violence continued until a cease-fire in 1998, which has now been recognized and makes LVF prisoners eligible for early release.
The Orange Volunteers is another dissident loyalist group made up of former LVF and UFF members. They continue to fight the Good Friday Agreement.
Like the LVF, RHD is a dissident loyalist group, used as a cover for other organizations, including the UDA. They are best known for the 1999 murder of Rosemary Nelson, a prominent human rights lawyer and in 2001 for the murder of the journalist Martin O'Hagan. They continue to be a proscribed organization.
The UDA/UFF has respected a cease-fire since 1994, broken only by reprisals following the murder, in the Maze Prison, of Billy Wright, a loyalist leader. It has, however, been linked to violent activities using the RDA and possibly other groups as cover of these actions.
Other paramilitary groups are active, though not listed by the US authorities. These include the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), the Irish National Liberation Army (ILNA), Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAF).
The loyalist UVF has supported the Good Friday Agreement and maintained a cease-fire since 1994. Their support for the Agreement has led to an ongoing violent dispute in an ongoing feud with the LVF.
The ILNA is a small but highly dedicated group that, while working in concert with other republican groups, has undertaken bombings considered extreme even by other paramilitaries. Although they have called a cease-fire, it has not been recognized. They are credited with a number of violent attacks last year.
The DAAD is believed to be a cover name for the IRA and was responsible for several murders in the mid-to ate-1990s.
The IRA , the main republican group, has begun decommissioning, and the related Sinn Fein political party has been a key member of the peace process. While agreeing only with portions of the peace process, the IRA has largely maintained its cease-fire and some prisoners have been freed while others are eligible for early release.
The decommissioning of the IRA mirrors the demilitarization of the British army. These events were previously unthinkable, but they have started, and have given weight to the potential success of Good Friday efforts.
Today, the Good Friday Agreement holds firm despite ongoing sectarian clashes and other violence. (See the Amnesty International report of January 2002, the Irish/British Report on the status of the Agreement, and coverage in this Newsletter for details.)
Economic and demographic changes on the island have supported these efforts. The Irish economy, long in the doldrums, has been able to move from an agrarian society to a highly successful player in the global technology markets. In Northern Ireland, Protestants no longer make up the majority in Northern Ireland schools. While the latest census figures have not yet been released, the higher Catholic birthrate and higher Protestant immigration rate may combine to soon reverse the majority religion.
Among the major causes of political violence are poverty, sectarianism, and political disenfranchisement. While the political process can address many issues, economic and social changes will be even more important in ensuring a lasting peace, not only in Northern Ireland, but elsewhere in the world.
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Editorial Team
TerrorismCentral
PUBLICATION DATE:
February 17, 2002
DATE:
20020217