AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - June 2, 2002
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, June 2, 2002
TEXT:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter
-- For the week ending June 2, 2002 --
This week we have added a section on Human Rights to the topics you can browse in the TerrorismCentral library. This weeks feature article covers the status of refugees around the world, one of several articles that will cover issues related in some way to human rights and the causes and contributing factors of terrorism and political violence. When facing great risk, the race towards security may obscure what is being defended. But only by keeping the real goals alive and fresh does one have the courage and moral authority to gain ultimate victory.
As always, this edition of the Newsletter is linked to selected data from the TerrorismCentral Library.
CONTENTS:
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
1. Africa
2. Americas
3. Asia Pacific
4. Europe
5. Middle East
6. South Asia
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
8. Finance
9. Human Rights
10 Law and Legal Issues
11. Narco-terrorism
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
From Migration to Human Trafficking: The Global Status of Refugees
1. Africa
The United Nations has reported that famine is imminent in southern Africa, where over 10 million living in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe face starvation. This condition is likely to spread to other southern African countries.
Angolans also face starvation among the half million displaced by the war that has only recently ended, leaving the fertile countryside wasted.
Fighting between the government forces in Burundi and Hutu rebels continues and is preventing aid to the refugees there.
In Chad the rebel Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT) attacked government soldiers. More than 64 people have been killed in the fighting.
Elections scheduled for June 2 in the Congo have been postponed. There have been widespread disruptions by government forces and Ninja militias against civilians, as well as fraud and functional irregularities.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the rebel group Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) accused the United Nations peacekeeping representatives of bias for their reports of human rights violations and said they were a security risk. Following these accusations, the UN envoys were expelled from the rebel-controlled territory. They have denied the charges and are going to Kinshasa.
Human Rights Watch has issued a report on Kenya, accusing the government of instigating ethnic violence. With elections forthcoming as early as December, high levels of urban violence and widespread gun smuggling may indicate the level of political violence will continue to increase.
In Lesotho, the ruling party has won the parliamentary elections by a wide majority. International observers declared the election free and fair, but opposition politicians have issued protests against the results.
Father Garry Jenkins, the priest abducted by Liberian rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) has been freed, but there is no sign of the 60 blind people abducted with him.
In Madagascar, the political crisis is leading to an economic crisis that is beginning to adversely affect the civilian population. New president Marc Ravalomanana has begun attempts to forcibly remove the blockades that were put in place by rival president Didier Ratsiraka, but his efforts have not yet succeeded.
Youth gangs sympathetic to the ruling party in Malawi have attacked opposition meetings. The renewed political violence takes place in light of an attempt by current president Muluzi to amend the constitution to allow a third term and widespread food shortages.
The historic corruption and internal divisions that have plagued Nigeria have led to concerns over the possibility of effective elections. President Obasanjo has issued a warning against violence in elections that begin with local elections in August and conclude with a presidential vote next April.
Fighting in Somalia continues. Violence between transitional government authorities and local warlords has killed at least 25.
In Sudan, the army continues its fight against the rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and has recaptured a town in the east.
Zambia has declared a national disaster as nearly half of the population of 10 million faces starvation.
Zimbabwe also faces food shortages, but it turned away a US donation of corn that could not be certified as not genetically modified. The corn was given to Zambia.
2. Americas
The economic crisis in Argentina has led to a day of protest in which tens of thousands took part.
In Colombia, hardliner Alvaro Uribe won a resounding victory in the presidential election. His victory was attributed by his promise to eradicate the rebels. He has called for help from the US and the United Nations. Meanwhile, talks with the countrys second largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) have broken off as President Pastrana says they were not serious about seeking peace.
In Mexico, 26 villagers attacked in an ambush were killed, the product of a long-running land dispute.
In the United States, President Bush returned from his European trip, after visiting with the Presidents of Russia and France. Although Russia is now a member of NATO, little progress was made in overcoming differences in the approaches towards international relations that plague the allies.
Back home, Bush defended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that has announced a major overhaul to deal with criticisms with respect to intelligence flaws leading up to the September 11 attacks. Part of the overhaul includes opening the agency to domestic spying.
New York City quietly ended the recovery effort at the Word Trade Center towers with a moving ceremony on May 31.
In common with other countries, Americans were told to leave India and Pakistan.
Libyas proposed settlement for compensation to the families of the victims of the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie bombing received mixed reviews. President Bush said the money alone would not justify removing sanctions.
In Venezuela, Pedro Carmona, who was briefly president under the short-lived coup, has been granted asylum and will be going to Colombia. Meanwhile, President Hugo Chavez has denied ordering troops to fire on the demonstrators in April, an action that killed 17 and led to the coup shortly thereafter.
3. Asia Pacific
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer says the government is satisfied that Libya is no longer promoting terrorism and will consider re-establishing diplomatic ties.
Australias forced detention of refugees and the conditions in its refugee camps are the subject of a United Nations investigation.
Relations between Burma and Thailand have deteriorated. A 20-000 strong anti-Thai rally was held in the Shan border area and 500 Thai workers have been expelled. Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy has called again for recognition of the 1990 election results, but Aung San Suu Kyi is stressing concentration on the needs of the people.
China, bordering India and Pakistan, is watching its interests carefully. It, with Russia, is considered a possible mediator in the swelling conflict between the two nuclear nations over Kashmir. Russia and China are also discussing military cooperation, including possible weapon sales.
China faces diplomatic problems on its eastern coast, as well, with trouble over North Korean refugees.
In the west the Muslim Uighur minority will no longer have university courses taught in the local language.
Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz has met with Abu Bakar Baasyir, a prominent Muslim cleric widely suspected to being the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic organization with possible ties to al Qaeda.
Hazs meeting with the controversial Baasyir preceded the regional meeting in Singapore in which the defense minister Matori Abdul Djalil told other attendees that terrorism is only one of the many priorities for the government, which would take no steps that could weaken the emerging democracy (including the arrest of suspected Islamic militants).
After the entire government of Kyrgyzstan resigned last week, parliament has approved President Askar Akayevt recommendation of Nikolai Tanayev as the new prime minister.
The American missionary couple Martin and Grace Burnham, have begun their second year of captivity under the control of the Abu Sayyaf. The US has increased its reward for assistance in the capture of Abu Sayyaf members to as much as $5 million. Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya is reportedly quite flattered.
South Korea and Japan are hosting the World Cup. It is the first to be held in Asia and the first to be hosted by two countries. Security has been high.
4. Europe
The European Union, known for its strong privacy regulations, has severely weakened data protection and privacy rules to give greater powers to terrorism investigations. The changes still need to be ratified by the member countries.
US President Bush wound up his European visits by meeting with Russian President Putin and French President Chirac. The differences between Chirac and Bush remain.
German investigators examining Islamic extremists who may be in Berlin, believe there are active al Qaeda operations, (including local recruitment), in Europe that will lead to further attacks.
Investigators in the Netherlands agree with this assessment, alleging that young Dutch Muslims are being actively recruited.
Russia has a new relationship to share security activities through the new NATO-Russia council. The agreement was signed last week.
In Spain, a group of over 350 priests have written a letter protesting the proposed ban on the political wing of the Basque separatist group ETA, the Batasuna Party, believing it would lead to more violence and alienation.
In Turkey, the constitutional court has cancelled the proposed amnesty under which thousands of prisoners would have been released, including Mehmet Ali Agca who had attempted to assassinate the Pope. The National Security Council has lifted the state of emergency on the Kurdish provinces, taking effect in four months, in another move to gain acceptance by the EU. Prime Minister Ecevit has been ill, leading to concerns that there is no obvious secular successor to him.
The United Kingdom has had a controversial week, including debates over weapons sales to India and Pakistan and issues over asylum seekers.
In Northern Ireland, it looks likely that Alex Maskey of Sinn Fein will be the next mayor of Belfast.
Disturbances and riots continued during the week, including a pipe bomb attack that targeted a police officer.
In Scotland, news of the proposed Lockerbie compensation from Libya has received a mixed response. While the details are still under discussion, it appears that compensation exceeding $5 billion is on offer.
Yugoslavia is no more. The parliament has ratified a new agreement for a loose union between Serbia and Montenegro, eliminating the last remaining pieces of the former union. In Bosnia Herzegovina, UN peacekeepers have grounded the air force to stop them spying and have seized computers and other materials allegedly contributing to the spy missions. Lord Ashdown is the new international peace envoy to Bosnia. Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic denies allegations he is involved in cigarette smuggling. And in Serbia, police have arrested Ranko Cesic for crimes against humanity.
Efforts around the world are hunting for a solution to the continued violence between Israel and the Palestinians. A string of US envoys have arrives as well as diplomats from many other countries. Morocco and Syria have called for Arab cooperation in resolving the problem. The EU is pushing for a conference by July. Israeli and Palestinian politicians have also met in London with representatives from the Northern Ireland peace process.
Algeria has held elections in an atmosphere of violence and mistrust that led to widespread boycotting of the voting. Islamic rebels of the Armed Islamic Group killed 23 just hours before the voting began. Berbers called a 5-day general strike. Despite the irregularities, the elections went ahead and the governing party was re-elected.
In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian woman and 12-year old daughter were shot dead by a tank while they were farming. Israel has still held off a military incursion similar to that in the West Bank.
In Iran, offended by US attacks on it as part on an "axis of terror", the debate between reformers who want to open talks with the US and the religious leaders opposed to talks has been closed by reformist President Khatami, who has said there will be no talks for now. Construction of a civilian nuclear facility by Russia is well under way.
Iraq has offered compensation for Palestinian refugees who suffered under the recent Israeli assault. At the beginning of July, Iraq and the UN will reopen talks over weapons inspections.
In Israeli a suicide bomber killed himself, a mother and grandchild, in a shopping mall. A Palestinian guerilla shot dead three teenagers.
Libya has offered payments of $10 million each to the families of the victims of the Lockerbie (Pan Am 103) bombing. They are suggesting staged payments that match lifting of sanctions, a correspondence that has not yet been accepted. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer says the government is satisfied that Libya is no longer promoting terrorism and will consider re-establishing diplomatic ties.
The referendum in Tunisia to change the constitution to abolish term limits and raise the age limit has been passed, helping President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to possible stay in power for another term.
In the West Bank, attacks by Palestinians on Israeli civilians have bounced back to new heights, undeterred by physical barriers and travel restrictions. Israel has again occupied Bethlehem, searching for militants and raiding nearby villages. Jenin was attacked again after the shopping mall suicide bomber. Israeli troops also raid Hebron almost every night and have launched an offensive against Nablus to arrest Issam Abu Bakr, the leader of Fatah.
The International Labor Organization has reported that the jobless rate among Palestinians is over 40% and rising.
All of South Asia is watching to see what happens in the simmering conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Jammu and Kashmir territories. Western and regional leaders have flooded the area with warnings for the two countries to overcome their dispute and immediately take measures to reduce the tension that could so easily escalate into a disastrous nuclear exchange. Foreign nationals have been advised to leave.
Afghanistan hosted a meeting to discuss saving and restoring Afghanistans cultural heritage. Restoration of the Bamiyan Buddhas is on hold, with restoration of the Kabul Museum the first priority.
On other fronts, there are reports that warlords such as Hekmatyar could align with al Qaeda and Taliban forces. The security risks continue to be high, with more investment urgently needed for this and further humanitarian aid.
In India, Prime Minister Vajpayee continues to refuse discussions with Pakistan until there is more control over militant actions in Kashmir. He says that India is running out of patience with Pakistan but continues to assert that nuclear weapons are for deterrence only and says India would not strike first. In Jammu Kashmir, Manzoor Ahmed Ganai was shot dead. He was the deputy leader of the militant group Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.
The tense situation in Kashmir has not ended violence elsewhere. Separatist clashes in the northeast killed over 30. A series of bomb blasts in Gujarat have killed 12.
In Nepal, the state of emergency lapsed for two days then has been reimposed by royal decree for an additional three months. Army operations against the Maoist rebels have been increased.
In Pakistan, President Musharraf has said that nuclear war was unthinkable, but stopped short of renouncing the right of first strike. He also reiterated that it was the right of people to determine their own destiny. Troops have been moved from the Afghan border to that with India.
Sri Lankas ceasefire agreement is being observed. The Norwegian-led monitoring mission is working on a timetable for the talks, beginning in late June or early July.
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
For an interesting article about war games between Israeli and Arab hackers, read the story by BBCs Kim Ghattas, available online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_2019000/2019677.stm
Chen Zhiqing, a banking official convicted of fraud, has been executed in China for his crime.
The European Union, known for its strong privacy regulations, has greatly weakened data protection and privacy rules to give greater powers to terrorism investigations. The changes still need to be ratified by the member countries. Meanwhile, Microsoft faces an EU investigation into privacy safeguards with its online identification services.
The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development has begun to rewrite its security principles to develop common guidelines and best practices for security and privacy. They will be released in September.
Sinn Fein continues to get major funding from the US. Read the report in the Boston Globe of May 27.
Shariah banking is suffering from a shortage of experts. See the Financial Times report of May 29.
Jersey, Channel Islands, have agreed to European Union rules on information sharing but still has not agreed to changes in tax practices. The failure to agree to the EU terms could result in penalties including financial sanctions.
9. Human Rights
Amnesty International has published its 2002 report that documents human rights abuses in 152 countries and territories. They address the failure of human rights protection in a time of terrorism:
"Amnesty International responded to the 11 September attacks in the USA by condemning them unreservedly and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice in accordance with international law. Its members worked steadfastly to counter a racist backlash against people identified as Muslim or Middle Eastern. When governments introduced draconian security and immigration legislation, Amnesty International campaigned to ensure respect for fundamental human rights. The movement also called for strict adherence to the rules of war during the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan. Amnesty Internationals message throughout was Justice not revenge."
Human Rights Watch sent a letter this week to US Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld challenging the plan to send another 150 detainees to Guantanamo Bay, reminding him of the need to determine the detainees status under the Geneva Conventions.
Five Indonesian military and police officers are the first being tried in East Timors human rights court.
Anti-Slavery International has published a report stating that the number of people forced into slavery has risen to 27 million.
10. Law and Legal Issues
Juan Emilio Aboy has been arrested in the US on charges of being a spy for Cuba.
Issam Abu Bakr, the leader of Fatah, has ben arrested by the Israeli military following their incursion into Nablus, West Bank.
The MI5 agent who claimed that Martin McGuinness fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday will now not be called to give evidence in the Saville inquiry in Northern Ireland. This was due to fears for his life if he testified.
Serbian police have arrested Ranko Cesic accused by the UN war crimes tribunal of crimes against humanity.
Libya has offered payments of $10 million each to the families of the victims of the Lockerbie (Pan Am 103) bombing. They are suggesting staged payments that match lifting of sanctions, a correspondence that has not yet been accepted.
Lawyers for John Walker Lindh (the "American Taliban") will be given limited access to question detainees at Guantanamo Bay. There will be no face-to-face questioning with the possible exception of fellow American Yassser Esam Hamdi, recently moved from Guantanamo to Virginia. The US government has argued that Mr. Hamdi should not be allowed to see a lawyer for security reasons.
Yarden Morag, Shlomo Dvir, and Ofer Gamliel were indicted in Isreal for planting a bomb to blow up an Arab girls school. Noam Federman will later be charged with supplying the explosives.
Zacarias Moussaoui has agreed to meet with a court-appointed psychiatrist to determine if he is competent to defend himself.
Saudi Arabia has sentenced militants associated with the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, but has not yet released any details of the people involved or the verdicts.
No report filed for this week.
Scientific criticism of the effectiveness of biometric scanners and explosive detection equipment has begun to emerge, including efficacy of the systems and the policy decisions around their use in different airports around the US.
The US Transportation Department is considering giving pilots video cameras to show what is happening in the passenger cabin area.
Donald Carty, CEO of American Airlines, said that risk of another terrorist attack against commercial airliners was now very low and that some of the security measures implemented after September 11 should be ended.
Officials of the top US airports have suggested a delay in bag screening requirements since it would not be possible to have enough screeners in place by the current December 31 deadline.
The International Maritime Organization special working group will meet in September to work out details of a convention to counter terrorism at see.
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Construction of a civilian nuclear plant in Iran, built by Russia, is well underway. The turbine has been tested.
At the beginning of July, Iraq and the UN will reopen talks over weapons inspections.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced that drugs and vaccines to counter weapons of mass destruction may be approved without human testing. This move is designed to both speed development of new drugs and to overcome the ethical issues in exposing people to such deadly agents in order to demonstrate that a treatment is efficacious.
Most or perhaps all of the cyanide missing from a hijacked truck in Mexico has been found.
Bobbitt, Philip. The Shield of Achilles. Knopf.
Bokhari, Farhan. "Lack of experts threatens Islamic investing", in Financial Times, May 29, 2002
Braithwaite, Rodric. The Moscow River: The World Turned upside Down. Yale University Press.
Cohen, Stephen P. India: Emerging Power. Brookings Institution.
Ghattas, Kim. "Syria Launches Arab War Game" online at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_2019000/2019677.stm
Jansen, Marc and Nikita Petrov. Stalins Loyal Executioner" Peoples Commissar Nikolai Ezhov. Hoover Press.
Sennott, Charles M., "Sinn Fein Leaders Bank on US Funds" in Boston Globe, May 27 2002.
Varshney, Ashutosh. Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India. Yale University Press
From Migration to Human Trafficking: The Global Status of Refugees
Migrants...refugees...asylum seekers...illegal immigrants...human trafficking...
What is the story behind the massive relocations and dislocations of people all about? This weeks feature article provides an overview that begins to tackle this issue. Next week, we will take an in-depth look at this problem in the European Union and examine the case of Sangette.
While migration is the deliberate movement of people from one country to another, often for economic gain, refugees are those who have been in some way forcibly displaced from their country. They seek asylum -- protection -- to help recover from this displacement.
The definition of a refugee is laid out specifically in the United Nations Convention Relating to Refugees. In it, a refugee is defined as a person:
* Who has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion,
* Who is outside the country they belong to or normally reside in, and
* Who is unable or unwilling to return home for fear of persecution.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is another important agreement. It includes the right to seek and enjoy asylum in other countries, effectively guaranteeing that a refugee is accorded the same rights as other citizens within a country.
The largest numbers of refugees arise from displacement that is the result of natural disasters or wars.Millions of refugees fled countries like East Timor and Afghanistan at the start of hostilities and are only now beginning to return.
In Afghanistan decades of war led to the displacement of over four million people. Most fled to the border areas of Pakistan, Iran, and the neighboring former Soviet republics. Others went farther away, to Europe and the United States. In the last few months over half a million of these refugees have made their way back home. But this massive number of people returning to homes that have been devastated by violence and decimated by drought has led to huge resettlement challenges. Many of the efforts at resettlement have been stunted by shortages of funding.
Similar challenges face those returning to East Timor. By coincidence, many refugees from both East Timor and Australia ended up held in Australian camps, under mandatory detention. These camps have been the scenes of violence and protests, including hunger strikes and riots. Australia has now offered Afghan refugees payments to return home. Australias policy of mandatory detention for an indefinite length of time while an asylum application is processed is now under investigation by the United Nations.
In the cases of both Afghanistan and East Timor, massive foreign aid is needed to help the countries recover from the legacy of violence. Part of this will go to the resettlement and integration of the returning refugee populations.
The scale of rebuilding countries that have been decimated by the human activities of war makes the aftermath of earthquakes, hurricanes, and the like seem far more manageable.
When destructive events occur, the people who flee have no paperwork or plans. They dont travel with prepackaged emergency supply kits. In some cases, these circumstances have led to massive, long-term refugee camps.
There are some extreme cases. The millions "housed" in refugee camps that surround Israel speak vividly of the unresolved issues in that region. Starvation among the UNITA rebels in Angola who have been put in camps awaiting re-integration illustrates the dysfunction endemic to a society that has experienced decades of war. Displacement among the ethnic groups that once made up the Yugoslav federation has affected all of Europe, as has the similar break-up of the Soviet Union.
In other cases, endemic persecution of minority groups, fear and economic hardship may lead people to flee their homes. It is rarely simple to either leave the country or to find a new home. Under many repressive regimes, travel is strictly controlled and getting the necessary documentation can be difficult or impossible. In some cases, a simple act like applying for a passport could put the persons life at risk.
Look at the recent example of refugees from North Korea. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have sought refuge in China, but recently there have been a number of cases where individuals and families have secretly entered China then rushed into foreign embassies, surprising or overpowering the embassy guards, to ask for asylum. Generally, a third country is then used to transit the refugees on their way to South Korea.
Finding a friendly country was more difficult for the Palestinian militants who were recently sent into exile, following their occupation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that took place under the occupation by Israel of the West Bank. In this case, with international intervention, Cyprus acted as the transit host, and the exiles/refugees were then parceled out to seven different countries.
Anyone who wants to apply for asylum while still within their own country faces daunting obstacles. On top of the possible restrictions within their country, they must contend with the visa restrictions and immigration controls in the country from which they are seeking refuge. Restrictive immigration and emigration controls make it so difficult to change countries, it is not surprising that many people attempt to enter illegally.
Desperate people who are fleeing persecution may take these desperate measures, but in so doing, they are at risk of exploitation and violence. Smuggling human cargoes may threaten lives, but beyond the risks of smuggling is the threat of falling in the hands of human traffickers.
Human trafficking is distinguished from smuggling by the degree of coercion involved. In the US, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 defines it as:
(a) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or (b) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery
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