AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - August 4, 2002
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, August 4, 2002
TEXT:
The week started with a peace agreement among warring groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and ended with a day of sustained attacks against Israelis by Hamas militants, revenging the one ton bomb that killed their military leader last month. For the Feature Article, we begin a three-part series on Opportunities in Africa. This week, Part 1 covers The Sudan.
Dr. Joshua Sinai has added more reviews to the Terrorism Bookshelf, so make sure to take another look at this ever-expanding list.
Look for the latest additions to the Commercial Content section and information on the subscription services.
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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. Transportation
12. Weapons of Mass Destruction
13. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
Opportunities in Africa, Part 1: The Sudan
1. Africa
The Angolan rebel group UNITA formally disbanded at a ceremony in Luanda. To ensure its successful migration to a purely political force, it is still necessary to integrate some 5,000 UNITA soldiers into the Angolan army and to urgently deal with resettlement of those who remain in camps.
Hutu rebel groups in Burundi shelled the capital, leaving seven dead. The attack comes shortly before peace talks were set to resume and led to condemnation by the United Nations Security Council. One rebel group, the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) has called for a ceasefire.
A peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has been signed. It calls for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DR Congo and disarming of the Interahamwe militias in the next 90 days. Not all rebel groups were a party to this accord and not all foreign troops are being withdrawn under its terms. (A feature article reviewing these developments will be in next weeks issue.)
Military actions between the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Liberian government continue, with troops patrolling the streets in preparation for an expected attack. A BBC correspondent, James Brabazon, has written a description of his experiences "On Liberias Front Line" available online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2169134.stm.
Madasgascar, just beginning its recovery after the disputed Presidential election, is now suffering from a mysterious virus that has killed more than 150 people in the last week.
The UN peacekeeping mandate in the Western Sahara has been extended for another six months because the Security Council was unable to agree over whether the area should be part of Morocco or to hold a referendum for independence, as desired by the Polisario Front that represents the Saharawis.
Soldiers in Niger mutinied over back pay, a meeting with the Prime Minister, and removal of the chief of staff. The government declared there would be no negotiations and a state of emergency was declared. Troops have now recaptured the town as the mutineers fled, without major military action.
Anti-government riots in Nigeria resulted in at least 50 arrests and several injuries. Local elections have now been indefinitely postponed.
The US has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of eight men indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda.
Fighting continues in southern Somalia and Puntland in the northeast, killing as many as 130 in the battles between rival warlords.
Just a week after a breakthrough peace agreement that called for immediate end to hostilities, Sudanese government forces are accused of conducting a major offensive against the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) in the south, killing 1,000. This weeks feature article describes the background to what is happening in Sudan.
Uganda continues its offensive against the Lords Resistance Army, killing six and rescuing 21 kidnap victims.
Facing imminent starvation, Zimbabwe has reluctantly agreed to accept genetically modified grain supplied by the US. They fear it will contaminate their own crops. The widespread hunger and violence is taking its toll on President Robert Mugabes authority, but there is no sign that he will back down from his efforts to maintain power at any cost.
2. Americas
Bolivias congress has selected right-wing millionaire Gonzalo Sanchez to the presidency, over the left-wing pro-coca candidate, Evo Morales.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels continue their campaign of bombs and kidnappings. The 17,000 strong FARC is responsible for most of the attacks and for a curious story in which all but eight of the 700 inhabitants of the southern town of Puerto Alvira disappeared prior to the arrival of the Colombian army. It is not clear whether they were FARC sympathizers or if they were temporarily moved, kidnapped, or forced out by the rebels.
In Haiti, supporters of local leader Amiot Metayer, drove a bulldozer through a prison wall to free him and 150 other prisoners. This was the culmination of three days of protests at his arrest. Authorities are attempting to round up the escapees and restore order.
In face of violent protests by local farmers, the Mexican government has abandoned their plan for a new airport.
In the US, a Homeland Security bill was passed in the House, but the Senate has tabled it until after the summer recess. The Senate hosted hearings this week regarding US policy towards Iraq, expressing the need for a full hearing and agreement before any actions were taken. Media leaks regarding this issue have drawn protests from Defense and Justice officials and a proposal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation use lie detector tests to investigate congressmen whom might be responsible for the leaks.
Facing economic collapse, Uruguay has taken emergency measures to stabilize the banking system. There have been a number of violent protests and a general strike in response to the situation.
In Venezuela, pro-Chavez demonstrators have again clashed with police.
3. Asia Pacific
US Secretary of State Colin Powell traveled to several countries and participated in the Association of East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting to bring his message asking for support in the US "war on terrorism". Powell also met with his North Korrean counterpart.
In addition to regional trade discussions, ASEAN agreed to pool anti-terrorism efforts, combat terrorist financing, invite East Timor to observe future meetings, called for reform in Burma, and agreed to work to resolve the dispute over the Spratlys, which are claimed by Brunei, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The United Nations has condemned Australias policy of forcible detention of asylum seekers. The Australian government has rejected the criticism.
China has warned Taiwan not to go ahead with a referendum for independence.
Indonesia is receiving $50 million in US aid to help fight terrorism with police training, army training, and building a counterterrorism unit. In the Moluccas, police patrols were trying to control the tension that remains after last weekends bombing.
In South Korea, students attacked American troops to protest a tank accident that killed two girls last month, feeling the US apologies were insincere and calling on the Americans to leave.
Papua New Guineas opposition party will form the new government coalition. They led in the votes counted after a violent, chaotic election. The new Prime Minister will be Michael Somare of the National Alliance Party.
US troops are preparing to leave the Philippines at the end of their six-month training exercise.
4. Europe
Peace talks in Cyprus have stalled. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will meet with the Greek and Turkish leaders to help restart the negotiations over the divided island.
Abkhazia separatists in Georgia have been told to negotiate their independence. The UN has developed a framework for the negotiations but Abkhazia, which broke away from Georgia in 1993, rejected the proposal.
Georgia also has its hands full with Chechen rebels. They arrested seven but have refused to allow Russia to conduct operations in its territory.
Greeces November 17 group has published a proclamation that it is still alive, proud of having killed Brigadier Stephen Saunders, and they are considering a kidnapping campaign. Another weapons cache has been uncovered.
Italian police have uncovered a huge network of tunnels used by organized crime.
Romania has agreed to refuse to surrender US citizens to the International Criminal Court.
Russia is defending its nuclear cooperation agreements with Iran against US opposition to the construction of new reactors. In its biggest battle against Chechen rebels, around 70 have been killed (30 Chechens, 40 Russians). In the Tatarstan republic in Russia, a court has determined that Muslim women must remove their headscarves for photographs on official documents.
In Spain, a car bombing thought to be by Basque separatist group ETA has killed a 6-year old girl and a man and injured 25.
Turkey has scheduled elections for November 3, well in advance of the previously scheudled April 2004 date. It is hoped this will end the months of political turmoil that have followed Prime Minister Ecevits poor health. In measures taken to pave the way for joining the European Union, the death penalty has been abolished and greater rights, including use of their language, have been granted to the Kurds.
In the UK, the court determined that detention of foreign nationals without charge was discriminatory, disproportionate and illegal. This decision has left the emergency anti-terrorism laws introduced after the September 11 attacks in disarray.
In Northern Ireland, a man was killed by a bomb planted in a lunch box. It was left by the Red Hand Defenders. Convicted paramilitary leader Johnny Adair of the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) plans to run for election next year.
5. Middle East
Algerian troops have killed Rachid Abu Tourab, head of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA).
The US has begun talks with Egypt and Israel regarding the reduction of troops in the Sinai.
Ten thousand Palestinians in the occupied Gaza strip took to the streets to celebrate the Hamas attack at Hebrew University and vengeance against the killing of Salah Shehada (Hamas military leader) and 14 others last week. The Israeli army has said the method of the attack against Shehada that led to unanticipated civilian deaths was the result of faulty intelligence.
An Iranian court has disbanded the opposition Iran Freedom Movement and sentenced 33 of its members to jail. Such moves have added to the internal tensions driving reform.
Iraq has dominated the headlines because of the ongoing threat of an invasion by the US. World leaders and US domestic politicians have combined to put pressure on the Bush administration to describe a coherent policy in place of the conflicting leaks that constantly drip from administration sources.
Israel has come under sustained attack by Islamic militants over the past day. Two Palestinians were killed in a gunfight in the West Bank, 2 Israelis were killed in a West Bank village, a Palestinian gunman killed a truck driver and a Palestinian suicide attack on a bus killed at least nine. Israel has announced that it will completely restrict Palestinian movements in several towns. Earlier this week a suicide bomber killed himself and injured four then a bombing in the Hebrew University killed seven, (including five Americans), and injured 80. A bus bomb killed 10 and injured 40. Hamas claims these actions are revenge for the nighttime killing (with a one-ton bomb in the middle of Gaza city) of Shehada, his wife, daughter and 12 civilians and injured more than 150.
The UN released their report on Jenin. It was generally criticized as being incomplete. While it blamed both the Palestinians and the Israelis for attacks against civilians, it did not address specific issues of war crimes that had been previously documented by human rights groups and journalists. While the hyperbole of a massacre of 500 Palestinians had been previously disproved, the issue of a civilian death rate in excess of 50 percent was also not addressed.
In the West Bank, the Israeli army destroyed five houses, killed five Palestinians and arrested 50 in reprisals against the Hebrew University bombing. Rampaging settlers killed a 14-year old girl and wounded several others.
6. South Asia
The UN prepared a report on the bombing of the Afghani wedding party in July. Rather than publicly releasing the report, it has been turned over to US and Afghanistan authorities, who are conducting their own joint investigation. However, early information indicates that the UN found no evidence of fire from the ground and suggested that some evidence of US culpability may have been removed, pointing to a cover-up. While waiting for the report, hundreds of protesters marched in Afghanistan, but President Hamid Karzai defended the US. Also in Afghanistan, a suicide car bomb plot against the government was foiled.
In Bangladesh, violent student protests, with dozens of injuries have led to the resignation of the Vice Chancellor.
Bhutanese living in Nepalese refugee camps have asked for help from India to support their repatriation. There are nearly 100,000 people who have been in these camps for 12 years.
In Indias southern state of Andraha Pradesh, police have killed six alleged communist militants in two raids. They are suspected of participation in the Peoples War Group. Soldiers in the northeastern state Assam have killed Dipak Das, head of the Enigma Unit of the United Front of Assam (ULFA) rebel group, as well as his secretary and bodyguard. In the western state of Gujaret, an independent Election Commission has arrived to evaluate whether elections can be held despite the fatal religious riots in February.
The situation in Kashmir has been exacerbated by a number of incidents this week, including heavy cross-border fire. Police claim to have killed Abu Adnan, a member of the militant Lashkar-e-Toiba. Several firefights across the line of control have killed at least 20. Elections in Indian- administered Kashmir are scheduled for next month.
The government in Nepal claims that 29 Maoist rebels were killed last week.
7. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
In reviewing measures associated with Homeland Security, including national identity cards, surveillance techniques and so forth, the US Congress has begun to express concern regarding privacy rights.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange, and National Association of Securities Dealers called in Citigroups Saloman Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and US Bancorps Piper Jaffray for investigations into the destruction of emails. The firms are likely to be fines and censured. This move points out the crucial need for all companies to have, follow, and monitor clear email management guidelines. Email is no longer considered a casual form of communication; instead it is regarded as providing more honest information and has in many cases led right into the heart of investigations.
8. Finance
London bookseller Yasser al-Siri will not be extradited to the US. The court found there was insufficient evidence of the charge by the US that he had helped finance al Qaeda.
The trend for US corporations to reincorporate in offshore tax havens is nearly dead, and will probably be finished off by new legislation. Among other things, there is a move to ban such companies from government contracts. However, the proposal to require reporting on interest earned on foreign accounts in the US was scaled back to exclude Latin America but would still require reporting on nonresident aliens from some 16 countries in addition to Canada, which already reports.
The government of Cyprus is stepping up its investigation of its role in financing of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevics transactions even while sanctions were in place.
American Express, Chase, Wachovia and Deutsche Bank have negotiated settlements with the US Treasury for doing business with restricted countries including Cuba, Iran and Libya. The information was acquired under a Freedom of Information Act request by the publication Corporate Crime Reporter.
9. Human Rights
US President Bush has signed into law the American Servicemembers Protection Act of 2002 that authorizes the use of military force to liberate any US citizen or citizen of a US ally who is held by the International Criminal Court (known as the "Hague invasion clause"). The new law also allows withdrawal of aid from signatories to the ICC and peacekeeping only where immunity from the ICC is provided in advance. Romania has agreed to refuse to surrender US citizens to the International Criminal Court. It is the first country to do this.
Turkey has abolished the death penalty. Guatemalas President Portillo has sent a proposal to Congress to do the same.
10. Law and Legal Issues
The US has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of eight men indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda. They are Augustin Bizimana, Jean-Baptiste Gatete, Augustin Bizimungu, Idelphonse Hategekimana, Augustin Ngirabatware, Idelphonse Nizeyimana and Callixte Nzabonimana. Accused genocide financier Felicien Kabuga is still at large.
Families of British, Australian and Kuwaiti detainees held in Guantanamo Bay have been told by a district judge that US courts had no jurisdiction over foreign nationals captured fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
A US federal judge has ruled that the names of those detained after the September 11 attacks must be released by the Department of Justice within 15 days, unless the person is a material witness or does not want to be identified. This repudiation of secret arrests is likely to be appealed.
An Egyptian military court has convicted 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood on conspiracy charges. They have been sentenced to up to five years in prison.
A fugitive warrant for the arrest of Mohamed el-Atriss has been issued after he fled to Egypt prior to his planned arrest on charges that he provided false identification to two of the September 11 hijackers.
Nigel B. Gates of London has been arrested in the US on immigration charges in an investigation sparked by his use of a library computer to look up bomb-making websites.
Democracy advocate Saad Eddin Ibrahim has been sentenced in Egypt again to seven years in prison. He holds dual US/Egyptian citizenship and his arrest has been criticized by the US.
Abdul Khaliq has been detained in Pakistan on charges of running a safe house for al Qaeda.
Hussein Abu Kweik and Faraj Romani have been arrested by Israeli soldiers who were operating in the occupied West Bank. They are accused of participation in suicide bombings with Hamas.
The UK government has rejected calls to move Abdelbaset ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, convicted in the Lockerbie bombing, to a Muslim country.
Mohammed Imran, Mohammed Hanif and Mohammed Ashraf have been arraigned in connection with the July car bombing of the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, that killed 12.
Jose Padillas detention may be reviewed by a federal judge in New York who has asked for briefs from both his attorneys who have requested writ of habeas corpus and the US who insists he is an enemy combatant. Padilla was arrested at an airport on charges of plotting a dirty bomb attack.
Sanjivan Ruprah has been arrested in Italy on charges of trafficking arms for al Qaeda.
London bookseller Yasser al-Siri will not be extradited to the US. The court found there was insufficient evidence of the charge by the US that he had helped finance al Qaeda.
Jafar Umar Thalib of Laskar Jihad, is on trial in Indonesia for incitement to hatred and violence over an anti-Christian speech he made that was followed by a village massacre.
11. Transportation
The US Federal Aviation Administration has asked Congress to let it ration flights at busy airports to help manage capacity in locations such as La Guardia in New York where demand is greater than capacity.
12. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Iraq offered to discuss UN weapons inspections, but the UN has refused to reopen talks without a guarantee they will successfully deliver unfettered access to the inspectors.
Russia is defending its nuclear cooperation agreements with Iran against US opposition to the construction of new reactors.
After repeated searches by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in relation to the anthrax letter investigation, Dr. Steven J. Hatfill, recently hired by Louisiana State University, has been placed on 30-day administrative leave. Hatfill is one of several scientists under investigation and the FBI says he is not a suspect.
The government of the UK has been under fire for selecting a less effective smallpox vaccine. Criticism is based on research published by Dr. Stephen Prior. The smallpox vaccine was purchased from a firm that donates to the Labour party.
13. Recently Published
Atkinson, Rick. An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa. Holt.
Brabazon, James "On Liberias Front Line" BBC News August 3, 2002 available online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/from_our_own_correspondent/2169134.stm
Gleijeses, Piero. Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976. University of North Carolina Press.
Langewiesche, William. "Unbuilding the World Trade Center, part 2: The Rush to Recover" in The Atlantic Monthly, September 2002.
Miller, John, Michael Stone and Chris Mitchell. The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It. Hyperion.
Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban. Da Capo Press.
Voeten, Teun. How De Body? Hope and Horror in Sierra Leone. St. Martins/Dunne
Opportunities in Africa, Part 1: The Sudan
Africa is a continent of over 30 million square kilometers, ranging from deserts to tropical islands. It holds 54 independent nations stretching from Tunisia to South Africa, from Senegal to Somalia, and has more than 13 percent of the worlds population. Africa is the least developed part of the world, but holds the greatest promise of future natural resources, including crucial rare minerals found only there.
This 3-part series starts with two countries on the edge of recovery. First, we look at Sudan in North Africa. Next week, we look at the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa. Both countries recently signed peace agreements, but the issues they must resolve and their future prospects are very different. Understanding these examples helps to illustrate the variety of the challenges in Africa We finish with a review of the key opportunities and risks that face Africa as a whole and also the impact these can have on the rest of the world.
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, dominating the Horn in the northwest. It is bordered by the Red Sea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The name Sudan comes from the Arabic phrase "bilad al-sudan" which means "land of the blacks". The countrys population is 52 percent Black and39 percent Arab, with an additional six percent Beja. There is also a religious divide of 70 percent Sunni Muslim, 25 percent Animist and 5 percent Christian. The Muslims are in the north, while Christians and the Animists are mostly in the south and in Khartoum. The official language is Arab, and a movement to Arabize has also led to conflict with the indigenous speakers of Nubian and over a hundred indigenous languages including Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages.
Since its independence from joint Egyptian/British rule in 1956, Sudan has been governed by a succession of unstable civilian and military governments. Instability nurtured endemic ethnic and religious conflicts that have dominated the country, with only brief exceptions, ever since. The civil war following independence helped to develop the foreign contacts that provided the weapons for the current conflict, and gave a training ground for the current generation of rebels.
Jafar Numayri came into power with a military coup in 1969. Under his rule, war against the rebel groups declined and limited autonomy for the south was granted.
Todays conflict began in 1983 when President Numayri introduced Sharia (Islamic) law.
At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel John Garang was sent to put down 500 troops who had mutinied against being sent north. Instead, he encouraged the revolt and became the leader of the rebellion against the central government in Khartoum. Garang, a Christian Dinka, had been educated in the US with advanced degrees in economics and military training.
His organization, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its armed wing the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) has two declared aims:
The government of Sudan, fueled by corruption, despotism, and oil, has launched unbridled attacks against civilians in the south, including accusations of attacks against hospitals and aid workers. In 1996 they were accused of attempting to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. As a result of this action, the United Nations imposed sanctions that prohibited diplomatic travel. Sudan is designated by the US Secretary of State as a state-sponsor of terrorism, a designation that carries significant penalties.
In its worst violation of international law and human rights, the government of Sudan equipped raiders who traveled in the south, destroying villages and abducting women and children who were forced into slavery as chattel servants, herders and field hands. (After human rights campaigns, nearly 15,000 slaves were freed in 2001.)
The SPLA and its factions have some 60,000 followers, providing a formidable military force, strong enough to deny a military victory by the Sudanese government. They are also guilty of human rights violations, including attacks against civilians, threats against oil workers and threats to aid workers as they tried to help famine victims.
During the next 19 years political changes within the SPLM and other opposition groups and in the government provided a backdrop to violence that claimed nearly 1.5 million lives and has displaced millions more.
SPLA was aided in the 1990s by support from the US government. They supplied "non-lethal" assistance and training to aid the rebels against the government of Sudan, which stood accused of being second only to Iran as a staging post for international terrorism. In 1998 the US launched a missile attack against a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, alleging it was manufacturing chemical weapons materials.
Periodic peace talks had little success. In 1997 five southern leaders of various factions signed a peace agreement. It did not include the SPLA and was followed by political deterioration within the ruling party, arrests of opposition leaders, continued attacks in the south and against opposition demonstrators, the 1999 dissolution of parliament, and imposition of emergency rule. Various efforts by neighbors Kenya, Libya and Egypt were unsuccessful.
In October 2001, US Senator John Danforth was sent to Sudan as Special Envoy to help end the conflict. His report has served as the foundation of the US-mediated peace effort whose framework was announced last week.
The peace framework (the Machakos Protocol) provides a framework in which to complete the discussions and includes two key agreements: the right of self-determination for the south and separation of religion and state.
This agreement comes not a moment too soon.
Continued violence and instability has made it difficult for Sudan to take advantage of its rich natural resources. Sudan currently exports animals, cotton, gum arabic, olibanum, sesame, sugar, fish and flowers. Oil has only been developed in the last couple of years, but exports have already created a positive balance of payments. The mining sector with its copper, zinc and iron is not developed, nor are the fresh and marine water resources. An extreme amount of foreign debt also puts Sudan at an economic disadvantage.
Sudan has been a priority to the US through its cooperation in the fight against terrorism and due to the personal influence of Christian groups close to President Bush.
It is a priority to the international community because the extent of economic and political disruption threatened to turn Sudan into another failed state, as has happened in Somalia, with horrific consequences. In the case of Sudan, which has borders with nine countries and a key sea route, its breakdown could lead to conflict across Africa.
One of Sudans neighbors is Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also embarking on a peace initiative, albeit one that seems to offer less chance of success. We will review that situation in next weeks feature article.
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