O 242303Z AUG 98
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8902
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
CJCS WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002600 
 
JOINT STAFF FOR DIR, DIR-J3, DIR-J5 
SECDEF FOR PK/HA, ISA, AFR 
NSC FOR JWILSON AND LHAWLEY 
 
E.O.12958: DECL: 8/24/08 
TAGS: PREL UNSC SU
SUBJECT: UN:  COUNCIL REVIEWS SUDAN LETTER OF PROTEST 
              ABOUT U.S. ATTACK 
 
REF:   A) STATE 154714     B) STATE 154715 
 
CLASSIFIED BY MARK MINTON, POLITICAL COUNSELOR; 
REASON:  1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) ON AUGUST 24, COUNCIL PRESIDENT TURK (SLOVENIA) 
NOTED RECEIPT OF A LETTER FROM SUDANESE MINISTER FOR 
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS RORIC CONDEMNING THE AUGUST 20 
DESTRUCTION OF THE EL-SHIFA PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY BY 
U.S. MISSILES (REF A).  AMBASSADOR BURLEIGH EXPLAINED 
TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THE JUSTIFICATIONS UNDERLYING 
AMERICAN USE OF FORCE AGAINST THE SUDANESE FACILITY 
(SEE PARA 2 - TEXT OF BURLEIGH STATEMENT).  BAHRAIN 
PERMREP BUALLAY CONDEMNED ALL ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, INCLUDING THE RECENT BOMBINGS IN NAIROBI AND 
DAR ES SALAAM, SAYING SUCH COWARDLY AGGRESSION ONLY 
SERVED TO UNDERMINE PREVIOUSLY ACHIEVED SOCIAL AND 
ECONOMIC PROGRESS AS WELL AS CAUSE NEEDLESS SUFFERING 
AMONG INNOCENT CIVILIANS.  BUALLAY NOTED THAT SINCE ALL 
THE DETAILS OF THE AUGUST 20 ATTACK ON THE SUDANESE 
FACTORY WERE NOT KNOWN, THE COUNCIL SHOULD SEEK 
ADDITIONAL TIME FOR REFLECTION AND FURTHER STUDY BEFORE 
ADVOCATING SPECIFIC ACTION.  BUALLAY ALSO CALLED FOR AN 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO COORDINATE POLICY AGAINST 
TERRORISM.  THERE WERE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL 
MEMBERS. 
 
¶2.  (C) TEXT OF STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR BURLEIGH CONCERNING 
U.S. ACTIONS ON AUGUST 20: 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
MR. PRESIDENT, I THINK BY NOW ALL MEMBERS OF THE 
COUNCIL HAVE READ THE LETTER WE ASKED TO HAVE 
CIRCULATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 51 OF THE UN 
CHARTER REPORTING THAT WE HAVE EXERCISED OUR RIGHT OF 
SELF DEFENSE IN RESPONDING TO TERRORIST ATTACKS AND 
CONTINUING THREATS AGAINST OUR EMBASSIES AND CITIZENS 
AROUND THE WORLD. 
 
AS A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, I JUST WANTED TO ELABORATE A 
LITTLE MORE INFORMALLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY, 
SO YOU ALL CAN HEAR IT FROM US, FIRST HAND, AND NOT 
FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE. 
 
THE PRESIDENT DECIDED TO LAUNCH THESE STRIKES BASED ON 
CREDIBLE AND COMPELLING EVIDENCE, ACCUMULATED OVER A 
PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, THAT THE TARGETED FACILITIES, 
AND THE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH 
THEM, POSED A DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE 
SECURITY OF U.S. CITIZENS. 
 
THE THREE TERRORIST BASES AT KHOST, AFGHANISTAN 
PROVIDED A REFUGE FOR TERRORISTS AND WAS A CENTER FOR 
THEIR FUNDING, TRAINING AND TRAVEL. 
 
IN ADDITION TO THE AUGUST 7 BOMBINGS OF OUR EMBASSIES 
IN KENYA AND TANZANIA, WE HAVE GOOD EVIDENCE OF AT 
LEAST 18 OTHER SPECIFIC ACTS OF TERROR AND VIOLENCE 
PLANNED OR CARRIED OUT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SITES WE 
HAVE JUST TARGETED. 
 
THESE ACTS RANGE FROM THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON 
PRESIDENT MUBARAK; THE MACHINE GUNNING OF MORE THAN 60 
INNOCENT EUROPEAN TOURISTS AND EGYPTIANS IN LUXOR; A 
CAR BOMB AGAINST THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY IN PAKISTAN THAT 
KILLED MORE THAN 20 EGYPTIANS AND PAKISTANIS; 
CONSPIRACY TO KILL U.S. SERVICEMEN IN YEMEN, EN ROUTE 
TO "OPERATION RESTORE HOPE;" PLOTS TO BLOW UP SIX U.S. 
AIRLINERS IN THE PACIFIC AND TO KILL THE POPE; ATTACKS 
ON UN PEACEKEEPERS IN SOMALIA; ATTACKS ON U.S. AND 
SAUDI TRAINING FACILITIES, AND ON AND ON. 
 
BIN LADIN'S NETWORK HAS PUBLICLY AND REPEATEDLY 
PRONOUNCED A CLEAR AND VIOLENT ANTI-U.S. AGENDA, 
RANGING FROM HIS "DECLARATION OF WAR" AGAINST THE 
UNITED STATES IN AUGUST 1996 TO HIS THREATS OVER THE 
WEEKEND, CLAIMING HE WILL CAUSE "THOUSANDS OF DEATHS." 
 
ON THURSDAY, PRESIDENT CLINTON LAID OUT FOUR REASONS 
WHY HE ORDERED THIS ACTION: 
 
-- (1) WE HAVE CONVINCING EVIDENCE THESE GROUPS PLAYED 
THE KEY ROLE IN THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND 
TANZANIA; 
 
-- (2) THESE GROUPS HAVE EXECUTED TERRORIST ATTACKS 
AGAINST AMERICANS IN THE PAST; 
 
-- (3) WE HAVE COMPELLING INFORMATION THEY WERE 
PLANNING MORE ATTACKS ON OUR CITIZENS AND OTHERS, WITH 
THE INEVITABLE COLLATERAL CASUALTIES WE SAW SO 
TRAGICALLY IN AFRICA; AND 
 
-- (4) WE HAD URGENT INFORMATION THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 
TO ACQUIRE CHEMICAL WEAPONS. 
 
ON THIS LATTER POINT, LET ME EXPLAIN THAT WE WERE 
PARTICULARLY DISTURBED BY STRONG EVIDENCE INDICATING 
THAT A SITE OUTSIDE OF KHARTOUM -- IN ASSOCIATION WITH 
THE USAMA BIN LADEN NETWORK -- WAS INVOLVED IN AN 
EFFORT TO PRODUCE THE DEADLY NERVE AGENT VX.  OUR 
INTELLIGENCE OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAS INDICATED 
THAT THE BIN LADEN NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVELY SEEKING TO 
ACQUIRE CHEMICAL WEAPONS FOR USE AGAINST UNITED STATES 
INTERESTS.  BIN LADEN HAS EXTENSIVE TIES TO THE 
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND ITS INDUSTRIAL SECTOR. 
 
WE ARE CONFIDENT THE TARGETED SUDANESE FACILITY WAS 
INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGENTS. 
ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE HORROR THESE TERRORISTS WOULD 
HAVE INFLICTED IF THEY HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO PRODUCE AND 
EVENTUALLY USE VX -- A SUBSTANCE MUCH MORE POWERFUL AND 
DEADLY THAN THAT USED IN THE TOKYO SUBWAY ATTACKS. 
 
LET ME ALSO STRESS, MR. PRESIDENT, THAT WE DID NOT MAKE 
THE DECISION TO USE FORCE LIGHTLY.  OUR FIRST 
PREFERENCE, AS IN OTHER SUCH CASES, WOULD HAVE BEEN TO 
BRING THE TERRORISTS TO JUSTICE IN A COMPETENT COURT OF 
LAW, AND TO SHUT DOWN THEIR FACILITIES AND TURN THEM 
OVER TO MORE LEGITIMATE USES. 
 
WE TRIED TO DO THIS THROUGH CONTACTS WITH RELEVANT 
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN AFGHANISTAN AND SUDAN.  AMBASSADOR 
RICHARDSON PERSONALLY RAISED THIS MATTER WITH TALIBAN 
LEADERS IN KABUL.  ONLY AFTER WE EXHAUSTED DIPLOMATIC 
EFFORTS -- AND AFTER IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WE FACED NEW 
ATTACKS AGAINST US AND OTHERS -- DID WE HAVE TO ACT. 
 
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL MEMBERS OF A UN 
DECLARATION ON TERRORISM, ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS DURING 
THE 49TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 1994.  ARTICLE 5 OF THAT 
DOCUMENT DECLARES THAT STATES MUST FULFIL THEIR 
OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, 
AND GOES ON TO LIST WHAT THOSE OBLIGATIONS ARE: 
 
-- "TO REFRAIN FROM ORGANIZING, INSTIGATING, 
FACILITATING, FINANCING, ENCOURAGING OR TOLERATING 
TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AND TO TAKE APPROPRIATE PRACTICAL 
MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES 
ARE NOT USED FOR TERRORIST INSTALLATIONS OR TRAINING 
CAMPS." 
 
IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT ALL 
STATES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PREVENT TERRORISTS FROM 
USING THEIR TERRITORY OR FACILITIES TO PLAN AND COMMIT 
ACTS OF TERROR.  IN ADDITION TO THE DECLARATION CITED, 
THERE ARE 11 INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM CONVENTIONS THAT 
PROHIBIT THIS. 
 
STATES THAT FAIL TO UPHOLD THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO PREVENT 
TERRORISM SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO TAKE 
THE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO DEFEND OURSELVES. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
RICHARDSON