R 250404Z NOV 02
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9578
INFO CIA WASHDC
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
AMEMBASSY ASMARA 
AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY RIYADH

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 003801 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  -- PAR NUMBERING AND CLASSIFICATIONS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2012 
TAGS: PTER PREL PINS ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: 2002 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: A) STATE 201772 B) ADDIS ABABA 2978 C) ADDIS 
     ABABA 3273 D) ADDIS ABABA 2973 E) IIR 6 830 
     0115 02 F) IIR 7 723 0396 02 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS 
DAVID C BECKER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (C) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY:  ETHIOPIA IS A CONFIRMED AND COMMITTED 
PARTNER IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM (GWOT) AT ALL LEVELS. 
ALTHOUGH OFTEN LACKING IN CAPACITY, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 
FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA (GFDRE) HAS RESPONDED 
PRO-ACTIVELY TO THE GLOBAL THREAT.  EMBASSY KNOWS OF NO 
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) ACTIVITY IN ETHIOPIA, 
AND NO SUCH TOLERANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT.  THE GWOT FITS 
NEATLY INTO THE RULING COALITION'S POLITICAL AGENDA, WHICH 
EQUATES ARMED OPPOSITION WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
ETHIOPIA'S CURRENT GOVERNMENT WILL REMAIN WITH US AS A 
STEADFAST PARTNER AGAINST TERRORISM. END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------- 
ANNUAL RESPONSE 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES FOR 2002 ARE KEYED TO 
INSTRUCTIONS IN REFTEL A, PARA. 2: 
 
¶A. (U)  THE GFDRE STANDS FIRMLY AGAINST ALL FORMS OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AND HAS CONSISTENTLY OFFERED 
COOPERATION TO SUPPORT THE GWOT. 
 
¶B. (U)  THE JUDICIARY HAS NOT HAD TO RESPOND TO ANY ACTS OF 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
 
¶C. (U)  ETHIOPIA HAS NOT EXTRADITED NOR REQUESTED 
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS FOR PROSECUTION.  IF 
REQUESTED, THE GFDRE WOULD EXTRADITE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS TO 
THE U.S. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NO EXTRADITION TREATY. 
 
¶D. (U)  THE GFDRE'S ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO 
TERRORISM IS HAMPERED BY INSUFFICIENT FUNDING AND INADEQUATE 
TRAINING OF ITS SECURITY FORCES AND JUDICIARY.  CRIMINAL 
CASES OFTEN LANGUISH IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND SUSPECTS CAN 
SPEND YEARS AWAITING TRIAL. 
 
¶E. (U)  GFDRE RESPONSES TO TERRORISM: THE GFDRE HAS 
CONSISTENTLY CONDEMNED TERRORISM, INCLUDING THE 1998 NAIROBI 
AND DAR ES SALAAM BOMBINGS AND THE 9/11 ATTACKS.  PRIME 
MINISTER MELES ZENAWI REGULARLY CONDEMNS ALL FORMS OF 
TERRORISM.  THE GFDRE HAS TAKEN ACTIONS TO CONTROL ITS BORDER 
WITH SOMALIA TO PREVENT SMUGGLING AND TERRORIST MOVEMENT. THE 
GFDRE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF DJIBOUTI ARE DISCUSSING WAYS TO 
REDUCE TERRORISTS, ABILITY TO MOVE ACROSS THEIR BORDER EN 
ROUTE TO AND FROM YEMEN. 
 
¶F. (U) SIGNIFICANT GFDRE COUNTERTERRORISM (CT) ACTIVITIES 
INCLUDE POLITICAL, FINANCIAL, MEDIA, MILITARY AND LAW 
ENFORCEMENT ACTION.   ETHIOPIA SIGNED THE OAU DRAFT 
CONVENTION ON TERRORISM PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE SEPTEMBER 
11-14 AFRICAN UNION TERRORISM CONFERENCE IN ALGIERS (ALTHOUGH 
THEY FAVORED THE "FREEDOM FIGHTER" CLAUSE DESPITE EMBASSY,S 
REFTEL B REQUEST).  IN A STATEMENT AFTER A SEPTEMBER BOMBING 
OF AN ADDIS ABABA HOTEL, THE GFDRE SAID ETHIOPIA HAD BEEN 
PLAGUED BY TERRORISM LONG BEFORE THE GWOT.  IN OCTOBER, 
FOREIGN MINISTER SEYOUM MESFIN TOLD UNGA THAT ALL WHO 
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE TERRORISM SHOULD 
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE ETHIOPIAN CENTRAL BANK HAS BEEN 
PROMPT IN COMPLYING WITH OUR REQUESTS FOR NAME CHECKS AND 
ASSET FREEZES.  TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO FTOS HAVE ASSETS IN 
ETHIOPIA.  TO COUNTER THE THREAT OF AL-ITTIHAD AL-ISLAMIYA 
(AIAI), THE GFDRE HAS UNDERTAKEN INCREASED MILITARY EFFORTS 
TO CONTROL ITS LONG BORDER WITH SOMALIA. MEDIA REPORTS 
INDICATE THAT FOUR PAKISTANIS WERE ARRESTED IN DIRE DAWA "ON 
SUSPICION OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITY." POLICE 
ARRESTED FOUR YEMENIS AND THREE PAKISTANIS ENTERING FROM 
SUDAN.  WHILE IN TRANSIT TO ADDIS ABABA, THE SUSPECTS KILLED 
A GUARD AND ALL SEVEN MANAGED TO ESCAPE. 
 
¶G. (U)  THE GFDRE DOES NOT LEND SUPPORT TO INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, AND OFFERS NO SUPPORT, PRIVILEGES OR TRAINING TO 
TERRORISTS. 
 
¶H. (U)  THE GFDRE HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN 
SUPPORT OF ANY TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES ON ISSUES 
RELATED TO TERRORISM. 
 
¶I. (U)  THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE GFDRE'S STRONG 
SUPPORT FOR THE COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM IN 2002. 
 
¶J. (U)  THE GFDRE HAS CONSISTENTLY OFFERED FULL COOPERATION 
IN THE GWOT, AND BURNISHES ITS ROLE AS A U.S. PARTNER.  THE 
EMBASSY WORKS CLOSELY WITH MANY GFDRE COMPONENTS IN ALL 
FACETS OF CT.  SEYOUM RECENTLY TOLD THE AMBASSADOR, "UNLESS 
OUR CAPACITY LIMITS US, WE WILL NOT FAIL YOU." 
 
¶K. (U)  THE EMBASSY HAS RECEIVED CONTINUING COOPERATION FROM 
THE GFDRE IN THE INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING THE 9/11 ATTACKS. 
 
¶L. (U)  THE GFDRE IS FULLY RESPONSIVE TO REQUESTS TO PROTECT 
U.S. CITIZENS AND FACILITIES. 

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  CONFIRMING REF. C, WE KNOW OF NO FTOS ON ETHIOPIAN 
SOIL ACTIVE OR WORTH WATCHING. 
 
¶4. (S)  MELES MAY BE GOING TOO FAR:  THE PM MAY HAVE SOME 
DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THE GWOT FROM SECTARIAN RIVALRY. 
AS REPORTED IN REF. D, MELES TOLD CODEL IN AUGUST THAT 
ETHIOPIA IS IN THE GWOT FOR ITS OWN NATIONAL SECURITY.  HIS 
PRIVATE COMMENTS INDICATE THAT HE MAY HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY 
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ISLAM, ISLAMISM, AND TERRORISM.  HE 
EQUATES ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM WITH TERRORISM, SAYING 
WAHHABISM IS "INFILTRATING AND DOMINATING THE REGION."  HE 
DESCRIBES ETHIOPIA AS BEING "AT THE EPICENTER" OF TERRORISM 
SINCE THE SEVENTH CENTURY (REF. E).  FORTUNATELY, MELES HAS 
NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS BETRAYING SUCH A 
"LUMP-THEM-ALL-TOGETHER" OUTLOOK.  THE OPPOSITION IS ALSO 
WORRIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF EXTREMISM, AND, NOT 
PRIVY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS, FEARS THE GFDRE IS NOT 
DOING ENOUGH.  ACCORDING TO A PROMINENT OPPOSITION 
POLITICIAN, OVERT SAUDI AND COVERT IRANIAN INFLUENCE ARE 
SPREADING EXTREMISM WHILE THE RULING COALITION IS TOLERATING 
AN INCREASE IN SECTARIANISM. 
 
¶5. (S)  A SOURCE WITH UNESTABLISHED RELIABILITY HAS REPORTED 
THAT THE ERITREAN "GREATER ALLIANCE," AN UMBRELLA GROUP 
CONSISTING OF TEN ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE ERITREAN 
ISLAMIC JIHAD, HAS MOVED ITS HEADQUARTERS TO ETHIOPIA.  WE 
HAVE SEEN THE REF. F REPORT THAT THE JIHAD IS BELIEVED TO 
RECEIVE POLITICAL BACKING FROM THE GFDRE, BUT CANNOT CONFIRM 
SUCH. 
 
¶6. (C) THE GFDRE CONSIDERS ITS DOMESTIC ARMED OPPOSITION AS 
TERRORISTS, DRAWING LITTLE JURIDICAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUCH 
DIPARATE GROUPS AS AL-QAEDA AND THE HOME-GROWN OROMO 
LIBERATION FRONT (OLF).  MELES TOLD PARLIAMENT IN SEPTEMBER 
THAT THE FIGHT AGAINST THE OLF SHOULD NOT BE SEEN IN 
ISOLATION FROM THE GWOT. THE GFDRE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE 
SEEKING USG SUPPORT AGAINST THE OLF, INCLUDING ITS ADDITION 
TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS AS AN FTO.  THE OLF IS WIDELY BELIEVED TO 
HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR A JUNE ATTACK ON A RAILWAY STATION 
IN DIRE DAWA AND A SEPTEMBER BOMBING OF AN ADDIS ABABA HOTEL. 
 THE TEN HOTEL BOMBING SUSPECTS APPEARED IN COURT THIS WEEK 
AND PLED NOT GUILTY. THE OLF HAS DENIED THE GFDRE'S PUBLIC 
ALLEGATIONS. 
 
¶7. (C)  COMMENT:  MELES FINDS THE GWOT POLITICALLY 
ADVANTAGEOUS FOR BOTH ETHIOPIA AND HIS RULING COALITION, AND 
EVEN CALLED IT A "GODSEND" BECAUSE OF ETHIOPIA'S UNFORTUNATE 
EXPERIENCE WITH INTERNAL VIOLENCE AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM 
(AS THEY DEFINE IT).  SHORTLY AFTER 9/11, ETHIOPIAN MILITARY 
LEADERS SOUGHT U.S. ENGAGEMENT IN A PROPOSAL FOR A SERIES OF 
LARGE-SCALE STRIKES ON NEIGHBORING SOMALIA, A BREEDING GROUND 
AND SAFEHAVEN FOR TERRORISTS, AND A PERENNIAL THORN IN THE 
SIDE OF EVERY ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT.  FOR THIS GOVERNMENT, THE 
GWOT IS A TWO-FER: THEY USE IT TO DRAW CLOSER TO THE U.S. 
AND/AND GAIN RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN CT EFFORTS. END COMMENT. 
 
 
BRAZEAL