DATE=8/19/98
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-30344
TITLE=DATELINE: ANONYMOUS TERRORISM
BYLINE=PAMELA TAYLOR
TELEPHONE=619-1101
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=DON BUDD
CONTENT= // NOTE: SOME MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS PROGRAM WAS
PREVIOUSLY ISSUED ON HOUSE WIRES //
INTRO: IT HAS BEEN NEARLY TWO WEEKS SINCE THE TERRORIST ATTACKS
ON THE U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA. ALTHOUGH
INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONTINUING, NO GROUP HAS COME FORWARD
TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBINGS IN WHICH 257
PEOPLE WERE KILLED. THE INTENTION OF MOST TERRORISTS IS
TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS THROUGH A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
POLICY. BUT WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS OR THE MOTIVES OF THOSE
WHO PLANTED BOMBS IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM? THAT'S
THE QUESTION EXAMINED IN TODAY'S EDITION OF DATELINE.
HERE'S PAMELA TAYLOR.
TEXT: DURING TERRORISM'S HEYDAY IN THE 1970'S, ACTS OF
POLITICAL VIOLENCE SUCH AS HIJACKINGS, KIDNAPPINGS AND
BOMBINGS WERE USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A QUICK CLAIM OF
RESPONSIBILITY. GERMANY'S RED BRIGADES, THE PALESTINIAN
BLACK SEPTEMBER GROUP AND THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY ALL
WANTED THEIR NAMES TO BE KNOWN AND FEARED. THEY ALSO
WANTED THEIR GOALS PUT ON THE WORLD'S AGENDA. SO WHY HAS
NO GROUP COME FORTH IN THE AFRICA BOMBINGS? PROFESSOR
SIMONA SHARONI OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, D.
C. BELIEVES THE LACK OF A CLAIM AND THE DATE THE
BOMBINGS OCCURRED -- AUGUST 7TH -- ARE THEMSELVES CLUES
TO THE PERPETRATOR. THAT DATE, SAYS PROFESSOR SHARONI
-- A ROMANIAN FROM ISREAL -- IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ARRIVAL OF U-S TROOPS IN SAUDI ARABIA. ORIGINALLY SENT
TO HELP DEFEND KUWAIT AGAINST IRAQ IN THE 1990 GULF WAR
-- U-S TROOPS HAVE REMAINED ON SAUDI SOIL FOR THE PAST
EIGHT YEARS. MOST TERRORISM EXPERTS BELIEVE THE 1996
TRUCK BOMBING OF A BUILDING HOUSING U-S MILITARY
PERSONNEL IN DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA WAS LINKED TO THE
PERSON REPORTED TO BE THE PRIME SUSPECT IN THE KENYA AND
TANZANIA BOMBINGS -- A SAUDI MILLIONAIRE LIVING IN
AFGHANISTAN: OSAMA BIN LADEN:
TAPE: TAYLOR/SHARONI INTERVIEW RUNS 3:12
(SHARONI) THIS WAS, IN A WAY, CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY
BECAUSE THE MESSAGE WAS IN THE CHOICE OF A PARTICULAR
DATE AND THERE WAS THE CLUE AS TO WHICH GROUPS CARRIED
OUT THE ATTACKS.
(TAYLOR) WOULDN'T THAT INDICATE THAT SUSPICION IS
POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS OSAMA BIN LADEN?
(SHARONI) YES, BUT THE OMISSION OF THE DETAIL THAT IT
HAPPENED ON THE 8TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF
TROOPS IN SAUDI ARABIA WOULD HAVE OPENED A WHOLE
DISCUSSION, THAT WOULD NOT BE AROUND THE ACT ITSELF BUT
THE POLITICAL CONTEXT. AND EVEN WITHOUT CLAIMING
RESPONSIBILITY IT DIDN'T TAKE TO MUCH TO TRY AND FIND
THEM. AND WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT FOR THEM IS THE MESSAGE
TO THE BROADER AUDIENCE. IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT LOGIC IN
MY VIEW THAT UNDERLIES THIS NEW PHENOMENON, THAT
BASICALLY MEANS SIGNALLING THE UNITED STATES THAT AS
LONG AS IT HAS TROOPS IN THE GULF AND PARTICULARLY IN
SAUDI ARABIA WHERE THE MOST SACRED ISLAMIC SITES ARE,
ITS EMISARRIES ARE NOT GOING TO BE SAFE ANYWHERE ELSE.
THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE PRESENCE OF THOSE FORCES FOR
THE PAST EIGHT YEARS IN SAUDI ARABIA IS AN ABOMINATION.
(TAYLOR) SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU DO THINK THAT THE
CLAIM THAT PERHAPS ONLY DIPLOMATS UNDERSTAND, NOT THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, THE UNSTATED CLAIM BEING MADE HERE BY
SUPPORTERS OF OSAMA BIN LADEN IS ONCE AGAIN, THE UNITED
STATES MUST REMOVE ITS TROOPS FROM SAUDI ARABIA. IS IT
THAT SIMPLE?
(SHARONI) YES. I THINK THAT'S THE MESSAGE AND I THINK
IF ONE FOLLOWS THE ATTACK ON THE COBALT TOWER
(APARTMENTS IN DHAHRAN) AND THEN THE EMBASSIES (IN KENYA
AND TANZANIA), THERE IS A PATTERN THERE. IN ALL THESE
CASES, THERE HASN'T BEEN A CLAIM OF RESPONSIBILITY BY
THE GROUP CARRYING OUT THE ATTACK. AND IN ALL CASES
THERE'S BEEN A CONNECTION TO U-S DEPLOYMENT OF FORCES IN
SAUDI ARABIA.
(TAYLOR) SO EXPLAIN AGAIN, HOW ACTING ANONYMOUSLY WORK
IN THEIR FAVOR?
(SHARONI) WELL, IT CREATED A WHOLE DEBATE, THE DEBATE
THAT WE ARE PART OF NOW, ABOUT WHAT COULD BE THE REASON
TO STRIKE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES? I MEAN IN A WAY
THEY'VE ACHIEVED THE GOAL, BY NOT CLAIMING
RESPONSIBILITY, OF OPENING UP A PUBLIC DEBATE ABOUT U-S
FOREIGN POLICY, ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF THE UNITED
STATES AS A LEADER ON THE WORLD STAGE AND ABOUT U-S
PRESENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA.
TEXT: SIMONA SHARONI IS A TERRORISM EXPERT AND PROFESSOR OF
PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN
WASHINGTON, D-C.
[OPT] IN THE MIDDLE EAST, DIPLOMATS AND ANALYSTS HAVE
ALL CONDEMNED THE LOSS OF LIFE IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES
SALAAM. AT THE SAME, THEY NOTE, THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE
OF FRUSTRATION OVER U-S POLICY IN THE REGION. VOA
CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB IN CAIRO HAS MORE:
TAPE: CUT # 2 BOBB #5-41121 RUNS 3:44
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAIRO'S AL-AHRAM CENTER FOR
POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES, MOHAMED SAYED SA'ID,
SPOKE TO VOA ABOUT PUSSIBLE REASONS BEHIND THE ATTACKS
IN KENYA AND TANZANIA.
// FIRST SAYED ACTUALITY //
IN THE FIRST PLACE, THIS IS A DECLARATION OF
PRESENCE, THAT THEY ARE HERE (IN AFRICA) IN THE FIRST
PLACE. SECONDLY, THE SECOND MESSAGE IS THAT THEY HAVE
A GLOBAL REACH, THEY ARE NOT A MEAGER OR SMALL-SIZED
ORGANIZATION.
// END ACT //
MANY EXPERTS BELIEVE THE INCIDENTS ARE RELATED TO ISSUES
IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY NOTE SEVERAL TERRORIST GROUPS
HAVE TARGETED U-S INTERESTS IN ORDER TO PROTEST U-S
POLICIES IN THE REGION. PROFESSOR SAYED SAYS A NUMBER OF
THESE GROUPS MET EARLIER THIS YEAR IN CENTRAL ASIA AND
AGREED TO FORM A UNITED FRONT.
HE SAYS SOME OF THESE GROUPS STRONGLY OBJECT TO THE U-S
MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE ARAB WORLD AND IN PARTICULAR IN
SAUDI ARABIA, WHICH IS HOME TO THE TWO HOLIEST SHRINES
IN ISLAM.
[OPT] OTHER GROUPS OBJECT TO A RECENT INTERNATIONAL
EXTRADITION AGREEMENT THAT HAS SEEN MANY DISSIDENTS
RETURNED HOME FOR TRIAL AND PRISON. SOME OF THESE
DISSIDENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONVICTED OF TERRORISM, BUT
OTHES HAVE NOT BEEN TRIED, CAUSING PROTESTS FROM HUMAN
RIGHTS GROUPS. [END OPT]
MANY GROUPS CRITICIZE THE LACK OF PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE
IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE PALESTINIAN
CAUSE. THEY BLAME THE STALEMATE ON ISRAEL AND WHAT THEY
SEE AS U-S POLICIES WHICH FAVOR ISRAELI POSITIONS OVER
PALESTINIAN ONES.
A RESEARCHER AT THE AL-AHRAM CENTER, HALLA MOUSTAFA SAYS
BECAUSE OF U-S POLICIES, ISLAMISTS ARE GAINING SUPPORT
IN THE REGION, FOLLOWING SEVERAL YEARS OF SETBACKS.
// HALLA ACTUALITY //
THE U-S ADMINISTRATION, MAYBE IT HAS TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION THIS ANIMOSITY WHICH WAS GROWING AMONG
THE ARAB PEOPLES AGAINST THE U-S POLICY TOWARD THE
PEACE PROCESS.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR HALLA SAYS THE U-S GOVERNMENT IS PERCEIVED AS
FAVORING ISRAEL IN THE PEACE PROCESS AND THIS PERCEPTION
IS REDUCING ITS DIPLOMATIC EFFECTIVENESS IN THE REGION.
U-S OFFICIALS DISPUTE THIS ASSERTION AND SAY THEY ARE
EQUALLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN THE
PEACE PROCESS, BUT SAY PRIVATELY THEY FEAR THE STALEMATE
MAY CONTINUE UNTIL THERE IS A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN
ISRAEL. ARAB LEADERS SAY THEY FEAR A RESURGENCE OF
VIOLENCE IN THE REGION IF THE CRISIS IS NOT DEFUSED.
[OPT] PROFESSOR SAYED NOTES THAT DESPITE THE FRUSTRATION
,MOST PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST REJECT TERRORISM BECAUSE
VIOLENCE GOES AGAINST THEIR RELIGION AND HURTS THEIR
POLITICAL CAUSES.
// 2ND SAYED ACT //
I THINK EVENTS OF THIS NATURE ARE UNIVERSALLY
CONDEMNED IN THE ARAB AND ISLAMIC WORLD BECAUSE THEY
CONTINUE TO POLLUTE THE IMAGE OF ISLAM AND THEY ARE
INTENDED TO REVERSE THE RISING SYMPATHY WITHIN THE
UNITED STATES WITH THE PLIGHT OF THE PALESTINIAN
PEOPLE AND THE NEED FOR JUSTICE FOR THE PALESTINIANS.
// END ACT //
VIRTUALLY ALL ANALYSTS IN THE REGION ACKNOWLEDGE
VIOLENCE -- LIKE THE BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND TANZANIA --
DISRUPT NORNAL LIFE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND DIVERT THE
ATTENTION OF WORLD LEADERS FROM COOPERATION ON THE JOINT
PURSUIT OF LONG-TERM STRATEGIC GOALS. THEY SAY THAT MAY
WELL SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THOSE FOR WHOM THOSE
LONG-TERM GOALS REPRESENT A THREAT.
TEXT: VOA CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB REPORTING FROM CAIRO. [END
OPT]
MANY MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE CONCERNED THAT
WHETHER TERORIST ATTACKS ARE ANONYMOUS OR NOT -- RADICAL
ISLAMISTS TEND TO BE BLAMED. THIS, THEY SAY, ONLY
FURTHER FUELS THE WESTERN TENDENCY TO EQUATE ISLAM WITH
VIOLENCE. 'ANONYMOUS TERRORISM' WAS THE SUBJECT OF
TODAY'S DATELINE. (SIGNED)
NEB/PAM/DAB
19-Aug-98 10:26 AM EDT (1426 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
