30 April 1999
(State Department issues "Patterns of Global Terrorism") (1280) By Susan Ellis USIA Staff Writer Washington -- The State Department issued its annual report on "Patterns of Global Terrorism" April 30, containing a list of state sponsors of terror that has not changed since August of 1993. The seven countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism are: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. In addition, the U.S. government certified an eighth country -- Afghanistan -- as not fully cooperating with U.S. antiterrorism efforts. In an April 30 statement issued by the State Department, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noted two trends -- fewer incidents of terror but more deaths caused by those incidents. "Fewer international terrorist incidents were reported in 1998 than in any year since 1971. But more people were killed in the attacks that did occur than in any year on record," she said. This demonstrates that the United States "has done much to make it harder for terrorists to operate and that we must do more because terrorists now have access to technology that is incredibly destructive." Albright emphasized that direct government involvement in committing terrorist acts continues to decline, but that "this progress has been countered by the rise of terrorist groups that are less directly dependent on states. "Some have broad geographical reach and have found ways to support themselves through criminal enterprises such as drug smuggling, kidnapping and extortion," she noted. "Our response has been to launch a full court press against terror," Albright said, adding that the United States will use a wide range of foreign policy tools, from military force to "vigorous diplomacy, the negotiation of treaties, the enforcement of laws, the sharing of information, the offering of rewards, the development of new technology and the improvement of our security." In the latter regard, protection of U.S. diplomatic posts is being strengthened as the significance of this year's report is heightened by the bombing August 7, 1998 of U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, with a heavy loss of life and many injuries. A senior State Department official who briefed reporters on April 30 noted that two Presidential Decision Directives of the past year, PDD 62 and PDD 63, address the threat of international terrorism from weapons of mass destruction and other potential threats posed against critical (information) infrastructure both in the United States and abroad by organizing the entire U.S. government against such threats. Asked about the impact of the terrorism designation on countries named, the official said the primary impact is the political pressure brought to bear by "calling them the pariahs they are. We're then able to isolate them and bring political pressure on them to try to change their behavior," he said, adding "It worked." There has been a clear and continuing downward trend in the amount of direct state-sponsored terrorism, he said. In addition, the official said, the designation "blocks financial transactions, prevents fundraising on their behalf... (and blocks) the ability of their people to operate in the United States." The official added that there is a new threat today from " non-state sponsored terrorist groups like the (Usama) Bin Ladin organization ....These organizations do not have as tight links to government or states, although they have some. They have independent means of raising financing, of recruiting people, of finding areas to train, plan and launch their operations." The United States is "designing strategies to bring pressure to bear on them as we have in the past with those organizations that were more directly supported by state sponsors," he said. Asked why Cuba is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, he said that "Cuba, quite bluntly, continues to provide safe haven for terrorists. And they will remain on the list while they continue to provide safe haven for a number of terrorist organizations." He said that Cuba and several other states on the list "could take what we consider not difficult steps to move them off the list of state sponsorship. But they haven't done so to this day," even though the United States encourages them to do so. Asked why North Korea and Libya, charged with no international terrorist acts in several years, are listed,while Afghanistan, with several incidents reported, is not, the official said that though the traditional state sponsors have "moved away clearly from the direct sponsorship of terrorist organizations...that does not absolve them from their state sponsorship. They are harboring groups that are still conducting terrorist acts." Terrorism continues to be "a major problem around the world today," the official said, "to a large extent because countries are allowing groups to operate and give them...safe haven, and so (while) their direct linkage is less, the combination of allowing groups to operate within their borders and providing them direct and indirect support prevents us from closing the chapters on these terrorist acts. And that's why they remain on (the list)." He added that the United States has "laid out a roadmap for North Korea on what they need to do" to be removed from the state sponsorship list, but so far they have refused to do it. For all seven designated states "it is a very clear path for them" to follow in order to have their names removed from the list, he noted. Afghanistan is omitted because the United States does not recognize it as a state, he said. "Bin Ladin, whose organization wraps around the world, with many of his headquarters in Afghanistan, was designated with an executive order. We are putting tremendous pressure on the Taliban right now regarding the presence of Bin Ladin within areas of their control," but as a non-state, Afghanistan has no seat in the United Nations, "and that's why they are not on (the list)." He declined to comment on whether Afghanistan would be "number eight" on the list if it were a state, saying that the question is hypothetical. The officials said that many international terrorist organizations continue to operate within the United States, and that the FBI "acts vigorously" against them. "The FBI has made...great progress against many (terrorist) organizations in arresting people...and clamping down on their activity. If you notice again this year, there were no acts of international terrorism conducted in the United States and I commend the efforts of the FBI and other law enforcement communities for continuing to put pressure on organizations that reside within the United States." Regarding paramilitary groups, the official said the State Department is "beginning to take a look...to see whether they fall into any category. But I'm aware of those organizations and the violence they represent and I'm looking at it." Asked whether the State Department has considered putting the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) on the list, he said, "The KLA has not fallen into the category of a foreign terrorist organization."; Asked whether fostering political change by targeting civilians is not sufficient reason to be labeled a terrorist group, the official responded: "We have a definition agreed upon for our purposes with(in) the State Department, the Justice Department and others involved in this. And it's fairly specific. It doesn't mean we don't condemn other types of violent behavior...but we are restricted by the laws that we're required to report on. But that doesn't limit our government from criticizing other types of behavior." The complete April 1999 report by the U.S. Department of State on Patterns of Global Terrorism, 1998, may be found on the State Department's Internet website ( http://www.state.gov/)