12 December 2001

Senior U.S. Official Discusses Terrorism Potential in Africa

Washington -- "The possibility of terrorist cells being in Somalia is real," Assistant Secretary of State Walter Kansteiner told reporters December 12, noting that the United States believes "there are likely connections" between al Qaeda and Somalia's Al Itahad al-Islami (AIAI) group (the Islamic Union).

Briefing reporters in Pretoria, South Africa, Kansteiner said: "We have reason to believe that there have been flows of both people and finances through that al Qaeda-AIAI connection. And we are looking for ways, in fact, to close off that connection and that capability."

Kansteiner was in Pretoria on the last stop on an African trip that also took him to Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. A transcript of the press conference was made available in Washington.

When asked what specific steps might be taken with regard to Somalia, Kansteiner would only say, "A number of ways ... are being considered," but refused to be specific.

Kansteiner likened the U.S. policy approach to Somalia to a three-legged stool. "Our first goal is, in fact, to make that environment [Somalia] inhospitable" to any terrorists," he said.

The United States, he added, is currently working with Somalia's neighbors and its coalition allies to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

The second goal, Kansteiner said, is a regional one, that of preventing any activities in Somalia from negatively affecting its neighbors, particularly Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti.

The third goal is long-term, he said: to assist Somalia in further developing its government and enhancing the country's economic future.

"If we can assist Somalia in becoming a viable state, then it's going to be less likely to be a harbor for terrorists. So those are the three goals that we have -- some more short-term, some more long-term, but we are working with the Ethiopians and the Kenyans to achieve all of this."

Asked about the level of counterterrorism cooperation now ongoing between the United States and Sudan, Kansteiner said such cooperation has actually been ongoing for some time. But following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, he added, that cooperation has "reached some new levels. So, in fact, that relationship has deepened and widened and improved considerably."

The United States appreciates Khartoum's cooperation and values it, he added, but he cautioned that "the long-term bilateral relationship with Sudan is going to be driven by the internal Sudanese situation, specifically the peace process or lack thereof. And that's why the president appointed Senator Danforth to be the special envoy to pursue the possibility of that peace process as best he could."

Is there any sign of a "double agenda" being played by Khartoum? a journalist asked. "No, I don't see that," Kansteiner responded.

Asked if there are any known links between South Africa and al Qaeda, Kansteiner responded, "No, I have not seen any direct links between al Qaeda and South Africa."

Asked to respond to the belief by many that Africa is the soft underbelly of terrorism, Kansteiner said, "The cooperation we've gotten thus far with African governments on counter-terrorism has been terrific.

"Literally, from every single country we have had some kind of cooperative effort, and that could take the form of intelligence-sharing -- and intelligence-sharing, of course, goes both ways. It takes the form of financial oversight and watching financial flows. It takes the form of carefully watching 'people flows' and notification when people are traveling through, and that kind of thing. So the coordination and cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa has been very good and we're off to a very good start."

Turning to Zimbabwe, Kansteiner was asked about that country's upcoming election. The Zimbabwe government does in fact have time to put the electoral process on the road to being free and fair, he said. That was one of the reasons he went to Zimbabwe, he added, "to encourage them ... to adopt electoral rules and codes that would hopefully ensure a free and fair election."

"The benchmark that we are looking for as far as what determines free and fair elections would probably be the SADC [Southern African Development Community] electoral code," he told reporters, "which, in fact, Zimbabwe has initialed and is signatory to."

Additionally, he said, it is important -- as spelled out in free election codes -- that the domestic and international media are given free access to cover the event. Radio, in particular, is of great importance in Africa, he said, noting that Zimbabwe is no exception.

Zimbabwe, according to Kansteiner, also needs to "seriously look at how they can make their electoral registrar and their electoral commission truly more independent and more objective and less just a part of the government bureaucracy.

"There are a number of issues that are going to be coming up in Zimbabwe in these next few weeks and we are eager to watch it," he added.

Asked if Zimbabwe is being singled out, Kansteiner said, "Well, actually, I think there are some real, specific problems that Zimbabwe is facing, including the intimidation [factor] -- the government-sponsored violence that has occurred [and] the refusal to allow journalists into their country -- foreign journalists."

The Washington Post and The New York Times were both refused visas, he told reporters. "There is a pattern that seems to be emerging that suggests that we are not in a transparent, open process. The rule of law, and the arbitrariness of the rule of law, is very worrisome to us, especially as we go into an election process. So I think it's the combination.

"The U.S. Congress, President [Thabo] Mbeki of South Africa, and the EU [European Union], all within a few days, kind of started coming to the same conclusion -- that this [the Zimbabwe situation] is not going well. This is not going in the right direction, and the international community and the regional neighbors need to speak out."