BRITISH AL-QA'IDA SUSPECT LINKED TO UGANDA BOMBS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06716952
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: May 15, 2018
• Case Number: F-2018-00242
• Publication Date: January 30, 2002

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PREC: R DTG: 301518ZJAN02
FROM: FBIS RESTON VA
UNCLAS
WARNING: TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, LEADER, MILITARY,
TERRORISM
SERIAL: EUP20020130000302
COUNTRY: AFGHANISTAN, UGANDA, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES
SUBJ: BRITISH AL-QA'IDA SUSPECT LINKED TO UGANDA BOMBS
SOURCE: LONDON THE TIMES (INTERNET VERSION-WWW) IN ENGLISH 30 JAN
02
TEXT:
[ARTICLE BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE EDITOR: BRITISH AL-QA'IDA
SUSPECT LINKED TO UGANDA BOMBS"]
[FBIS TRANSCRIBED TEXT] ONE OF THE BRITISH TERROR SUSPECTS
BEING HELD AT CAMP X-RAY, THE AMERICAN MILITARY DETENTION CENTRE AT
GUANTANAMO BAY IN CUBA, IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY UGANDAN POLICE IN
CONNECTION WITH A SERIES OF BOMB EXPLOSIONS IN KAMPALA TWO YEARS
AGO.
---FEROZ ---ABASSI, 22, A UGANDAN-BORN BRITON FROM CROYDON IN SOUTH
LONDON, IS ONE OF THREE BRITISH NATIONALS AT CAMP X-RAY.
UGANDAN POLICE HAVE BEGUN INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LINKS BETWEEN
MR ABASSI AND THE BOMBING INCIDENTS THAT KILLED MORE THAN 80 PEOPLE
BETWEEN 1997 AND 1999.
7
MAJOR-GENERAL KATUMBA WAMALA, KAMPALA'S POLICE CHIEF, SAID THAT
MR ABASSI WAS KNOWN TO HAVE SPENT SOME TIME IN UGANDA DURING THE
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BOMB ATTACKS IN THE CAPITAL AND IN OTHER AREAS.
THE POLICE CHIEF SAID: "WE WANT TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH HIS
(UGANDAN) PARENTS AND FIND OUT WHICH PEOPLE HE TALKED TO WHILE HE
WAS HERE. WE SHALL DIG BACK AND FIND OUT WHAT HE WAS DOING AND
WHETHER HIS VISIT IN 1999 WAS LINKED TO SOME TERRORIST ACTIVITIES."
GENERAL WAMALA SAID HIS INVESTIGATION HAD NOT BEEN REQUESTED BY
THE FBI. NOR HAVE THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE
MOVES BY THE KAMPALA POLICE, ALTHOUGH MR ABASSI IS KNOWN TO HAVE
RELATIVES IN UGANDA. "HE HAS FAMILY IN KAMPALA BUT WHAT HIS
ACTIVITIES THERE MAY HAVE BEEN, WE DON'T KNOW," A BRITISH SECURITY
SOURCE SAID.
THE UGANDAN AUTHORITIES HAVE CLAIMED THAT GROUPS IN UGANDA
LINKED TO AL-QA'IDA CARRIED OUT THE ATTACKS, WHICH INVOLVED 43 BOMB
EXPLOSIONS OVER TWO YEARS, CLAIMED 81 LIVES AND INJURED 262 PEOPLE.
THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR WARNED AMERICAN CITIZENS LIVING IN
OR PLANNING TO VISIT UGANDA THAT THEY SHOULD BE WARY OF THREATS TO
THEIR SAFETY FROM INSURGENT GROUPS ORIGINATING BOTH WITHIN AND
OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.
POLICE IN KAMPALA FOILED A PLOT TO BOMB THE US EMBASSY IN 1998,
A MONTH AFTER LORRIES LOADED WITH BOMBS EXPLODED AT THE US
EMBASSIES IN NAIROBI, KENYA, AND DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, KILLING A
TOTAL OF 224 PEOPLE. USAMA BIN LADIN WAS ACCUSED BY THE AMERICANS
OF MASTERMINDING THE ATTACKS.
THE BOMBINGS IN UGANDA WERE BLAMED ON THE ALLIED DEMOCRATIC
FORCES REBEL GROUP, BASED IN WESTERN UGANDA AND ACROSS THE BORDER
IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, WHICH HAD BEEN FIGHTING THE
GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SINCE 1996.
MR ABASSI IS A UGANDAN ASIAN WHO CAME TO BRITAIN AT THE AGE OF
EIGHT. HIS MOTHER, ZUMRATI JUMA, LAST SAW HIM IN DECEMBER 2000
WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE FAMILY HOME IN CROYDON AND ANNOUNCED HE WAS
GOING TO AFGHANISTAN.
HE WAS CAPTURED BY US FORCES IN KUNDUZ IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN
LAST MONTH AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO BE SENT TO CAMP X-RAY.
AFGHAN LEADERS WILL BE IN LONDON TOMORROW TO DISCUSS THE
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BRITISH-LED PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN AFGHANISTAN AND TO SEEK HELP IN
BUILDING A UNIFIED ARMY FOR THE COUNTRY. HAMID KARZAI, THE
INTERIM PRIME MINISTER, WILL SEE TONY BLAIR, WHO HAS PLEDGED TO
HELP AFGHANISTAN OVER THE LONG TERM. QASIM FAHIM, HIS DEFENCE
MINISTER, IS DUE TO SEE GEOFF HOON, HIS BRITISH COUNTERPART.
BRITAIN IS NOT EXPECTED TO TAKE ON A LEADING ROLE IN TRAINING AN
AFGHAN ARMY.
YESTERDAY, AS PART OF AN ATTEMPT TO GET TO KNOW THE TRIBAL
WARLORDS IN AFGHANISTAN, MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN MCCOLL, THE BRITISH
COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) IN
KABUL, VISITED HERAT IN WESTERN AFGHANISTAN, WHERE HE MET ISMAIL
KHAN, THE GOVERNOR OF THE CITY. GENERAL MCCOLL, GUARDED BY
BRITISH SPECIAL FORCES, SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO THE GOVERNOR
ABOUT SECURITY IN THE REGION. ISAF'S MANDATE COVERS ONLY KABUL.
[DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE: LONDON THE TIMES (INTERNET VERSION-WWW) IN
ENGLISH -- INFLUENTIAL CENTER-RIGHT DAILY]
THIS REPORT MAY CONTAIN COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. COPYING AND
DISSEMINATION IS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT
OWNERS.
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