C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001810
SIPDIS
NOFORN
TERREP
DS FOR DS/DSS/ITA AND DS/IP/NEA/SA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6 (X1)
TAGS: ASEC [Security], CE [Sri Lanka], PTER [Terrorists and Terrorism]
SUBJECT: WALK-IN DESCRIBES MUSLIM EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES IN
SRI LANKA
Classified By: RSO Alex Moore - Exempt from Declassification. Reason:
1.6 (X1)
¶1. (C/NF) Summary - On 10/14/03 and again on 10/15/03, RSO
interviewed an unknown walk-in Source of undetermined
reliability who claimed to have information on several
aspects of Muslim radicalism in Sri Lanka. The information
included the name of a passport vendor in Colombo who
provides false passports to Muslim terrorists, some of whom
are allegedly now in the U.S., information on a group of
radical Muslim students at a local university in Colombo,
information on Muslim police connections to Muslim terrorist
groups in the Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, and information
on a Muslim terrorist training camp in the Eastern Provinces.
End Summary.
¶2. (C/NF) On 10/14/2003, an unknown Source phoned Embassy
Colombo and spoke with the RSO regarding radical Muslim
activities in Sri Lanka. An appointment was made for the
Source to come to the North Gate of the Embassy to be
interviewed at 1630 hours. The Source came at the appointed
time and identified himself as Mohamed Ilyars Mohamed HUNU
(father's name NOONU), DPOB 12/15/1972 - Sri Lanka, National
Identity Number 723501008V, SL PPT# L0130138. Source
provided two phone numbers: 034-2277851 and 94-1-222-2787.
Source claimed to be a police bodyguard for the Sri Lankan
Minister of State for Housing in the Eastern Provinces
1991-94, but was currently unemployed and a father of three
children. He also produced documentation as a former worker
in private security in the U.A.E.
¶3. (C/NF) Source indicated that he had information on
operations and activities of radical Muslims in Sri Lanka, to
include the name of a passport vendor in Colombo who provides
false passports to terrorists, the existence of a group of
radical Muslim students at a local university, links between
Muslim Police and extremist Muslim groups in the Eastern
Provinces of Sri Lanka, and information on the existence of a
Muslim terrorist training camp in the Eastern Provinces.
¶4. (C/NF) RSO pressed the Source for details on the passport
vendor in Colombo, and the Source advised that the name of
the vendor was Ilyars Hajy Faleel HAJY. HAJY was the son of
a former Muslim Minister in the government and, in addition
to the fraudulent passport operation, is a gem dealer.
Source claimed that HAJY takes Sri Lankan passports with
Muslim names and changes them to Sinhalese names. The Source
also alleged that HAGY has forged passports for terrorists
from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, some of whom are
already in the U.S. Source could not provide additional
details on this last claim, but Source offered to provide a
sample of HAJY's forgeries the following day. (On 10/15/03,
Source returned to the Embassy and provided a second passport
#M1091886 containing his photo in the name of Mohamed Imtiyaz
Mohamed FULAIL, with a DOB 03/02/1973. He said the passport
cost him 30,000 Rupees or $300. Source also produced a
second National Identity Card #730624786V using that name.
Both appeared authentic. He also produced a copy of a visa to
the U.A.E in the name Mohamed Fulail Mohamed. In addition,
Source provided an address for the document vendor as an
apartment building owned by his father named the SATHOSA
BUILDING on Galle Road near a 3-Star gas station.)
¶5. (C/NF) Source then stated that he knew of a group of
about 100 radical Muslim students at Jayawardana Pura
University in Colombo who were associated with the extremist
group "Jihad." After some thought, he identified one member
of the group as Mohamed Ansar MINSAR, whose father may be
Mohamed Farook FAHIM or Fahim FAROOK. Source provided cell
phone numbers for MINSAR as 0777-405-805 and 0777-405-186.
Source claimed this "Jihad" group is connected to terrorist
training operations in the Eastern Provinces, and some of the
students have been under contract with the "Jihad" leadership
to develop anthrax.
¶6. (C/NF) Finally, Source indicated that Muslims,
increasingly frustrated at armed attacks by the LTTE in the
East, have formed a militant training camp near Batticaloa
for the purpose of defending against the LTTE and to strike
against Western interests, including the U.S. Source stated
that Iraqis were in the camp, which is supported partially by
Sri Lankan Muslims working in Kuwait and sending money to
"Jihad." The camp gets some of it weapons from supportive
Muslim police in the region. Source provided the name of one
of the Police Chiefs as "Majeed." The Source also identified
Muslim Minister Rauf Hakeem as a supporter of this camp.
¶7. (C/NF) When asked why he was providing this information,
Source indicated he was unemployed and had a family to
support. Source offered to "work" for the embassy and
suggested he be allowed to travel to the East to get more
details on the camp. RSO replied that the details of his
information would be checked and the Embassy would contact
him if further information was needed.
¶8. (C/NF) RSO action/comment: RSO will attempt to use local
contacts to verify information regarding the passport vendor
and the existence of a "Jihad" group of students at the
university. Information regarding terrorist training in the
East will be forwarded to local contacts for further
investigation. Results will be forwarded as received. This
is the second walk-in in two weeks with information regarding
extremist Muslim activity in Sri Lanka. We will continue to
monitor increasing Muslim frustration with LTTE attacks
against Muslims in the East as one possible indicator of
growing radicalism on the part of Muslims in Sri Lanka.
LUNSTEAD
