Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02KUWAIT5172
2002-11-27 14:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

TERRORIST FINANCE - KUWAIT: STATUS OF GRF

Tags:  ETTC EFIN PTER PREL KU 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 005172 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND EB/ESC

TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER AND OFAC - NEWCOMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: (27 NOVEMBER 2012)
TAGS: ETTC EFIN PTER PREL KU
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE - KUWAIT: STATUS OF GRF
FREEZE REQUEST

REF: STATE 216024 AND PREVIOUS
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 005172

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND EB/ESC

TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER AND OFAC - NEWCOMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: (27 NOVEMBER 2012)
TAGS: ETTC EFIN PTER PREL KU
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE - KUWAIT: STATUS OF GRF
FREEZE REQUEST

REF: STATE 216024 AND PREVIOUS

1.(U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Frank C.
Urbancic for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).


2. (U) This is an interim response to reftel.

3.(C) Embassy had alerted the GOK to the GRF asset
freeze on October 20, but despite repeated attempts,
Embassy was only recently able to get the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to confirm that it had forwarded the
request for a freeze to the Central Bank of Kuwait
(CBK). Embassy reminded the MFA that the request for
the freeze action was accompanied by a request for
information on any assets found and/or frozen; the MFA
said it would follow up again with the CBK. Post has
not yet been able to confirm that the CBK has received
the order, nor whether the CBK has issued a circular to
banks and financial institutions to serach for and
freeze any GRF accounts.

4.(C) Ambassador raised this issue in a November 19
meeting with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah, pointing out that such
delays defeated the purpose of such freeze actions.
Attributing the delay to bureaucratic error, Dr.
Mohammed agreed that in a world where money can be moved
in an instant, swift action was required. He indicated
he would follow up to ensure that future requests were
acted upon in a more timely manner.

5.(C) Embassy will continue to follow up with the CBK
and MFA to determine the existence and status of any GRF
accounts in Kuwait.

JONES