Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1123
2003-03-09 13:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UAE POSTPONES HAWALA CONFERENCE
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:55:04 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM March 09, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1123 - UNKNOWN) TAGS: PTER, EFIN, ETTC, PREL, PGOV Captions: None Subject: UAE POSTPONES HAWALA CONFERENCE Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 01123 SIPDIS Laser1: INFO: FCS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: POL P/M AMB DCM DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: DCM:RAALBRIGHT DRAFTED: ECON:TEWILLIAMS CLEARED: NONE VZCZCADI818 OO RUEHC RUEHZM RUCNFB RUEATRS RUEAWJA RUEHYN RHEHNSC DE RUEHAD #1123 0681308 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 091308Z MAR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8744 INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 1154 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001123
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP - HEFFERNAN, NEA/RA - SUTPHIN,
EB/ESC/ESP, INL/ENT - NOVIS, INL/C - CASSARA, AND
S/CT - REALUYO
TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER, ENFORCEMENT DAS
ZARATE, IEA DIRECTOR BOYLAN AND LONERGAN
TREASURY PASS OFAC FOR NEWCOMB
TREASURY PASS OTA FOR N. WORTHINGTON
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - JIM SILVERWOOD
JUSTICE PASS TED GREENBERG
JUSTICE FOR MONEY-LAUNDERING AND ASSET FORFEITURE
SECTION -- DAVITT
NSC FOR GARY PETERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/07
TAGS: PTER EFIN ETTC PREL PGOV TC
SUBJECT: UAE POSTPONES HAWALA CONFERENCE
REF: ABU DHABI 619
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001123
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP - HEFFERNAN, NEA/RA - SUTPHIN,
EB/ESC/ESP, INL/ENT - NOVIS, INL/C - CASSARA, AND
S/CT - REALUYO
TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER, ENFORCEMENT DAS
ZARATE, IEA DIRECTOR BOYLAN AND LONERGAN
TREASURY PASS OFAC FOR NEWCOMB
TREASURY PASS OTA FOR N. WORTHINGTON
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - JIM SILVERWOOD
JUSTICE PASS TED GREENBERG
JUSTICE FOR MONEY-LAUNDERING AND ASSET FORFEITURE
SECTION -- DAVITT
NSC FOR GARY PETERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/07
TAGS: PTER EFIN ETTC PREL PGOV TC
SUBJECT: UAE POSTPONES HAWALA CONFERENCE
REF: ABU DHABI 619
1. CLASSIFIED BY DCM RICHARD A.ALBRIGHT FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B,D).
2. (C) In a meeting with Econchief 3/8 (other
topics septel, notal),UAE Central Bank Governor
Sultan bin Nasser Al-Suweidi stated that the
planned Second International Conference on Hawala,
scheduled for April 2-3 in Abu Dhabi, has been
postponed. A formal notification would be issued
shortly, but the decision had already been taken
owing to poor response (only 20 participants had
signed up on the Central Bank's website and not all
these were firm acceptances). Econchief noted that
the USG strongly supported the conference and had
planned to participate with a sizable delegation.
Al-Suweidi acknowledged this, but said that
concerns about a likely conflict with Iraq had
probably contributed to the lack of broader
international support. The conference could be
rescheduled, should there be sufficient interest,
at a later date -- he would consult further with
the FATF.
3. (C) With regard to the UAE's own regulations
governing hawala, the Governor noted that now that
approximately 30 hawaladars had come forward to
register voluntarily, the UAE authorities are
reaching out to those believed to be active in the
business -- but who had not registered -- and
"inviting" them to register. Al-Suweidi observed
that this process of "invitation" had only been
necessary in a small number of cases; he was
pleased that the vast majority of registrations had
been purely voluntary.
Wahba
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP - HEFFERNAN, NEA/RA - SUTPHIN,
EB/ESC/ESP, INL/ENT - NOVIS, INL/C - CASSARA, AND
S/CT - REALUYO
TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER, ENFORCEMENT DAS
ZARATE, IEA DIRECTOR BOYLAN AND LONERGAN
TREASURY PASS OFAC FOR NEWCOMB
TREASURY PASS OTA FOR N. WORTHINGTON
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - JIM SILVERWOOD
JUSTICE PASS TED GREENBERG
JUSTICE FOR MONEY-LAUNDERING AND ASSET FORFEITURE
SECTION -- DAVITT
NSC FOR GARY PETERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/07
TAGS: PTER EFIN ETTC PREL PGOV TC
SUBJECT: UAE POSTPONES HAWALA CONFERENCE
REF: ABU DHABI 619
1. CLASSIFIED BY DCM RICHARD A.ALBRIGHT FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B,D).
2. (C) In a meeting with Econchief 3/8 (other
topics septel, notal),UAE Central Bank Governor
Sultan bin Nasser Al-Suweidi stated that the
planned Second International Conference on Hawala,
scheduled for April 2-3 in Abu Dhabi, has been
postponed. A formal notification would be issued
shortly, but the decision had already been taken
owing to poor response (only 20 participants had
signed up on the Central Bank's website and not all
these were firm acceptances). Econchief noted that
the USG strongly supported the conference and had
planned to participate with a sizable delegation.
Al-Suweidi acknowledged this, but said that
concerns about a likely conflict with Iraq had
probably contributed to the lack of broader
international support. The conference could be
rescheduled, should there be sufficient interest,
at a later date -- he would consult further with
the FATF.
3. (C) With regard to the UAE's own regulations
governing hawala, the Governor noted that now that
approximately 30 hawaladars had come forward to
register voluntarily, the UAE authorities are
reaching out to those believed to be active in the
business -- but who had not registered -- and
"inviting" them to register. Al-Suweidi observed
that this process of "invitation" had only been
necessary in a small number of cases; he was
pleased that the vast majority of registrations had
been purely voluntary.
Wahba