EU CLOSE TO A DECISION TO FREEZE MAOIST ASSETS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 004362 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2014 TAGS: PTER KTFN NP EUN USEU BRUSSELS SUBJECT: EU CLOSE TO A DECISION TO FREEZE MAOIST ASSETS REF: STATE 213824 Classified By: USEU Political Military Officer Jeremy Brenner for reaso ns 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. The EU is "close" to taking a decision to freeze Maoist assets. While there is some discussion of tactics, there is an increasing awareness within the EU of the need to act. End summary. ¶2. (C) USEU Poloff raised reftel points on freezing Maoist assets with Bruno Hanses, South Asia officer within the External and Politico-Military Affairs Directorate of the European Council. Hanses told us that the thinking within the EU has evolved considerably since the U.S. last raised the issue. He said that the question of an assets freeze has been discussed at length within the anti-terrorism clearinghouse, and that the EU is "close to doing it." ¶3. (C) Hanses characterized the action as symbolic in nature and said that there was some tactical consideration being given to "keeping the issue in the fire" for a bit in order to extract the maximum pressure from the threat before actually implementing it. There was, he assured us, an increasing awareness within the EU on the need for the action. Scott