DJIBOUTI INFORMED ON U.S. INTENT TO WITHHOLD

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000970 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E AND PM/PPA SCOTT KWAK OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PLEASE PASS DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS PREL DJ SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI INFORMED ON U.S. INTENT TO WITHHOLD FMF/IMET FOR PARKING FINES REF: STATE 151968 ¶1. (U) During a meeting with Minister of Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Ali Youssef, Ambassador advised Youssef of USG intent, under Section 544 of the Foreign Operations, Export, Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2004, to withhold from obligation FY 2004 Foreign Assistance Funds to cover Djibouti's outstanding USD 9,000 parking fines in Washington, D.C. and New York City. She also left with Youssef a copy of the points provided reftel and the diplomatic note that had been forwarded in June, 2004 to Djibouti's embassy in Washington. ¶2. (U) Youssef was aware that the government of Djibouti owed the outstanding fines. He suggested that the U.S. take it out of the assistance package as proposed and say nothing further about it. It would be the most sure way, he said, of receiving the funds. Ambassador responded that if the fines were not paid directly, this money would likely be removed from Djibouti's allocation for FMF/IMET by the end of September, 2004. RAGSDALE