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