TERRORISM FINANCING - ZINDANI: ENFORCING UN

S E C R E T MANAMA 000524

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EB/ECS/ESP:GLASS, S/CT, IO/PHO:PEREZ, AND
NEA/ARP
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL AUFHAUSER, OFAC: NEWCOMB AND
TERRORIST FINANCING TASK FORCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2029
TAGS: ETTC EFIN PTER PREL CVIS KSEP KVPR BA
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCING - ZINDANI: ENFORCING UN
SANCTIONS

REF: STATE 79184

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) On April 12, Charge delivered reftel demarche to
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Abdelghaffar requesting
that the GOB redouble its efforts to locate and freeze all
assets linked to Yemeni cleric Shaikh Zindani.


2. (C) Minister Abdelghaffar seemed somewhat surprised that
Zindani had been linked to terrorist activities and Al Qaeda.
The Minister firmly asserted that Zindani is first and
foremost a scholar. He recalled when Zindani originally came
to Saudi Arabia and traveled the region holding seminars on
peaceful humanitarian subjects. Minister Abdelghaffar
interrupted Charge several times asking if the USG was sure
of its information on Zindani. He reminded the Charge that
the USG had used unreliable Israeli intelligence sources in
the past. Charge assured the Minister that the information
on Zindani was accurate. Charge specifically requested that
the GOB prevent Zindani's entry into Bahrain in order to
hinder his fundraising capabilities for terrorist activities.
The Minister said he would prevent Zindani's entry into
Bahrain but highly doubted that Zindani would be traveling
through the region.
FORD