PARAGUAY: POST PLAN FOR UNSCR 1617

UNCLAS ASUNCION 001149

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, EB/IFD/OIA
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR LYANG
USAID FOR AA/LAC ADOLFO FRANCO
TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER
COMMERCE ITA SARAH COOK
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY AND SUE CRONIN
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
US SOUTHERN COMMAND MIAMI, FLORIDA

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTFN ETTC EFIN PTER KSEP CVIS KPAO OIIP PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: POST PLAN FOR UNSCR 1617

Ref: 05 STATE 145310


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.


2. (SBU) Post agrees with Department's view on the
importance of the passage of UNSCR 1617 and has developed an
action plan as suggested in refel. Our public diplomacy
strategy plans to incorporate all relevant points into our
public diplomacy outreach efforts at post - involving media
appearances of the AMB, DCM, PAO and others. Post was able
to use recent visits by SecDef Rumsfeld and Treasury A/S
Glazer to broach these themes in public and press-related
fora. Post also has a U.S. speaker program scheduled for
October, focused on the specific theme of CT-ML, and will
request more. Relevant Washington File material on the
subject will continue to be pressed upon media contacts.
Post will endeavor to feature this thematic priority on the
embassy website as well.


3. (SBU) The global effort spearheaded by UNSCR 1617 comes
at a particularly opportune time for our situation in
Paraguay. The government submitted a modern anti-money
laundering law, drafted with the help of USG advisors from
Treasury and Justice, to Congress in May 2004, where it has
languished. The host government has indicated its
hesitation to be seen as responding to a specifically US-led
attack on money laundering and terrorist financing. The
demonstrably multi-lateral effort and concern represented by
UNSCR 1617 provides an important tool for our public
diplomacy and for our private interactions with the
executive and legislative branches.

KEANE