PLACEMENT REPORT: OP-ED ON TERRORISM FINANCING AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 005142

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),EB (EAWAYNE),NEA/ARP (DBERNS),
NEA/P NEA/ARPI FOR SWALKER, EB FOR JSALOOM, EB/ESC/TFS
JCLARK, S/CT FOR GNOVIS AND TKUSHNER

LONDON FOR LTSOU
TREASURY FOR OFAC WERNER
NSC FOR JZARATE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER KPAO ETTC KTFN PINS CVIS AMGT AFSI KSEP
OIIP, XF, KU
SUBJECT: PLACEMENT REPORT: OP-ED ON TERRORISM FINANCING AND
KUWAIT CUSTOMS' ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING CONFERENCE

REF: A) STATE 00219945
B) KUWAIT 5082

1.As a result of forwarding the text of the op-ed on
Terrorism Financing by Assistant Secretary E. Anthony
Wayne, two Kuwaiti English-language newspapers published
the complete text on Thursday, Dec 8, 2005.

2.The Daily Star, the English-language sister publication
of Al-Watan Arabic newspaper, that boasts the largest
est
distribution figures in Kuwait, ran the op-ed on the front
page. The headline read, "Disrupting Terrorists' Support --
an Ounce of Prevention."

3.The Kuwait Times, which has a distribution of
approximately 40,000 copies per day, published the op-ed
piece on page 18. The headline read, "Disrupting Cash Flow
of Terrorists."

4.This timely op-ed piece appeared in both publications
just prior to the Ambassador's speech on the topic at the
opening ceremony of the four-day anti-money laundering
conference hosted by Kuwait Customs December 11-14.


5. Kuwaiti Arabic-language press reported extensively on
the conference held at the Arab Monetary Fund building.
Ambassador LeBaron's remarks were quoted in four of the
five major daily newspapers with photos of him with the
Director-General of the Kuwaiti Public Authority for
Customs.

Al-Qabas, p. 22, 12/12/05, titled "LeBaron: Do Not Delay
Legislation to Combat Terrorism"
Conference on money laundering kicks off with
h
cooperation with American Customs. Transfer of capital in
the form of cash requires vigilant international
cooperation. The American Ambassador to Kuwait Richard
LeBaron called on Kuwait to not delay implementing
procedures and legislation that combats the growing threat
of terrorism and drying up its resources. He also pointed
to money laundering and that the most important issue is
enforcement of the legislation. The American Ambassador
spoke at the opening of the Conference on Combating Money
Laundering and Terror Funding yesterday with Mr. Ibrahim
Ghanem, Director-General of the customs authority,
representing the ministry of finance along with delegates
from the American border patrol and customs agency.

Al-Rai Al-Aam, p. 49, 12/12/05
Al-Ghanim: "'Customs' Creates an Anti-money Laundering Unit
with American Cooperation"
LeBaron: Kuwait has become a partner to America in the
fight against terrorism and money laundering. Strict
procedures at the airport soon and scrutiny for those
carrying more than 3,000 Dinars. The Director-General of
the Public Authority for Customs announced that currently
there is an effort to create a unit specializing in
combating money laundering in cooperation with the American
border patrol and Customs agency. Throughout the conference
American experts and officials representing the Customs
agency and border patrol participated by showing a number
of studies on the work they have accomplished to combat
terrorism in the United States of America.

Al-Seyassah, p. 21, 12/12/05
Al-Ghanim: "Anti-money Laundering Unit with American Help"
The Director-General of the Public Authority for
Customs Ibrahim Al-Ghanim revealed that plans are now in
motion to create an anti-money laundering unit in
cooperation with the Customs and Border Patrol of the
United States of America. Al-Ghanim also stated that money
laundering operations began in Kuwait in 2002 and that the
government is serious about combating it and the evidence
for this is the presence of an expert from the American
Customs working with us as part of a team to investigate
and collect information on money laundering and terror
funding.


KUWAIT 00005142 002 OF 002


Al-Watan, p. 51, 12/12/05
"American Ambassador Reaffirms Kuwait Participation in
Drying up Terror Funding Resources; Calls on the National
Council to Expedite Ratification of More Legislation"
Director-General of the Public Authority for Customs
Ibrahim Al-Ghanim confirmed that Kuwait is free of money
laundering pointing to the scrutiny which the Public
Authority for Customs places on every import and export and
it now watches carefully diamond and gold sales. He also
stated that there an international determination on
combating the funding of terrorism and money laundering at
the same time as terrorist attacks are funded through
smuggling money, drugs, counterfeit money, or even imitated
products. He added that in Kuwait there are laws and the
existence of a national committee helped in catching four
operations in two years and that they scrutinize everything
looking for dirty money.

LEBARON