Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI1409
2006-04-11 12:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

PREPARING FOR 2ND U.S./UAE JTFCC

Tags:  PTER KTFN AE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9379
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHAD #1409/01 1011244
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 111244Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4458
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001409 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP TREUTER, EB/ESC/TFS KLEAHY
TREASURY FOR U/S SLEVEY, RLEBENSON, PHEFFERNAN, KHECHT
FBI FOR TFOS MMOREHART, FWAIKURT
DHS FOR ICE KDELACOLLI
MANAMA FOR JBEAL
NSC FOR FTOWNSEND, JZARATE, NSHAMPAINE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN AE
SUBJECT: PREPARING FOR 2ND U.S./UAE JTFCC

REF: A. ABU DHABI 1301


B. ABU DHABI 409

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.5 b and d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001409

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP TREUTER, EB/ESC/TFS KLEAHY
TREASURY FOR U/S SLEVEY, RLEBENSON, PHEFFERNAN, KHECHT
FBI FOR TFOS MMOREHART, FWAIKURT
DHS FOR ICE KDELACOLLI
MANAMA FOR JBEAL
NSC FOR FTOWNSEND, JZARATE, NSHAMPAINE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN AE
SUBJECT: PREPARING FOR 2ND U.S./UAE JTFCC

REF: A. ABU DHABI 1301


B. ABU DHABI 409

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.5 b and d.


1. (C) Summary. Ambassador met with UAE Central Bank
Governor Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi on April 11 to discuss
details of the upcoming U.S./UAE Joint Terrorist Finance
Coordinating Committee (JTFCC) that will be held during
Treasury U/S Stuart Levey's trip to the UAE on April 30.
Al-Suweidi committed to having the meeting on the April 30
and assured Ambassador that he would work with all of the
relevant ministries and Dubai organizations to be sure the
right people are at the meeting. Al-Suweidi told Ambassador
that his staff was preparing a paper to present at the
upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)/EU meeting in
Brussels on cash couriers. He also said his staff will be
working with the Ministry of Social Affairs to be sure they
understand the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) Special
IX Recommendations on terrorist financing and the Middle East
North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENA/FATF) Best
Practices Paper on charity regulation. This cable contains an
action request, para 7. End Summary.


2. (C) In preparation for Treasury U/S Stuart Levey's April
29 - May 1 visit to the UAE, Ambassador and econoff met with
Central Bank Governor Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi to seek his
buy-in for holding a second round of the U.S./UAE JTFCC on
April 30. Al-Suweidi confirmed that the meeting would be on
the 30th and he undertook to be sure that all of the
appropriate federal ministries and Dubai organizations are
present. (Note: The afternoon of the 11th, the Director of
the International Division of the Central Bank's Anti-Money
Laundering and Suspicious Unit (AMLSCU),Ahmed al-Qemzi,
called econoff to confirm that the JTFCC will be held at
11:00 am on the 30th, followed by a lunch. He said the
Central Bank would be sending out invitations the next day to
"be sure that everyone is prepared this time." End note.)


3. (C) Ambassador told al-Suweidi that the USG wants to focus

the discussions on the topics of charity regulations and cash
couriers. Al-Suweidi agreed that it would be useful to have
in-depth discussions on these two issues. He told Ambassador
that AMLSCU officials were in the process of drafting a paper
on cash courier regulations that they will present at next
week's GCC/EU meeting in Brussels. Ambassador observed that
since Dubai Customs plays such an important role in
implementing the UAE's cash courier regulations, that it
would be useful to have their input on the paper and
attendance at the JTFCC. The Governor agreed and said that
he will "convince" them to join the JTFCC meeting. (Note:
Econoff will follow-up with al-Qemzi to get a copy of the
cash couriers paper. End note.)


4. (C) Governor al-Suweidi told Ambassador that he considers
the split of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs into
two separate ministries as a very positive development. He
believes that the split will allow the new Ministry of Social
Affairs (MSA) to focus more directly on issues like charity
regulations. He told Ambassador that "to complement the
USG's efforts on charity regulations" his team will be
engaging directly with Minister of Social Affairs Mariam
al-Roumi to make her aware of the requirements of the FATF IX
Special Recommendations on terrorist financing and the
MENA/FATF Best Practices Paper on charity regulation. "We
will talk to her about the UAE's current system of charity
regulation to see how it is set up, and to see what is not
complete." He noted that the UAE "needs" to do this because
it is a signatory to international conventions against
terrorism and because the UAE aims to adhere to all FATF
guidelines.


5. (C) Al-Suweidi is aware that the current regulatory system
does not cover charities in all emirates, and he believes
that the new MSA will be able to bring the emirates under the
federal umbrella "where it comes to charities giving
cross-border donations." He wants the MSA to work with each
emirate because, "the IX Special Recommendations apply to the
whole country, not just the federal level." (Comment:
Ambassador met with Minister of Social Affairs Mariam
al-Roumi on March 26 to discuss the UAE's system of charity
regulation. Al-Roumi told Ambassador that the MSA regulated

ABU DHABI 00001409 002 OF 002


only those charities that applied to be licensed by the MSA
(ie: charities in Abu Dhabi, and charities in other emirates
that operate outside of their "home" emirate). It was very
apparent from the meeting between Ambassador and al-Roumi
that the MSA is not actively involved in regulating charities
with a mind toward preventing diversion of funds to terrorist
activities or organizations. See Ref A for a description of
the UAE's emirate-level charity regulation. End comment.)



6. (C) Comment: The Central Bank Governor's reaction to the
meeting with Ambassador and to the proposal for the 2nd
meeting of the JTFCC is markedly different than his demeanor
during the first JTFCC meeting on January 24 (ref B). He was
friendly and positive. Additionally, he had al-Qemzi follow
up that very afternoon to set the time and reach out to the
various invitees. Embassy is optimistic that the April 30
JTFCC will be more of a two-way dialogue than the first
meeting. This more positive engagement may be the silver
lining to the Dubai Ports World ordeal. It is likely that
the Governor recognizes that the UAE's cooperation with the
United States continues to be under intense scrutiny, and
that he must be a cooperative partner in initiatives such as
the JTFCC. He, and the UAEG, may be more willing to be
forward-leaning in light of this scrutiny. End comment.


7. (C) Action request for EB/ESC/TFS. Embassy would like to
pass the interagency-approved papers on charities and cash
couriers to the Central Bank and relevant ministry officials
in advance of the JTFCC. Passing the paper prior to the
meeting will enable the UAE team to prepare a more thorough
discussion. Embassy requests EB/ESC/TFS send the charity
paper via front channel cable by COB Friday, April 14. If
there will be a cash courier paper to pass to the UAEG before
the JTFCC, please pass it to the Embassy as soon as possible.
End action request.
SISON