MGLE01: CHARITIES AND MENA-FATF PLENARY IN CAIRO

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000728 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTFN EFIN LE SUBJECT: MGLE01: CHARITIES AND MENA-FATF PLENARY IN CAIRO REF: STATE 37310 ¶1. On March 9, DCM delivered reftel demarche to Dr.Muhammad Baasiri, head of the Lebanese Central Bank's Special Investigation Commission. Baasiri will lead the Lebanese delegation to the Cairo plenary. ¶2. Baasiri, who recently completed his term as president of the MENA-FATF, was well-acquainted with the issues of charities and money laundaring. He noted that the paper referred to in reftel, "Best Practices Concerning the Charities,' had been reviewed at the Paris FATF plenary in October 2005. He said that the MENA-FATF had not yet invited regional industry comments on this paper, but hoped to do so in the near future. ¶3. Baasiri also described the upcoming March 22-23 private sector dialogue in Cairo as a good opportunity to raise Middle East and North African banking sector officials's awareness of money laundering and terrorist financing. He said that MENA-FATF countries would seek to follow up the Cairo program with programs on a national basis. Baasiri will attend the March 22-23 conference, and will be available to engage USG officials at that time. FELTMAN