TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER (TFCO) FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002806

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/ESC/TFS, INL/C/CP (STEVEN PETERSON),INR/EC,
S//CT (PATTY HILL),IO/PSC (JOHN SANDAGE)
TREASURY FOR OFAC AND TFFC (HEFFERNAN, VAN LINGEN, KLOSKI)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN KVPR PREL PTER AR
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER (TFCO) FOR
ARGENTINA

REF: STATE 181096

Classified By: DCM Michael Matera for E.O.12958 Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Post provides the following response to reftel request
for contact information on Terrorism Finance Coordinating
Officer (TFCO) and Deputy TFCO.

a) TFCO contact information:

Michael A. Matera
Deputy Chief of Mission
54-11-5777-4321
MateraMA@state.sgov.gov (class email)
MateraMA@state.gov (unclass email)

b) Deputy TFCO contact information:

Christopher A. Landberg
Deputy Economic Counselor
54-11-5777-4747
LandbergCA@state.sgov.gov (class email)
LandbergCA@state.gov (unclass email)

c) While a Southern Cone sub-regional meeting of TFCOs would
be useful, particularly for the countries engaged in
coordination on tri-border issues, our priority is to improve
coordination with Washington agencies on terrorist finance
designations. We would also note that terrorism finance is
best addressed in the context of other illicit activities
taking place in the region -- and particularly in the
tri-border area -- such as money laundering, narcotics and
arms trafficking, and piracy, counterfeiting, and theft of
intellectual property.

With regards to Post's public affairs efforts, we note that
the Mission co-hosted and organized a regional conference in
September on international security and transnational crime.
The conference had a money laundering and terrorism finance
component, and a U.S. Treasury Officer was the featured
speaker. Going forward, Post will consider a one-country IV
or Voluntary Visitor exchange program on this topic (Note:
the FY 08 IV selection season is approaching. End Note).
Other options are to increase public outreach, particularly
using local NGO and university venues (non-press events),
roundtables with ex USG grantees, and off the record
backgrounders with trusted press. We will also consider
preparing a special page on the Embassy website on counter
terrorism issues. (Note: Depending on the type of activity
and USG agency involved, Post's ability to fund outreach,
training, and other programs in Argentina may be constrained
by Brooke Amendment sanctions. Argentina fell under Brooke
sanctions on October 1, 2003, when it passed 12 months in
arrears on principal payments on a USG loan. End Note).

d) Post verifies the information provided in the referenced
chart, and offers one correction: Argentina has been a
member of the Egmont group since July 2003.
WAYNE