TERRORIST FINANCE - DOMESTIC USG DESIGNATION OF

UNCLAS E F T O KABUL 005893 SIPDIS NOFORN SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/RA AND SCA/A DEPT ALSO FOR S/CT, EB/ESC/TFS, AND IO/PSC E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2006 TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER AFIN SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE - DOMESTIC USG DESIGNATION OF HIZBALLAH-RELATED INDIVIDUALS/ENTITIES IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA REF: STATE 196015 (U) This message contains SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED information. Please protect accordingly. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU/NF) Deputy Econ Counselor delivered reftel information to First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Afghanistan Samiullah Ibrahimi and MFA Director of Multilateral Affairs Naseer Andisha on December 16. Andisha acknowledged Afghanistan's obligations under UNSCR 1373 and promised to forward the list to appropriate GOA authorities. Ibrahimi indicated that he would bring the list to his bank supervision department for action, but commented that the Central Bank had not yet issued an order to search and freeze accounts under Afghanistan's new Anti-Money Laundering law. 2.(SBU/NF) COMMENT: The Anti-Money Laundering law explicitly grants the Central Bank the authority to instruct banks to identify specific accounts and freeze them; however, the Central Bank has not yet developed procedures to implement it or defined clear delineations of authority to issue such an order. Post therefore expects that it may take some time for the Central Bank to respond to this demarche. Post will follow up with the Central Bank to determine if it issues instructions to banks. END COMMENT. NEUMANN