TERRORISM FINANCE: ABAS SIGNS TERMS OF REMOVAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 013478 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016 TAGS: EFIN ETFN PREL PTER ID SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: ABAS SIGNS TERMS OF REMOVAL LETTER REF: A. SECSTATE 192662 ¶B. SECSTATE 190824 Classified By: Political Officer David Willis. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) On December 8, 2006, Jakarta's Assistant Legal Attache (ALAT) and POLOFF met with Nasir Abas at the Embassy regarding Ref A letter confirming his acceptance of the terms and conditions for his removal from the United States Department of the Treasury OFAC list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Abas reviewed and signed two copies of the letter, which ALAT signed as witness. One original was given to Abas at the time of the signing, and Embassy will Fedex the other original to OFAC counsel per ref B instruction. We explained to Abas that while his name would likely be removed from the Treasury OFAC list soon, it would still remain on other lists, most notably the UN 1267 list. ¶2. (C) Indonesian National Police (INP) Deputy chief Investigator Gories Mere and INP CT Taskforce Commander Surya Dharma accompanied Abas to the Embassy for the signing. ALAT provided Mere with a letter from Jakarta's Legal Attache to INP Chief Investigator Makbul Padmanegara explaining Ref B talking points. Mere and Dharma, both longtime friends offamiliar with Abas and active advocates for his delisting, met privately with the Ambassador following the signing and expressed their gratitude for U.S. support for Abas' delisting, and more generally for continued Embassy support for the INP's CT effort. ¶3. (C) On December 11, Mere told us that he planned to meet soon with the new head of the Royal Malaysian Police Special Branch (RMPSB) to discuss Abas' removal from the UN terrorism list. INP CT investigator Benny Mamoto told us in early December that he previously discussed Abas' return to Malaysia with RMPSB Chief Yusuf prior to his retirement. Mamoto said Yusuf was skeptical of Abas' ideological reversal and said the RMPSB planned to detain and interrogate Abas if he returned to Malaysia. Mamoto added that Nasir planned to remain in Indonesia until an amicable arrangement was made with the RMPSB and the Malaysian government. PASCOE