S E C R E T LONDON 007974

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, EB/ESC/TFS, EUR/PGI, IO/PSC, AND EUR/UBI
TREASURY FOR HEFFERNAN AND MENDELSOHN
NSC FOR HINNEN
USUN FOR TESSLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: ETTC EFIN PTER LVPR CVIS KTFN UK
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: UPDATE ON AL GHABRA 1267
DESIGNATION CASE

REF: LONDON 7856

Classified By: Economic Counselor Sandra Clark for reasons 1.4(b) and (
d).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 5.


2. (S/NF) The UK intends to prenotify P-5 partners November
24 of its intent to request a UN 1267 designation of UK
citizen Mohammed Al Ghabra. According to Giles Cutler of the
FCO Sanctions Unit, the UK plans to submit the request to the
1267 committee on November 28. Cutler noted that the dates
may shift slightly as the FCO and Security Services liaise
with law enforcement officials. UK law enforcement officials
intend to search Al Ghabra's property immediately after the
UN designation is announced.


3. (S/NF) Cutler said that the UK hopes for U.S.
cosponsorship of the designation. Because Al Ghabra presents
a flight risk, and because of the linked law enforcement
action, the UK requests that the U.S. not publicly announce
our E.O. 13224 designation until after the UN 1267
designation is announced. Cutler also asked that the U.S.
coordinate in advance any press releases or other public
announcements we plan; HMG is concerned that the public
release of negative information on Al Ghabra could be viewed
as negatively prejudicing a future criminal trial.


4. (S/NF) Cutler also provided an updated draft statement of
case. He noted that the statement of case was nearly final.
The UK intends, however, to add information regarding Al
Ghabra's travel to South Africa and to explicitly state that
Harakat Ul Mujahidin has already been designated at the UN.
Please find below the most current statement of case.

(BEGIN DRAFT STATEMENT OF CASE)

Statement of Case

Mohammed Al Ghabra. Born 1 June 1980, Damascus, Syria
(naturalized British citizen). 26 Eric Close, Forest Gate,
London, E7 0AY, United Kingdom.

Mohammed Al Ghabra is a UK-based prominent Islamist extremist
with contact to a significant number of extremist
individuals. He has historically been, and continues to be,
in regular direct contact with Pakistan-based senior AQ
individuals. In 2002 he met the now detained AQ Director of
Operations Faraj Al-Libi, a senior AQ commander who was
detained by Pakistani authorities in 2005. Al Ghabra stayed
at Al-Libi's home address for one week. He is also in
regular contact with UK-based Islamist extremists and has
been involved in the radicalizing of UK-based individuals,
through the distribution of extremist media.

He has provided material and logistical support to UK-based
extremists to facilitate their travel to attend Islamist
extremist training camps in Waziristan. In addition he has
provided material support and facilitated the travel of
UK-based individuals to Iraq to support the insurgents' fight
against coalition forces.

Al Ghabra has organised travel to Pakistan of individuals
seeking to meet with senior AQ individuals and to undertake
jihad training. Several of these individuals have returned
to the UK to engage in covert activity on behalf of AQ, with
one individual taking part in a failed suicide bomb attack in

2005.

Al Ghabra has strong links to the Kashmiri militant group
Harakat Ul Mujahidin (HuM). We believe that Al Ghabra
himself has undertaken jihadi training at a HUJI training
camp in Kashmir, where he learned to use AK47 assault rifles
as well as pistols. Al Ghabra intended to fight in Kashmir
but was prevented from doing so by HuM as they needed
individuals to return to the UK to raise funds.

Whilst in Pakistan in 2002, he also met Haroon Rachid Aswat,
who was arrested in 2005 and deported to the UK for terrorist
related activities. Aswat remains in detention in the UK.

(END DRAFT STATEMENT OF CASE)


5. (S/NF) Action requested: Please advise whether we are

willing to cosponsor a UN 1267 designation in the timeframe
requested by the UK. Please also provide any draft press
releases or public announcements so that we may coordinate
them with the UK.




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