OMAN'S TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001568 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT (PHILL),INL/C/CP (SPETERSON),IO/PSC (JSANDAGE) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER KVPR EFIN ETTC MU SUBJECT: OMAN'S TERRORISM FINANCE COORDINATION OFFICER (TFCO) REF: SECSTATE 181096 The following responses are keyed to paragraph eight of reftel: (a) The Embassy Muscat Terrorism Finance Coordination Officer (TFCO) is Alfred F. Fonteneau, Deputy Chief of Mission, ph: (968) 24-698-989 x407, email: FonteneauAF@state.gov. (b) The Deputy TFCO is Brian Grimm, Economic-Commercial Officer, ph: (968) 24-698-989 x332, email: GrimmBM@state.gov. (c) The Embassy suggests that Washington agencies create and distribute a monthly newsletter, to be electronically distributed and posted on relevant websites, as a means to keep TFCOs abreast of the most recent developments in the money laundering/terrorist financing field. The format could take the shape of Consular Affairs' Fraud Digest. This document, which could highlight global best practices, should be in a format that the TFCO could share with appropriate banking and law enforcement officials. By providing this information in real-time, we would be better able to keep our Omani colleagues well-informed of events occurring in the U.S. As an alternative, Washington agencies could establish a website for compliance officers which headline recent trends in money laundering. Furthermore, in reaching out to contacts on the prevention of terrorist financing, a searchable, user-friendly database, accessible on the internet, would serve as a helpful reference tool by aiding users in researching past actions taken by the sanctions committee. GRAPPO