(S/NOFORN) TERRORISM FINANCE: RADICAL IDEOLOGUE

S E C R E T OSLO 001061 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS EB/ESC/TFS, SCT, TREASURY (MATTHEW LEVITT) AND NSC (TODD HINNEN) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2016 TAGS: PTER PREL EFIN ETTC NO KTFN SUBJECT: (S/NOFORN) TERRORISM FINANCE: RADICAL IDEOLOGUE INITIATIVE REF: A. STATE 136710 ¶B. OSLO 630 Classified By: DCM Kevin M. Johnson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Per reftel a, we circulated possible 1267 listings to Martin Sorby, Deputy Director General in the MFA's International Humanitarian and Criminal Law Section on August ¶24. Sorby noted that he would pass the information to the relevant Norwegian law enforcement authorities. ¶2. (S/NOFORN) With respect to Mullah Krekar, Sorby reiterated that Norwegian position noted in reftel b "remains the same." Norway will continue to not openly support a UNSCR 1267 listing of Krekar (although Sorby pointed out that Norway will not oppose our efforts). The MFA remains concerned that the Norwegian public become aware of any official bilateral communication concerning Krekar. He stressed that a UNSCR 1267 listing would have minimal domestic impact on isolating Krekar, particularly given that that Norwegians have seized Krekar's assets (and his passport). Stating that Krekar remains "isolated" from the Ansar al-Islam terrorist group, Sorby stated that "a UN listing (of Krekar) as a person inciting terrorism would not legally change the existing situation." ¶3. (S/NOFORN) Sorby noted that Krekar's current legal appeal of his extradition should be decided in late September. Although he underscored that there is no legal requirement under Norwegian law for an extradition to be placed on hold until a "final" court decision is made, the Norwegians are "engaged in Iraq to see whether certain "conditions" are fulfilled." Namely, the Norwegians are sorting jurisdictional issues (such as which of the local governments in the three Northern Iraq regions would have a jurisdictional claim to request an extradition of Krekar). Although formal extradition has not yet been requested by Iraq, he believes that the authorities in Baghdad and the Kurdish north will likely request such future extradition. Another Norwegian extradition concern remains whether Iraq can provide "certain guarantees" (meaning that the Iraqi authorities convince the Norwegians that they will not use torture or impose the death sentence, which Norway must insist upon based upon its treaty obligations as a Council of Europe member). ¶4. (S/NOFORN) Comment. There is no change in circumstances since we last approached Norway on this issue. Krekar remains a discredited figure in Norway, and the authorities maintain that a UNSCR 1267 listing would have negligible domestic impact in further discrediting or exposing him. Visit Oslo's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m WHITNEY