TERRORISM FINANCE: ITALY - UN 1267 SANCTIONS

S E C R E T ROME 001708 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/ESC/TFS:DBROWN, S/CT:TKUSHNER, IO/PSC:BFITZGERALD, EUR/PGI:LREASOR;EUR/WE:AYOUNG NSC FOR THINNEN, JZARATE TREASURY FOR DGLASER, BDAVIS, ASZUBIN OFAC FOR RWERNER, PLURIE, JYANG DOJ FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2016 TAGS: EFIN ETTC IT KTFN PREL PTER SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: ITALY - UN 1267 SANCTIONS AGAINST TERRORIST FACILITATORS/LEADERS REF: A. SECSTATE 77696 ¶B. ROME 1493 ¶C. 05 ROME 4023 ¶D. 05 ROME 3479 Classified By: A/ECMIN Richard Boly for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) EconOff delivered reftel A demarche May 17 to Cristina Collura, Finance Ministry (MoF) Office Director for Financial Crimes; Giampaolo Cantini, MFA Office Director for G8 and Global Issues; and MFA Officer Stefania Fancello, on proposing Abu Imad and Nabil el-Feki for listing by the UNSC 1267 Committee. Collura and Cantini both said it would be necessary to consult with members of Italy's Financial Security Committee (FSC) on the proposed designations. Although the FSC is not scheduled to meet until mid-June, 2006, Cantini and Collura said they would speak informally with FSC members, as well as law enforcement and intelligence agencies. ¶2. (S/NF) A/ECOUNS met May 26 in a follow-up meeting with Collura, Cantini, and Guiseppe Maresca, Finance Ministry DG for Financial Crimes. Maresca told A/ECOUNS that he had consulted informally with FSC representatives. From these discussions, Maresca said the GOI opposes our proposed designations, as they would adversely affect the ongoing Muslim outreach program established by the previous Minister of Interior (ref C),which involves both Abu Imad and el-Feki. (Comment: This is a program that includes both arrests and expulsion of potential terrorists, the establishment of a Muslim Advisory Council, and outreach to the Islamic community to foster integration. End Comment). ¶3. (S/NF) A/ECOUNS proposed a DVC with Washington agencies to discuss the radical ideologues initiative, but received a muted response, in which Maresca said the FSC must wait for the new government's policy, and instead would prefer to discuss Italy's four pending designations (ref B),and/or to discuss the Nasreddin MLAT request (ref D). ¶4. (S/NF) Comment. The Embassy and Italian interlocutors strongly support a visit to Italy by Treasury U/S Levey, preferably prior to the government summer slow down (late July). This will allow the USG to engage early with the new government on key terrorism-related issues. End comment. SPOGLI