TERRORIST FINANCE: DOMESTIC USG DESIGNATION OF

UNCLAS VIENNA 003532 SIPDIS SIPDIS, SENSITIVE STATE FOR EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI AND IO/PSC TREASURY FOR TFFC AND OFAC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTFN ETTC EFIN PTER PREL AU SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: DOMESTIC USG DESIGNATION OF HIZBALLAH-RELATED INDIVIDUALS/ENTITIES IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA - AUSTRIA REF: STATE 196015 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, post submitted information on domestic USG designation of Hizballah-related individuals/entities in the tri-border area on December 7 to Alfred Lejsek, Head of the Financial Markets Directorate in the Federal Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Elisabeth Ottawa, Terrorism Financing Coordinator in Lejsek's office. Post also sent a copy to the Foreign Ministry's International Security Cooperation Office. ¶2. (SBU) Ottawa told us that the MOF applied the usual procedure with this name, circulating the information on the same day to all banks and financial institutions in Austria with a request to search for accounts. However, because this is a domestic USG designation, the banks have no obligation to freeze accounts. MCCAW