FOLLOW-UP TO THE MARCH 1 COUNTERPROLIFERATION TASK

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000873

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR T, ISN, AND NEA/ARP
TREASURY FOR A/S O'BRIEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC NK AE
SUBJECT: FOLLOW-UP TO THE MARCH 1 COUNTERPROLIFERATION TASK
FORCE MEETING

REF: A. ABU DHABI 803

B. STATE 64579

C. STATE 43363

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b & d).


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


2. (C) On May 23, econchief met with Yacoub Al-Hosani, MFA
Director for International Organizations (and a member of the
UAE's Counterproliferation Task Force --CTF) to thank him for
information the MFA provided Embassy on May 22 responding to
follow-up requests from the March 1 CTF Meeting. (Note: Post
has passed the Arabic-language MFA document back to NEA/ARP
with a request for urgent translation by May 31. End Note.)


3. (C) According to Al-Hosani, the information provided is
more detailed than the information that the UAE is providing
to the UNSC on its implementation of UNSCRs 1737 and 1747.
He added that his team would be prepared to respond to
questions for clarification during the meeting.


4. (S/Rel UAE) As part of the response, the UAE provided the
following information on Tanchon Commercial Bank (previously
Changgwang Credit Bank). According to the records of the UAE
correspondent banks (holding the "Vostro Accounts:" (NFI)),
Tanchon officials are:

-- Mr. Kye Chang Ho - President of the Bank
-- Mr. Kim Ryong Chan - Vice President of the Bank
-- Mr. Song DO II - Director International Division
-- Mr. Kim Song Chol - Manager Correspondent Banking
Department

UAE Banks note that this information could be dated as the
accounts have been frozen "for a long time.


5. (S/Rel UAE) The UAE Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious
Cases Unit provided the following additional
comment/clarification.

--"The above bank is not a license financial institution in
the UAE. As per a request for assistance received from the
U.S. authorities, and based on a seizure order issued by the
competent judicial authority in the UAE, the Central Bank of
the UAE has frozen the accounts of Tanchon Commercial Bank of
North Korea in the UAE, on 14 March 2004"

--"The above bank is allegedly associated with Dr. Abdul
Qadeer Khan's case. Tanchon Commercial Bank holds accounts
at two local banks and one foreign bank operating in the UAE,
these accounts are frozen at present."


6. (C) Al-Hosani tentatively confirmed June 11 for the next
round of CTF working group meetings and expressed a
preference for a one day meeting. He added that several of
the task force members would not be available on June 12.
Al-Hosani also asked that the USG provide a proposed agenda
NLT the week of May 28. He suggested that the meeting take
place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The MFA would then host a lunch
for the delegates.


7. (C) Action request: Post has forwarded the UAEG's Arabic
language CTF response to NEA/ARP and ISN. Please have this
response translated as quickly as possible. Please note, the
UAE considers the response "secret." Please provide a draft
agenda that we can share with the UAE. End Action Request.
SISON