ISLAMIC AFRICAN RELIEF AGENCY SEEKS RECONSIDERATION AS

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001883 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE NATSIOS, S/CT ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN DEPT FOR EEB/ESC/ESP - JOHN MARSHALL-KLEIN DEPT PASS TREASURY FOR OFAC - L. FARROW SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ECON PGOV PREL AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: ISLAMIC AFRICAN RELIEF AGENCY SEEKS RECONSIDERATION AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION ¶1. (SBU) Representatives from the Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA) called on embassy November 27 to discuss their organization's designation as a sponsor of terrorism. The delegation consisted of Dr. El Jizouli Dafaal, former Prime Sudanese Minister (in the early 1980s) and Chairman of the IARA, Dr. Al Saeed Osman Al Sheikh, Director General, Dr. Mohamed Ibrhaim Suleiman, former Director, and Mr. Awad Abdul-Zahir Hussein, Director of International Relations. ¶2. (U) In designating the IARA as a terrorist organization, the Department of Treasury wrote in a statement dated October 13, 2004, that "the international offices of IARA were providing direct financial support to Usama Bin Laden, al Qaida, Hamas and other terrorist groups." ¶3. (SBU) Dr. El Jizouli Dafaal told poloff that IARA is an international "apolitical" charity and continues its charitable work despite its designation as a U.S. terrorist organization. He said that IARA has programs in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine, Bangladesh, claimed that IARA is one of the chief relief agencies in Darfur. "We are even working in the green zone in Iraq." "We appeal to the international sense of fair play," said El Jizouli, and asked for reconsideration of IARA's designation as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Treasury. He claimed that as a result of the U.S. Treasury designation, in 2006 the U.N. removed IARA from consultative status, and as a result IARA has found it difficult to obtain UN funding for its programs. "We used to feed 25,000 orphans but now can only feed 7,000." ¶4. (SBU) El Jizouli provided documents that it claims disproved allegations that it supported al Qaida, Hamas, Usama Bin Laden and Maktab Al-Khidamat (MK). He invited the embassy to visit IARA offices and observe its programs, "we believe in transparency and have nothing to hide." ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Embassy accepted the documents but made no commitments regarding further actions. Post would appreciate guidance from the Department of the Treasury on who this organization may contact if it wishes to plead its case further, or if the Department of the Treasury would like copies of the documents the IARA provided to us. FERNANDEZ