Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BUENOSAIRES1543
2008-11-07 21:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:
ARGENTINE SUPPORT FOR OCTOBER 2008 FATF STATEMENTS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBU #1543 3122100 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 072100Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES TO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2442 INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001543
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN, T, NEA, INR, EEB, S/CT, INL
TREASURY FOR TFFS, OFAC, FINCEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2018
TAGS: KTFN EFIN PTER PREL PARM MNUC KNNP AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE SUPPORT FOR OCTOBER 2008 FATF STATEMENTS
ON IRAN
REF: STATE 115523
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas P. Kelly For Reasons 1.4 (B and
D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001543
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN, T, NEA, INR, EEB, S/CT, INL
TREASURY FOR TFFS, OFAC, FINCEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2018
TAGS: KTFN EFIN PTER PREL PARM MNUC KNNP AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE SUPPORT FOR OCTOBER 2008 FATF STATEMENTS
ON IRAN
REF: STATE 115523
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas P. Kelly For Reasons 1.4 (B and
D).
1. (C) EconOff delivered reftel demarche November 7, 2008, to
GoA National Coordinator for anti-money laundering and
counter-terrorism finance Alejandro Strega. Strega, who
reports to Argentina's Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez,
is Argentina's representative to the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF). He attended the mid-October FATF meeting in
Brazil, and is the person responsible for coordinating the
GoA's effort to implement FATF's recommended actions with
regards to Iran.
2. (C) Strega admitted that neither he nor anyone else in the
GoA or Central Bank (BCRA) has had time to focus on this yet
(mostly due to his busy travel schedule). He noted that
following the February 2008 FATF statement noting money
laundering/terrorism finance risks posed by Iran and five
other countries, the BCRA issued a circular to all financial
institutions repeating the FATF announcement and warnings.
Therefore, he assumed the BCRA and maybe the GoA would be
amenable to taking some kind of action in response to the
latest FATF recommendations, although he did not feel
comfortable commenting on which if any of the measures
mentioned reftel the GoA and BCRA might be able to impose.
3. (C) Strega agreed to discuss this with both Zenon
Biagosch, Vice Superintendent of Banks, and with the Foreign
Affairs Ministry's Legal Advisor, Susana Ruiz Cerruti.
(Strega commented that it was Cerruti who gave him
instructions to support the consensus position on Iran at the
October FATF meeting.) Post will follow-up directly with the
Biagosch and Cerruti, and will also meet with appropriate
officials within the Economy Ministry. Once we have a better
understanding of what Strega and others are planning, the
Embassy will raise this at a higher level in the BCRA and
Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Economy.
KELLY
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN, T, NEA, INR, EEB, S/CT, INL
TREASURY FOR TFFS, OFAC, FINCEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2018
TAGS: KTFN EFIN PTER PREL PARM MNUC KNNP AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE SUPPORT FOR OCTOBER 2008 FATF STATEMENTS
ON IRAN
REF: STATE 115523
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas P. Kelly For Reasons 1.4 (B and
D).
1. (C) EconOff delivered reftel demarche November 7, 2008, to
GoA National Coordinator for anti-money laundering and
counter-terrorism finance Alejandro Strega. Strega, who
reports to Argentina's Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez,
is Argentina's representative to the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF). He attended the mid-October FATF meeting in
Brazil, and is the person responsible for coordinating the
GoA's effort to implement FATF's recommended actions with
regards to Iran.
2. (C) Strega admitted that neither he nor anyone else in the
GoA or Central Bank (BCRA) has had time to focus on this yet
(mostly due to his busy travel schedule). He noted that
following the February 2008 FATF statement noting money
laundering/terrorism finance risks posed by Iran and five
other countries, the BCRA issued a circular to all financial
institutions repeating the FATF announcement and warnings.
Therefore, he assumed the BCRA and maybe the GoA would be
amenable to taking some kind of action in response to the
latest FATF recommendations, although he did not feel
comfortable commenting on which if any of the measures
mentioned reftel the GoA and BCRA might be able to impose.
3. (C) Strega agreed to discuss this with both Zenon
Biagosch, Vice Superintendent of Banks, and with the Foreign
Affairs Ministry's Legal Advisor, Susana Ruiz Cerruti.
(Strega commented that it was Cerruti who gave him
instructions to support the consensus position on Iran at the
October FATF meeting.) Post will follow-up directly with the
Biagosch and Cerruti, and will also meet with appropriate
officials within the Economy Ministry. Once we have a better
understanding of what Strega and others are planning, the
Embassy will raise this at a higher level in the BCRA and
Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Economy.
KELLY