U.S. TREASURY PROVIDES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS TRAINING

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001205

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR NEA/IPA AND EEB/ESC
TREASURY FOR CORREA/PARODI/GRANT
AMMAN FOR PARKER
CAIRO FOR ROWE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN KTFN PINS PTER KWBG EAID
SUBJECT: U.S. TREASURY PROVIDES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS TRAINING
TO PA OFFICIALS IN RAMALLAH


1. (U) Summary: On July 6-8, 2009, at the request of
Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) Governor Jihad al-Wazir,
the U.S. Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA)
provided training to twenty-five PA employees with various
responsibilities under the PA's 2007 Anti-Money Laundering
Law. Participants in the Financial Analysis Training Course
(FATC) in Ramallah included representatives of the PA,s
Financial Follow-up Unit (the equivalent of a Financial
Intelligence Unit or FIU),the PMA,s Bank Supervision
Department, the Capital Markets Authority, Palestinian Stock
Exchange, PA Customs, and the PA Attorney General,s Office.
End Summary.


2. (U) At the request of PMA Governor al-Wazir, U.S. and
Jordan-based OTA advisors traveled to Ramallah July 6-8 to
provide training to Palestinians responsible for reporting
and analyzing suspicious and potentially criminal financial
activity. Participants in the program included auditors and
supervisors from agencies responsible for spotting and
reporting suspicious activity, analysts who investigate
reports of suspicious financial activity, and prosecutors to
whom potential cases of money laundering would be forwarded.
Funding for the workshop was provided from Treasury
International Affairs Technical Assistance (TIATA) funds.


3. (U) The three-day course focused on reports of unusual or
suspicious activity or transactions (SAR/STR). The topics
covered in the training included: prioritization and
evaluation of SAR/STRs; analytical tools, techniques and case
management; use of outside sources of information (law
enforcement, FIU, commercial); use of computer software
applications to present analytical findings; and strategic
analysis (typologies, statistics, FIU annual reports). A
mock FIU database was also provided for participants to
access information for the casework in the practical
exercises.


4. (SBU) Participants in the training were attentive to
lectures and engaged in lively discussions during Q & A
sessions. Side discussions included: the legal basis for
information sharing under the interim agreement; whether or
not the Anti-Money Laundering &law8 would be interpreted by
civil courts as having the force of law in light of its
passage by presidential decree in the absence of a
functioning legislature; and the lack of full authority or
legal infrastructure for reporting agencies to acquire data
normally relied upon by an FIU, such as cross-border cash
declarations.


5. (U) Amman Resident OTA advisor Parker and Treasury Attache
held follow-up meetings with the PMA, AG,s Office, and
Customs to discuss further engagement on Anti-Money
Laundering issues. A second OTA-sponsored training course
focusing on financial investigative techniques is scheduled
for July 26-30 in Ramallah, and a course on trade-based money
laundering and bulk cash smuggling is planned for the fall.
WALLES