USUN INSTRUCTION: LIBERIA SANCTIONS COMMITTEE

S E C R E T STATE 027993 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2034 TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN LI PREL PTER UNSC SUBJECT: USUN INSTRUCTION: LIBERIA SANCTIONS COMMITTEE EL'DINE DELISTING REQUEST REF: A. S/AC.41/2009/NOTE.2/ADD.1 ¶B. SCSOB/DL/2008/COMM.63 ¶C. 08 STATE 119300 ¶D. S/AC.41/2008/COMM.43 Classified By: IO ACTING A/S WARLICK FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See para 2. -------------- ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶2. (U) USUN is requested to inform the French UN Mission that we intend to submit the delisting petition found in para 3 below on behalf of Talal El'Dine. Following agreement from the French, USUN should submit the delisting petition to the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia. -------------- DELISTING PETITION -------------- ¶3. (U) The Permanent Mission of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) and has the honor to request the removal of Talal El'Dine from the list of individuals subject to the travel restrictions imposed by paragraph 4 (a) of resolution 1521 (2003). Talal El'Dine no longer meets the criteria for inclusion on the Committee's travel ban list. (NOTE: attach El'Dine's Focal Point delisting petition - reftel D.) -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) Talal El'Dine, a dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen, openly admits he once had close ties to former Liberian President Charles Taylor. However, there is no current information to show that El'Dine continues to have links with Taylor. Nor is there currently available information to indicate El'Dine is jeopardizing Liberia and the region's stability. Over the course of 2008, Mr. El'Dine met with various U.S. Government Agencies and Departments to request the U.S. petition delisting on his behalf. In the fall of 2008, the USG suggested El'Dine pursue delisting through the UN Focal Point in accordance with UNSC resolution 1730 (2006). In November 2008, El'Dine submitted a delisting petition that we considered to be credible and thorough. The United States did not object to El'Dine's removal from the UNSC Liberia Sanctions Committee's travel ban list (reftels B and C), because El'Dine no longer meets the criteria for designation. El'Dine would have been delisted on 9 January 2009, but France objected, which terminated El'Dine's Focal Point delisting request (reftel A). USUN and Embassy Paris discussed the El'Dine delisting request with the French in NY and Paris, and France now agrees to Talal El'Dine being removed from the UNSC Liberia Sanctions Committee travel ban list. In order for Talal El'Dine to be delisted he would have to file a new Focal Point delisting request with additional information than what was included in his first, and very thorough, Focal Point delisting request or a UN Member State must petition delisting on his behalf. The credibility and legitimacy of UN sanctions regimes depends on applying the UN sanctions only to individuals and entities that currently meet the designation criteria. -------------- POC & REPORTING DEADLINE -------------- ¶5. (U) Jean T Clark (clarkjt@state.sgov.gov, 202.736.7736) in IO/PSC is the point of contact. Reporting deadline is 26 March 2009. ¶6. (U) Department appreciates Mission's efforts. CLINTON