SWEDES PREFER TO LET U.S. TAKE LEAD ON 1267

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000442

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/PSC (ECROWE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN PREL PTER UNSC SW
SUBJECT: SWEDES PREFER TO LET U.S. TAKE LEAD ON 1267
DELISTINGS OF AL-BARAKAAT AND MOUMOU

REF: A. STOCKHOLM 409

B. STATE 69814


1. (SBU) Summary: Swedish MFA Sanctions Coordinator
Ambassador Per Saland told Emboff on July 21 that Sweden is
pleased with the U.S. decision to review the 1267 list, and
that Sweden looks forward to a constructive dialogue on this
issue. Regarding the delisting of Al-Barakaat and Moumou, he
said that after consultation with the Swedish UN Mission,
Austrian chair of the Sanctions Committee, the Monitoring
Group and the U.S. UN Mission, Sweden has determined that no
further steps on the Swedish side are necessary or advisable.
"Unless given a clear indication to the contrary, the
Swedish Government, therefore, will not make any further move
on these two matters," Saland explained. If the U.S. and
the UN successfully delist Swedish citizen Moumou and
Al-Barakaat, Saland told us that the Swedish government will
say "bravo and clap its hands quietly." End Summary.


2. (SBU) On July 21 Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
Sanctions Coordinator Ambassador Per Saland told Acting
Economic Counselor that the Swedish Government is very
satisfied with the U.S. Government's commitment to ensure
fairness and transparency in implementation of sanctions.
Saland stated that Sweden is "pleased to hear that the U.S.
is conducting a comprehensive review of the 1267 sanctions
list to review its files to ensure, as best possible, that
the listings the U.S. continues to support remain
appropriate." He called this comprehensive review "a major
step forward in reaching appropriate due process standards
for the 1267 regime," adding that it is essential for the
regime's "credibility and sustainability" to ensure that the
list is as solidly based and updated as possible and that it
is continuously reviewed in the future. Saland stated that
that Sweden looks forward to continuing a constructive
dialogue on these matters with the U.S. and other Security
Council Members in view of the upcoming review of the whole
range of the 1267 procedures.


3. (SBU) On the issue of the Al-Barakaat and Moumou listings,
Saland noted that the Swedish Government has already made its
views known at the request of the 1267 Sanctions Committee.
Following the U.S. message, the Swedish Permanent Mission at
the UN has been in informal contact with the Austrian Chair
of the Committee, the Monitoring Group and the U.S. mission
to the UN. Saland told Emboff that Sweden was advised that
these listings will be considered in due course (probably in
September) in connection with all the others in the two first
tranches, and that "no further steps on the Swedish side
would be necessary or even advisable," given the fact that
Sweden had been given written replies on both accounts and
that there is a stated intention in favor of delisting on
behalf of the designating State. He added that Sweden was
told that the U.S. authorities are already preparing the
proposals for delisting and that any further Swedish
intervention could complicate the two matters in the
Committee from a procedural point of view.


5. (SBU) "Unless given a clear indication to the contrary,
the Swedish Government, therefore, will not make any further
move on these two matters. Should the U.S. side wish to
further discuss the best way forward, we are of course open
to consider other arrangements," Saland explained. He said
that the Foreign Ministry has had no contact from Al-Barakaat
or its legal council, and the Ministry does not wish to
contact Al-Barakaat or raise public comments before the facts
from the trial are known.


6. (SBU) Comment: Sweden clearly wishes to make little noise
publicly about the delisting of Al-Barakaat and Moumou.
Ambassador Saland was positive and appeared genuinely pleased
at the U.S.' renewed interest in what he characterized as
"fairness and transparency." If the U.S. and the UN
successfully delist Moumou and Al-Barakaat, Saland told us
that the Swedish government will say "bravo and clap its
hands quietly."


SILVERMAN