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Cablegate: Vietnam Terrorist Finance: 2005 Update No. 2

Published: Tue 15 Mar 2005 08:09 AM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HANOI 000641
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; EB/ESC/TFS DAVID NELSON
STATE FOR S/CT TODD KUSHNER; IO/PSC JOLEEN SCHWEITZER
TREASURY PLEASE PASS TO JUAN ZARATE
TREASURY ALSO FOR OFAC ROBERT WERNER; EB/EPPD CAROL THOMPSON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTFN KVPR PTER EFIN ETTC PREL CVIS VM CTERR FINREF
SUBJECT: VIETNAM TERRORIST FINANCE: 2005 UPDATE NO. 2
REF: STATE 32688
1. (SBU) The following paragraphs contain answers to reftel
questions and provide an evaluation of Vietnam's ability to
cooperate in disrupting terrorism financing.
2. (SBU) The Government of Vietnam (GVN) has not frozen,
forfeited or seized any assets pursuant to UNSCR Resolutions
1267 and 1373.
3. (SBU) The USG has not requested GVN cooperation in co-
sponsoring any designations. There are no evident
impediments to further cooperation on counterterrorism
finance.
4. (SBU) The GVN is in the initial stages of development of
anti-terrorist financing regimes. Although the GVN
recognizes the need for legislation and development of
administrative measures regarding Anti-Money Laundering
(AML), they still assess the possibility of terrorist finance
activities in Vietnam as negligible. Post believes that the
GVN would be very willing to accept USG training and
technical assistance but would be much more open to an offer
from a combined AML/TF perspective. The GVN is more likely
to accept a USG assessment of training needs if the
assessment is the initial part of an agreed-upon arrangement
for training or technical assistance. Priority assistance
needs in Vietnam include raising awareness of signs of money
laundering and encouraging development of an anti-terrorist
regime, including Financial Intelligence Unit equipment and
training.
5. (SBU) The GVN has recently begun to take concrete steps
toward the prevention and control of money laundering. A new
AML decree is expected to be passed in 2005. However,
Vietnamese legal provisions on counter terrorism financing
are covered in various legal documents. They have not yet
established a separate legal document governing the
prevention and suppression of terrorism financing. The GVN
believes and Post agrees that the risk of terrorist threats
emerging from the Vietnamese population is very low. Post
believes that the risk that VN will be used as a site for
significant fund raising is low. Although the government
monitors international financial transactions in Vietnam
closely, it is not clear whether the procedures will
effectively preclude money laundering or terrorism financing.
Post believes there is a low risk that Vietnam would be a
site for significant banking services for terrorists, however
there is a higher risk for other money laundering. For
example, there are significant documented instances of drug
money laundering.
MARINE
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