VZCZCXRO1835
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1883 3341034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301034Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9378
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0005
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0002
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0020
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0015
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001883
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE NATSIOS, S/CT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN
DEPT FOR EEB/ESC/ESP - JOHN MARSHALL-KLEIN
DEPT PASS TREASURY FOR OFAC - L. FARROW
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ECON PGOV PREL AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC AFRICAN RELIEF AGENCY SEEKS RECONSIDERATION AS
TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
1. (SBU) Representatives from the Islamic African Relief Agency
(IARA) called on embassy November 27 to discuss their organization's
designation as a sponsor of terrorism. The delegation consisted of
Dr. El Jizouli Dafaal, former Prime Sudanese Minister (in the early
1980s) and Chairman of the IARA, Dr. Al Saeed Osman Al Sheikh,
Director General, Dr. Mohamed Ibrhaim Suleiman, former Director, and
Mr. Awad Abdul-Zahir Hussein, Director of International Relations.
2. (U) In designating the IARA as a terrorist organization, the
Department of Treasury wrote in a statement dated October 13, 2004,
that "the international offices of IARA were providing direct
financial support to Usama Bin Laden, al Qaida, Hamas and other
terrorist groups."
3. (SBU) Dr. El Jizouli Dafaal told poloff that IARA is an
international "apolitical" charity and continues its charitable work
despite its designation as a U.S. terrorist organization. He said
that IARA has programs in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine,
Bangladesh, claimed that IARA is one of the chief relief agencies in
Darfur. "We are even working in the green zone in Iraq." "We appeal
to the international sense of fair play," said El Jizouli, and asked
for reconsideration of IARA's designation as a terrorist
organization by the U.S. Treasury. He claimed that as a result of
the U.S. Treasury designation, in 2006 the U.N. removed IARA from
consultative status, and as a result IARA has found it difficult to
obtain UN funding for its programs. "We used to feed 25,000 orphans
but now can only feed 7,000."
4. (SBU) El Jizouli provided documents that it claims disproved
allegations that it supported al Qaida, Hamas, Usama Bin Laden and
Maktab Al-Khidamat (MK). He invited the embassy to visit IARA
offices and observe its programs, "we believe in transparency and
have nothing to hide."
5. (SBU) Comment: Embassy accepted the documents but made no
commitments regarding further actions. Post would appreciate
guidance from the Department of the Treasury on who this
organization may contact if it wishes to plead its case further, or
if the Department of the Treasury would like copies of the documents
the IARA provided to us.
FERNANDEZ