VZCZCXRO6562
OO RUEHCI
DE RUEHKT #0026 0080629
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080629Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7721
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6223
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 6549
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1810
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4573
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5812
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2103
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 3943
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1959
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3060
UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000026
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/ESC/TFS (CBACKEMEYER), NEA/RA (LGOTTLIEB),
S/CT (TDROZDENKO), AND SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN KTFN PREL PTER SY LE NP
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: SYRIA/LEBANON DESIGNATIONS
DELIVERED TO NEPAL
REF: STATE 161591
Designations Delivered to Foreign Ministry
------------------------------------------
1. On January 3 and 7, Emboff delivered reftel information
regarding the U.S. domestic designation of Syrian and
Lebanese individuals to Mani Bhattarai, Section Officer for
UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA). Bhattarai reviewed the information and said
the MFA would inform post if it became aware of assets
associated with these individuals.
Central Bank Questions Relevance of Information
--------------------------------------------- --
2. On January 7, Emboff delivered reftel information to
Narayan Prasad Paudel, Director of Banks and Financial
Institutions Regulation at Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the
central bank of Nepal. Paudel requested a formal diplomatic
note from post or the Department for the NRB to use as a
cover sheet to distribute the information to Nepal's banks
and financial institutions. The Rastra Bank office director
also asked if the United States honestly believed these
individuals' assets would be discovered in Nepal. Emboff
said the United States would appreciate any help Nepal's
government and banks could provide.
Comment
-------
3. The request by the NRB director, whom Emboff was meeting
for the first time, for a diplomatic note came as a surprise.
Other, more junior, NRB officials -- including Poudel's
deputy -- have responded positively to previous designations
provided as non-papers. Post will follow up with MFA
contacts to address Rastra Bank's unusual reluctance to
provide assistance.
POWELL