VZCZCXRO7021
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #0560 1391107
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 181107Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1477
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 3184
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL KUWAIT 000560
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EEB/ESC/TFS; TREASURY FOR KRISTEN HECHT
E.O. 12958: DECLl: 05/12/2018
TAGS: EFIN KU KTFN PGOV PREL PTER
SUBJECT: TERROR FINANCE: KUWAI FINALLY FREEZES ASSETS OF THREE FINANCIERS
Ref: A. 06 KUWAIT 4637
B. KUWAIT 79
C. KUWAIT 90
D. KUWAIT 97
E. KUWAIT 98
F. STATE 7443
G. KUWAIT 0227
H. KUWAIT 218
I. STATE 192459
J. KUWAIT 0476
Classified By: Ambassador Deborah K. Jones for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Officials from the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and
Kuwait Finance House (KFH) confirmed to Econoff on May 12
that they have frozen the accounts of the three terrorist
financiers Hamed Al-Ali, Jaber Al-Jalahmah, and Mubarak
Al-Bathali, upon instruction of the MFA.
2. (C) xxxxxxxxxxxx told Econoff that CBK had notified
all Kuwaiti financial institutions to freeze the assets of
the three individuals in compliance with UNSCR 1267. xxxxxxxxxxxx
also confirmed to
Econoff that after receiving official notification from CBK
to freeze the assets of the individuals, to include their
government salaries, KFH did freeze the assets and has barred
all incoming and outgoing bank transactions. xxxxxxxxxxxx also
underscored KFH's intention to permanently close the three
accounts in the near future.
3. (C) Earlier on May 12, on the margins of a meeting with
S/CT Dailey and the Ambassador (septel), MFA Director of
Follow-up and Coordination Department assured Econoff that
the GOK had instructed CBK to freeze the assets of the
three terrorist facilitators.
Comment
------
4. (C) This is a major action by the GOK. While long
overdue, it is nevertheless a very positive development.
It demonstrates that when the GOK wants to act against
terrorism, it can. It is likely that the embarrassment
over the alleged role of Kuwaiti Guantanamo returnees in
recent suicide attacks in Iraq played a role in forcing
the GOK's hand.
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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
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jones