Cablegate: Show Us the Money! Sarg Susepcts "Illegal" Usg

VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0692/01 2661336
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 231336Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6864
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 3974
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0714
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0674
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 0097
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0711
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0708
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T DAMASCUS 000692
NOFORN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, DRL/NESCA, NEA/PI
NSC FOR MCDERMOTT/SHAPIRO
LONDON FOR LORD, PARIS FOR NOBLES
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINR PREL KDEM KMPI EG EZ SY
SUBJECT: SHOW US THE MONEY! SARG SUSEPCTS "ILLEGAL" USG
FUNDING
REF: A. DAMASCUS 00477
B. DAMASCUS 00534
C. DAMASCUS 00620
Classified By: CDA Charles Hunter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) Summary: Over the past six months, SARG security
agents have increasingly questioned civil society and human
rights activists about U.S. programming in Syria and the
region, including U.S. Speaker and MEPI initiatives (ref A).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
End Summary.
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Overview
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2. (S/NF) Over the past six months, civil society and human
rights activists questioned by SARG security have told us
interrogators asked specifically about their connections to
the U.S. Embassy and the State Department. XXXXXXXXXXXX was
questioned about MEPI-funded Democracy Council activities as
well as visiting State Department officials (ref A).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX
4. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX
5. (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX
6. (S/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX
7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX
8. (S/NF) Comment: It is unclear to what extent SARG
intelligence services understand how USG money enters Syria
and through which proxy organizations. What is clear,
however, is that security agents are increasingly focused on
this issue when they interrogate human rights and civil
society activists. The information agents are able to frame
their questions with more and more specific information and
names. XXXXXXXXXXXX suggest the SARG has keyed in on MEPI
operations in particular.
9. (C) Comment continued: XXXXXXXXXXXX Except for the
Netherlands’ public stalling of the EU Association Agreement
over human rights, Syrian activists have heard little in the
way of support from the international community.
XXXXXXXXXXXX End Comment.
HUNTER

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