VZCZCXRO5388
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL
DE RUEHLO #0148/01 0221522
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 221522Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4732
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000148 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2020 
TAGS: ECON ETTC UK
SUBJECT: UK DOMESTIC TERRORIST FINANCE REVIEW 
 
Classified By: KATHLEEN DOHERTY, ECON COUNSELOR FOR REASONS 1.4 B&D 
 
¶1. (S/NF) Summary: HM Treasury (HMT) has been leading HMG efforts to review its domestic terrorist finance designations, subsequent to agreements HMT made with UK courts and the European Commission, in 2008.  USG assistance in the form of a TDY secondment from U.S. Treasury to HMT in November 2009, plus substantial background information and shared intelligence from Washington agencies, has proven crucial to helping the UK review 23 individuals and groups. To date, the 13 most urgent cases have already been reviewed and re-designated as terrorist financiers or supporters under the UK Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1747).  Many of these parties are also designated under the UN 1267 regime, which is automatically applied to the EU and its Member States.  In all cases, the UK will have to again review the parties in one or two years, so any additional information USG can provide would be useful.  End Summary.  

¶2. (S/NF) Following is a list of individuals and entities for which HMG requested USG assistance in gathering information. In most cases, the U.S. either sponsored or co-sponsored the parties.  The UK re-designated the following on November 24, 2009:  -AL-MUGHASSIL, Ahmad Ibrahim    1996 Khobar Towers -AL-NASSER, Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed    1996 Khobar Towers -AL-YACOUB, Ibrahim Salih Mohammed    1996 Khobar Towers -EL-HOORIE, Ali Saed Bin Ali    1996 Khobar Towers -ATWA, Ali    1985 Airline Hijack -IZZ-AL-DIN, Hasan    1985 Airline Hijack -MOHAMMED, Khalid SHAIKH    9/11 Mastermind  -National Liberation Army -Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -Shining Path -Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development  The UK re-designated the following on December 7, 2009:  -Aum Shinrikyo    Tokyo Subway (1995 Sarin Gas)  

¶3. (S/NF) The following Hamas-related individuals and Palestinian/Israeli groups are under review:  -AL-ALAMI, Imad Khalil    Hamas -HAMDAN, Usama    Hamas -MARZOUK, Musa Abu    Hamas -MISHAAL, Khalid   Hamas  -Kahane Chai -Palestine Liberation Front -Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command  The British government has until early May 2010 to finish reviewing these parties.  There is no prospect of these names being delisted in the short term, according to HMT, and they won't likely receive a judicial challenge.  The review is not yet complete because HMT lawyers feel they do not have full information and may need to re-task the intelligence services with providing additional updates.  The Foreign Office has the USG-provided information, and has the lead at in coordinating with British intelligence and others as necessary.  The UK expects to complete its review by March 2010.  Additional USG classified material would be useful, HMT told us, as Treasury lawyers do not like to rely upon open source information in their reviews.  We were told that even reputable organizations such as the NY Times are insufficient, unless the same information is repeated in several other media sources.  

¶4. (S/NF) The UK is continuing its review of the following:  -Elehssan HMT says its information on the group conflicts with information provided by USG and is investigating further. The deadline to finish this review is August 2010.  -BARAKAT, Assad Ahmad    Paraguay Hizbollah HMT has not finished reviewing this individual, but thought it had sufficient information to retain a designation.  -United Self-Defense Forces of Columbia British intelligence doesn't believe this group exists anymore; and that it split into other groups.  In addition, HMT will not be able to maintain them on the list if they are criminal narcotics dealers.  The Foreign Office is looking  LONDON 00000148  002 OF 002   further into this group.  

Comment -------  

¶5. (S/NF) Thanks in large part to USG efforts, the UK was able to maintain several names on its terrorist finance designation list.  HMT is optimistic it will have sufficient information on the others still under review, but would appreciate anything further the USG has not yet shared.  The hold-up does not appear to be a political matter, but rather rests in the ability of the analysts to convince cautious lawyers that sufficient evidence exists under UK law to maintain designations.  Although we do not believe a high-level USG approach to the Foreign Office on the Hamas and Palestinian/Israeli names is required at this point, it would be helpful for State to raise USG interest in the cases during the course of DAS, Office Director or Deputy Director level meetings with Foreign Office counterparts, who are already engaged.  Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX 
SUSMAN