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