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DE RUEHC #7950 1762107
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O 242107Z JUN 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0000

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 067950 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2033 
TAGS: KNNP MNUC IR GM PREL PARM XF ZP ZR QA ECON
SUBJECT: BANK SADERAT OPENS NEW BRANCH IN QATAR 
 
Classified By: NEA/ARP OFFICE DIRECTOR 
ANDREW STEINFELD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
 ¶1.  (C)  This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 
three. 
 
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SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  Recent press reports have noted that Iran is 
actively working to expand its banking relationships with its 
Middle Eastern neighbors.  This expansion is presumably a 
response to the increased sanctions put in place by the UN 
and U.S. and moves by Western banks to decrease their 
exposure to the risk of doing business with Iran.  Per that 
goal, Iran's Bank Saderat recently opened an additional 
branch in Qatar as part of a planned expansion of its banking 
network there and in response to pressure on Iranian banking 
networks in UAE and Bahrain.  Bank Saderat already has a 
branch in Doha and has been active in Qatar for 37 years. 
According to press reports, the new branch will help 
facilitate increased trade between Iran and Qatar.  The U.S. 
is concerned, however, that Bank Saderat may also help Iran 
facilitate terrorism or WMD proliferation via Qatar.  We want 
to urge the GOQ to reconsider its business relationships with 
all Iranian financial institutions, close this new branch and 
prevent any others fro 
m opening.  At a time when responsible states and banks are 
decreasing their economic dealings with Iran, expanding 
banking relationships with Iran is not a prudent step. 
 
------------------------- 
OBJECTIVES/ACTION REQUEST 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Washington requests Post deliver as appropriate the 
talking points and non-paper in paragraph 4 to relevant host 
government officials.  Post should pursue the following 
objectives: 
 
--  Urge Qatar to exercise increased scrutiny over the 
activities of financial institutions in its territory with 
Bank Saderat Iran, as called for in UNSCR 1803, to ensure 
that it is not being used by Iran or Iranian 
proliferation-related entities to circumvent measures imposed 
in UNSCRs 1737, 1747 and 1803 or to act on behalf of 
designated entities. 
 
--  Remind Qatar that the U.S. designated Bank Saderat under 
domestic authority Executive Order 13224 in October 2007 for 
its actions as a financier for terrorism.  E.O. 13224 is an 
authority aimed at freezing the assets of terrorists and 
their supporters, and at isolating them from the U.S. 
financial and commercial systems.  Designations under the 
E.O. prohibit all transactions between the designees and any 
U.S. person, and freeze any assets the designees may have 
under U.S. jurisdiction. 
 
--  Reinforce the Financial Action Task Force's October 2007 
and February 2008 warnings that Iran's lack of comprehensive 
anti-money laundering / combating the financing of terrorism 
(AML/CFT) regime represents a significant vulnerability 
within the international financial system, and dealing with 
Iran's banks poses a reputational risk to Qatar's financial 
institutions. 
 
--  Remind Qatar that as a member of the Middle East North 
Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENA-FATF), it should 
advise its financial institutions to consider the serious 
risks of engaging in any business with Iranian entities and 
individuals.  It is well-known that Iran uses its state-owned 
banking network to support terrorism and 
proliferation-related activity. 
 
--  Remind the GOQ that many European countries and banks 
have reduced their business with Iran. 
 
-- Remind Qatar that disreputable banks named in UN Security 
Council Resolutions, such as Bank Saderat, pose a threat to 
Qatar's growing role as a regional financial hub and Qatar's 
perception as an attractive magnet for investment. 
 
--  Urge the GOQ to reconsider its business relationships 
with all Iranian financial institutions, close this new 
branch and prevent any others from opening. 
 
----------------------- 
BACKGROUND AND NONPAPER 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  BEGIN CONFIDENTIAL NON-PAPER FOR QATAR 
 
--  Recent press reports have noted that Iran is actively 
working to expand banking relationships with its Middle 
Eastern neighbors.  To that end, Bank Saderat Iran recently 
opened a new branch in Qatar and plans to open others in 
order to handle an expected growth in business ties between 
Iran and Qatar. 
 
--  As you know, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted 
UNSCR 1803 in March 2008.  The resolution calls on States to 
exercise vigilance over the activities of financial 
institutions in their territories with all banks domiciled in 
Iran, in particular with Bank Saderat Iran and Bank Melli, 
and their branches and subsidiaries abroad, in order to avoid 
such activities contributing to the proliferation-sensitive 
nuclear activities, or to the development of nuclear weapon 
delivery systems, as referred to in UNSCR 1737. 
 
--  In October 2007, the U.S. designated Bank Saderat under 
E.O. 13224 for its actions as a terrorist financier.  Bank 
Saderat has been used by the Government of Iran to channel 
funds to terrorist organizations, including Hizballah and 
EU-designated terrorist groups Hamas, PFLP-GC, and 
Palestinian Islamic Jihad.  Hizballah has also used Bank 
Saderat to send money to other terrorist organizations, 
including millions of dollars on occasion, to support the 
activities of Hamas.  As of early 2005, Hamas had substantial 
assets deposited in Bank Saderat, and Bank Saderat has 
transferred several million dollars to Hamas. 
 
--  On October 11, 2007, the Financial Action Task Force 
(FATF) issued a statement warning of the risk of doing 
business with Iranian banks.  The statement cautioned that 
Iran's lack of comprehensive anti-money laundering / 
combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime 
represents a significant vulnerability within the 
international financial system.  In February 2008, FATF 
reinforced this message and advised that financial 
institutions should take the risk arising from the 
deficiencies in Iran's AML/CFT regime into account for 
enhanced due diligence. 
 
-- We are concerned that Bank Saderat could be facilitating 
terrorism in Qatar. 
 
--  As major European and Asian financial institutions 
curtail or cut off Iranian business, we view the opening of 
additional branches of Bank Saderat Iran as a step away from 
the international consensus and may harm Qatar's image as a 
growing regional hub for reputable financial activity.  Now 
is not the time for business as usual with Iran and expanded 
financial ties with Iran could put financial institutions in 
your jurisdiction at risk of facilitating proliferation- or 
terrorism-related transactions. 
 
--  The United States urges your government and financial 
institutions to reconsider business relationships with all 
Iranian financial institutions, close this new branch and 
prevent any others from opening. 
 
--  The United States also urges your government to exercise 
increased vigilance regarding all Iranian financial and 
commercial relationships that may be associated with Iran's 
nuclear or missile programs, or other illicit activities, 
contrary to UNSCRs 1737, 1747, or 1803. 
 
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REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (U)  Post should report results within seven business 
days of receipt of this cable.  Please slug replies for ISN, 
T, TREASURY, and NEA.  Please include SIPDIS in all replies. 
 
---------------- 
POINT OF CONTACT 
---------------- 
 
¶6.  (U)  Washington point of contact for follow-up 
information is Kevin McGeehan, ISN/CPI, (202) 647-5408, 
McGeehanKJ@state.sgov.gov. 
 
¶7.  (U) Department thanks Post for its assistance. 
RICE