VZCZCXRO6957
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1205 1951425
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141425Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5442
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001205 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/IPA AND EEB/ESC 
TREASURY FOR CORREA/PARODI/GRANT 
AMMAN FOR PARKER 
CAIRO FOR ROWE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN KTFN PINS PTER KWBG EAID
SUBJECT: U.S. TREASURY PROVIDES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS TRAINING 
TO PA OFFICIALS IN RAMALLAH 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  On July 6-8, 2009, at the request of 
Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) Governor Jihad al-Wazir, 
the U.S. Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) 
provided training to twenty-five PA employees with various 
responsibilities under the PA's 2007 Anti-Money Laundering 
Law.  Participants in the Financial Analysis Training Course 
(FATC) in Ramallah included representatives of the PA,s 
Financial Follow-up Unit (the equivalent of a Financial 
Intelligence Unit or FIU), the PMA,s Bank Supervision 
Department, the Capital Markets Authority, Palestinian Stock 
Exchange, PA Customs, and the PA Attorney General,s Office. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) At the request of PMA Governor al-Wazir, U.S. and 
Jordan-based OTA advisors traveled to Ramallah July 6-8 to 
provide training to Palestinians responsible for reporting 
and analyzing suspicious and potentially criminal financial 
activity.   Participants in the program included auditors and 
supervisors from agencies responsible for spotting and 
reporting suspicious activity, analysts who investigate 
reports of suspicious financial activity, and prosecutors to 
whom potential cases of money laundering would be forwarded. 
Funding for the workshop was provided from Treasury 
International Affairs Technical Assistance (TIATA) funds. 
 
¶3. (U) The three-day course focused on reports of unusual or 
suspicious activity or transactions (SAR/STR).  The topics 
covered in the training included:  prioritization and 
evaluation of SAR/STRs; analytical tools, techniques and case 
management; use of outside sources of information (law 
enforcement, FIU, commercial); use of computer software 
applications to present analytical findings; and strategic 
analysis (typologies, statistics, FIU annual reports).  A 
mock FIU database was also provided for participants to 
access information for the casework in the practical 
exercises. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Participants in the training were attentive to 
lectures and engaged in lively discussions during Q & A 
sessions.  Side discussions included:  the legal basis for 
information sharing under the interim agreement; whether or 
not the Anti-Money Laundering &law8 would be interpreted by 
civil courts as having the force of law in light of its 
passage by presidential decree in the absence of a 
functioning legislature; and the lack of full authority or 
legal infrastructure for reporting agencies to acquire data 
normally relied upon by an FIU, such as cross-border cash 
declarations. 
 
¶5. (U) Amman Resident OTA advisor Parker and Treasury Attache 
held follow-up meetings with the PMA, AG,s Office, and 
Customs to discuss further engagement on Anti-Money 
Laundering issues. A second OTA-sponsored training course 
focusing on financial investigative techniques is scheduled 
for July 26-30 in Ramallah, and a course on trade-based money 
laundering and bulk cash smuggling is planned for the fall. 
WALLES