FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS August 2, 2004 U.S., Iraq, U.K. Jointly Designate Ambassadors In the fourth tranche of recent actions taken against members of the former Hussein regime, the United States, Iraq and the United Kingdom today jointly designated three individuals and one front company pursuant to Executive Order 13315. The United States has now designated 232 Iraqi-related entities and individuals, comprised of 191 parastatals, 30 individuals and 11 front companies. "These sham operatives masked themselves as legitimate people and businesses, when they were actually aiding and abetting Saddam's cruel and oppressive regime," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Today's designations by the Treasury Department include a Bangkok-based company serving as a front for the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), along with its owner and director, a former IIS officer suspected of planning attacks in January 2003 against U.S. citizens in Thailand. The designations also include two Iraqi ambassadors who used their senior positions to engage in a variety of illicit activities ranging from the financing of foreign anti-Coalition fighters during Operation Iraqi Freedom to the embezzlement of regime funds. "It is important for Iraq to identify and sanction those who have used the funds of the Iraqi people illegally to benefit themselves and the Hussein regime," said Rend al-Rahim Francke, Chief of Mission for the Iraq Interests Section. Today's action is taken pursuant to Executive Order 13315 which blocks property and interests in property of senior officials of the former Iraqi regime within the possession or control of U.S. persons. The United States is also submitting the names of these individuals and associated companies to the U.N. with the recommendation they be listed by the 1518 Committee under U.N. Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483. UNSCR 1483 requires U.N. member states to identify, freeze and transfer to the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) assets of senior officials of the former Iraqi regime and their immediate family members, including entities owned or controlled by them or by persons acting on their behalf. OFAC took action today against: Bloto International Company and Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi (Al-Tamimi), the owner and director of Bloto, is suspected of being a former officer of the IIS "Projects Directorate." Information available to the United States indicates that Al-Tamimi was a member of a group operating under the direction of the Iraqi Embassy in Bangkok. In late January 2003, the group attempted to organize a "demonstration" involving kidnappings and attacks targeted at U.S. Embassy employees and U.S. citizens living in Bangkok. Al-Tamimi has also been linked to two IIS officers who came to Bangkok in December 2001 to retrieve explosives being stored in the Iraqi Embassy. Al-Tamimi was expelled from Thailand in April 2003. Individual: Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi Entity: Bloto International Company Bangkok Offices Address: 131/13 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Neua sub-district, Wattana District, Bangkok 10110 United Arab Emirates Office Nabil Abdullah Al-Janabi Individual: Nabil Abdullah Al-Janabi Abbas Khalaf Kunfuth Individual: Abbas Khalaf Kunfuth -30- |
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