US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE2210

S E C R E T THE HAGUE 002210 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/ESC/ESP (GLASS), S/CT (FOX), EUR/ERA(PARKER), 
IO/PHO (PEREZ) 
NSC FOR JMEYERS 
TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL (AUFHAUSER), TREASURY 
(ZARATE), TASK FORCE ON TERRORIST FINANCING, OFAC DIRECTOR 
(NEWCOMB) 
JUSTICE FOR OIA/JFRIEDMAN 
FBI FOR LORMEL 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR LEGATT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2013 
TAGS: ETTC, KPAL, PTER, EUN.NL 
SUBJECT: TERRORIST ASSETS: SECRETARY'S MESSAGE TO EU 
FOREIGN MINISTERS ON DESIGNATION OF HAMAS 
 
REF: A. STATE 249877 
 
     B. STATE 250490 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Daniel Russel  Reasons 1.5(b) and 
 (d) 
 
1. (C) Acting Economic Counselor delivered the Secretary's 
message (ref a) and peace process section of Gymnich demarche 
(ref b) to Dutch Political Affairs Director Werner on 
September 2 with a request that they be conveyed to Foreign 
Minister de Hoop Scheffer in advance of the FM's September 3 
meeting with Secretary Powell in Washington.  Prime Minister 
Balkenende and FM de Hoop Scheffer are also scheduled to meet 
9/2 with the Vice President and 9/3 with the President in 
Washington. 
 
2. (S) Werner reiterated Dutch support for designating Hamas 
and its fundraisers and said FM de Hoop Scheffer would push 
for this at Gymnich.  Werner thought the PA's freezing of 
Hamas-related bank accounts and proactively asking for EU 
action against Hamas fundraising would make it much easier 
for the EU to go forward with a designation. A/Econcouns 
stressed the importance of the EU's not only designating 
Hamas but taking proactive measures to disrupt Hamas 
fundraising, including through investigating and designating 
supporters and front organizations.  A/Econcouns mentioned 
the Dutch designation of the Al Aqsa Foundation and freezing 
of 200,000 euro in its funds as a positive example, although 
more needed to be done.  Werner thought the informality of 
the Gymnich meeting would be more conducive to a French 
change of position than would a more formal EU Council 
meeting.  (Note: In a separate meeting with Poloff, Werner's 
deputy noted that pressure on France from other EU members is 
"heavy" right now.)  Werner asked whether the USG  had any 
specific information on the fifty bank accounts of 
Hamas-related charities frozen in Gaza and inquired whether 
the U.S. planned to freeze the accounts of these institutions 
as well. 
 
3.  (S) Werner said that an EU move to cut off Hamas 
fundraising should be followed by an approach to Israel to 
end targeted killings of Hamas leaders.  Werner stressed the 
importance and difficulty of assuring that humanitarian 
assistance to the Palestinians continues to flow once Hamas 
"charities" are cut out.  Funneling assistance thorough the 
PA could strengthen Abu Mazen's position, say the Dutch, but 
Hamas and its supporters are thoroughly interwoven into the 
Palestinian charitable network.  Delivering effective 
assistance, the Dutch note, cannot be not accomplished simply 
by increasing the amount of funding available to UNWRA or the 
PA: the absorptive capability of these organizations is 
limited and the security situation on the ground possibly 
perilous.  It is very positive, say the Dutch that the 
Palestinian Finance Minister has moved to tighten controls on 
PA finances including parastatals.  Werner noted that the EU 
has tried to condition its provision of  additional 
assistance to the Palestinian Authority on the PA's behaving 
responsibly in the Middle East peace process. 
RUSSEL