US embassy cable - 04WELLINGTON870

S E C R E T WELLINGTON 000870 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EB AND EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, KTFN, IZ, NZ 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND'S REACTION TO PROPOSED EXECUTIVE ORDER 
ON IRAQ INSURGENCY FINANCE 
 
REF: STATE 194466 
 
Classified by Charge d'affaires David R. Burnett.  Reason: 
1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1. (S-rel New Zealand) Post on September 14 delivered reftel 
talking points and text of the proposed executive order 
regarding insurgency finance in Iraq to New Zealand's 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 
 
2. (S-rel New Zealand) On October 14, Taha Mcpherson of the 
Ministry's Security Policy Division delivered his 
government's response.  He apologized for the delayed reply, 
explaining that it had to be vetted by a number of ministries 
and offices, including the Prime Minister's office. 
 
3. (S-rel New Zealand) Following is New Zealand's response: 
 
Begin text: 
 
New Zealand deplores the continuing violence in Iraq, 
including attacks on civilians.  New Zealand has the utmost 
sympathy for the victims of the violence and their families 
-- both Iraqi, and those from other countries that are 
helping to stabilize Iraq and provide humanitarian and 
reconstruction support under UN Security Council Resolutions 
1483 and 1546. 
 
We welcome the US intention to share information on 
individuals and entities that it believes pose a significant 
risk of committing acts of violence against either the 
Multinational Force in Iraq, or civilians supporting it. 
This information will be of benefit to the New Zealand 
authorities charged with monitoring international terrorist 
groups. 
 
New Zealand would not envisage taking "parallel action" to 
that in the proposed US Executive Order because it sees the 
United Nations Security Council process as providing an 
effective multilateral mechanism for freezing the assets of 
individuals and entities associated with Al Qaida, the 
Taliban or Usama bin Laden. 
 
While New Zealand's legislative basis -- the Terrorism 
Suppression Act 2002 (as amended) -- is sufficient to ensure 
full compliance with United Nations Security Council 
Resolutions 1267, 1373 and 1390 it would not enable our going 
further, given that it is not clear that those targeted by 
the proposed new US Executive Order would necessarily fall 
within the definition of those who have committed "terrorist 
acts" as defined in our legislation. 
 
End text. 
 
4. (C) Comment: The New Zealand government's response is not 
surprising and is consistent with the position it has taken 
since opposing the invasion of Iraq, through its freezing of 
terrorist funds under the UN resolutions, and through its 
participation in Iraq's reconstruction: New Zealand has 
insisted that such actions be linked to decisions by the 
United Nations. 
Burnett