US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3203

S E C R E T VIENNA 003203 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2015 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, MNUC, AU 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE: COMBATING WMD PROLIFERATION VIA 
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNITS (FIUS) 
 
REF: STATE 158275 
 
Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for 
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (S) On September 26, Economic Unit Chief delivered reftel 
talking points and nonpapers to Rudolf Unterkoefler, Head of 
the Ministry of Interior's Economic and Financial 
Investigations Division and to Josef Mahr, Head of the 
Austrian FIU, and separately to Johann Froehlich, Head of the 
MFA's Justice and Home Affairs Division.  All GoA 
interlocutors noted that Austria does not currently have 
legal authority to freeze the assets of WMD proliferators, 
unless there is overwhelming legal evidence that the entity 
is involved in WMD proliferation.  Froehlich said that, 
without a more specific UN or EU legal framework, it would be 
difficult for the GoA to take a proactive position on this 
issue.  Froehlich agreed that the establishment of a regime, 
similar to procedures for freezing terrorist assets based on 
UNSC resolutions and the EU Clearinghouse, might present a 
model for developing an effective regime to stem financing 
for WMD proliferators. 
Brown