TERRORIST FINANCE: DISRUPTING TALIBAN FINANCING: GERMAN RESPONSE

SECRET S E C R E T BERLIN 000864 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2017 TAGS: PTER, EFIN, KTFN, KPAO, AF, PK, GM, ZU, ZP SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCE: DISRUPTING TALIBAN FINANCING: GERMAN RESPONSE REF: SECSTATE 54918 Classified By: Counselor for Global Affairs Donald Shemanski for Reason s 1.4 (b), (d), and (e) 1. (S) Global Affairs Off delivered ref demarche to Mathias Sonn, MFA Office Director for International Counterterrorism Cooperation, who said he agrees completely with the idea of German and joint approaches to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE along the lines of reftel. Given the military dimension, he undertook to discuss the subjects raised and report his agreement with the U.S. stance to Dirk Brengelmann, the MFA Office Director for Defense and Security Cooperation/NATO. Brengelmann is currently in Brussels, on his way back from the NATO foreign ministerial in Oslo, but is expected to return to the office April 30. Pol-Mil Chief discussed ref demarche with Erkhart Blaurock, the Afghanistan action officer in Brengelmann's office, who reacted positively to the U.S. proposal and said he will raise it with Brengelmann upon his return. He invited us to follow up on this early next week. Post will report any additional reaction Septel. 2. (S) On the broader issue of German actions against the Taliban, Sonn stated the German Foreign Intelligence Service (BND) has overall German Government lead on the issue, given the lack of a Taliban presence in Germany. Sonn undertook to ask the BND liaison in the MFA to ask about German measures taken to disrupt Taliban financing. KOENIG