![Keep Us Strong](/static/gfx/ja-cg.jpg)
![WikiLeaks logo](/static/gfx/WL_Hour_Glass_small.png)
Currently released so far... 5420 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
AF
AE
AJ
ASEC
AMGT
AR
AU
AG
AS
AM
AORC
AFIN
APER
ABUD
ATRN
AL
AEMR
ACOA
AO
AX
AMED
ADCO
AODE
AFFAIRS
AC
ASIG
ABLD
AA
AFU
ASUP
AROC
ATFN
AVERY
APCS
AER
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AEC
APECO
AGMT
CH
CASC
CA
CD
CV
CVIS
CMGT
CO
CI
CU
CBW
CLINTON
CE
CJAN
CIA
CG
CF
CN
CS
CAN
COUNTER
CDG
CIS
CM
CONDOLEEZZA
COE
CR
CY
CTM
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CPAS
CWC
CT
CKGR
CB
CACS
COM
CJUS
CARSON
CL
COUNTERTERRORISM
CACM
CDB
EPET
EINV
ECON
ENRG
EAID
ETRD
EG
ETTC
EFIN
EU
EAGR
ELAB
EIND
EUN
EAIR
ER
ECIN
ECPS
EFIS
EI
EINT
EZ
EMIN
ET
EC
ECONEFIN
ENVR
ES
ECA
ELN
EN
EFTA
EWWT
ELTN
EXTERNAL
EINVETC
ENIV
EINN
ENGR
EUR
ESA
ENERG
EK
ENGY
ETRO
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ESENV
ENVI
ELECTIONS
ECUN
EINVEFIN
ECIP
EINDETRD
EUC
EREL
IR
IZ
IS
IT
INTERPOL
IPR
IN
INRB
IAEA
IRAJ
INRA
INRO
IO
IC
ID
IIP
ITPHUM
IV
IWC
IQ
ICTY
ISRAELI
IRAQI
ICRC
ICAO
IMO
IF
ILC
IEFIN
INTELSAT
IL
IA
IBRD
IMF
INR
IRC
ITALY
ITALIAN
KCOR
KZ
KDEM
KN
KNNP
KPAL
KU
KWBG
KCRM
KE
KISL
KAWK
KSCA
KS
KSPR
KJUS
KFRD
KTIP
KPAO
KTFN
KIPR
KPKO
KNUC
KMDR
KGHG
KPLS
KOLY
KUNR
KDRG
KIRF
KIRC
KBIO
KHLS
KG
KACT
KGIC
KRAD
KCOM
KMCA
KV
KHDP
KVPR
KDEV
KWMN
KMPI
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KOMC
KTLA
KCFC
KTIA
KHIV
KPRP
KAWC
KCIP
KCFE
KOCI
KTDB
KMRS
KLIG
KBCT
KICC
KGIT
KSTC
KPAK
KNEI
KSEP
KPOA
KFLU
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KO
KTER
KSUM
KHUM
KRFD
KBTR
KDDG
KWWMN
KFLO
KSAF
KBTS
KPRV
KNPP
KNAR
KWMM
KERG
KFIN
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KTBT
KCRS
KRVC
KSTH
KREL
KNSD
KTEX
KPAI
KHSA
KR
KPWR
KWAC
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KGCC
KPIN
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MTCRE
MX
MCAP
MO
MNUC
ML
MR
MZ
MPOS
MOPPS
MTCR
MAPP
MU
MY
MA
MG
MASC
MCC
MEPP
MK
MTRE
MP
MIL
MDC
MAR
MEPI
MRCRE
MI
MT
MQADHAFI
MD
MAPS
MUCN
MASSMNUC
MERCOSUR
MC
ODIP
OIIP
OREP
OVIP
OEXC
OPRC
OFDP
OPDC
OTRA
OSCE
OAS
OPIC
OECD
OPCW
OSCI
OIE
OIC
OTR
OVP
OFFICIALS
OSAC
PGOV
PINR
PREL
PTER
PK
PHUM
PE
PARM
PBIO
PINS
PREF
PSOE
PBTS
PL
PHSA
PKFK
PO
PGOF
PROP
PA
PARMS
PORG
PM
PMIL
PTERE
POL
PF
PALESTINIAN
PY
PGGV
PNR
POV
PAK
PAO
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PRGOV
PNAT
PROV
PEL
PINF
PGOVE
POLINT
PRL
PRAM
PMAR
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PHUS
PHUMPREL
PG
POLITICS
PEPR
PSI
PINT
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PECON
POGOV
PINL
SCUL
SA
SY
SP
SNAR
SENV
SU
SW
SOCI
SL
SG
SMIG
SO
SF
SR
SN
SHUM
SZ
SYR
ST
SANC
SC
SAN
SIPRS
SK
SH
SI
SNARCS
STEINBERG
TX
TW
TU
TSPA
TH
TIP
TI
TS
TBIO
TRGY
TC
TR
TT
TERRORISM
TO
TFIN
TD
TSPL
TZ
TPHY
TK
TNGD
TINT
TRSY
TP
UK
UG
UP
UV
US
UN
UNSC
UNGA
USEU
USUN
UY
UZ
UNO
UNMIK
UNESCO
UE
UAE
UNEP
USTR
UNHCR
UNDP
UNHRC
USAID
UNCHS
UNAUS
UNCHC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09STATE52348, IRISL CONTINUING EVASIVE ACTIVITIES IN MALTA
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09STATE52348.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09STATE52348 | 2009-05-21 18:06 | 2011-02-02 21:09 | SECRET | Secretary of State |
VZCZCXRO0324
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #2348/01 1411903
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 211849Z MAY 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 1307
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 4245
RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA IMMEDIATE 7276
INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 052348
SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2029
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KNNP IR UK MT PREL PARM FR
SUBJECT: IRISL CONTINUING EVASIVE ACTIVITIES IN MALTA
Classified By: Acting EUR/PRA Office Director Mary Nash for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3.
------------------ SUMMARY/BACKGROUND ------------------
2.(S) The U.S. has information that the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is creating phantom companies and engaging in other deceptive activities in Maltese jurisdiction with the help of Maltese law firms. We would like to share this information with the Maltese government and urge it to reach out to Maltese legal firms and recommend that they institute enhanced vigilance over transactions with IRISL and its affiliates that may facilitate evasion of UN Security Council restrictions.
------------------------- OBJECTIVES/ACTION REQUEST -------------------------
3.(S) Washington requests Posts pass the attached nonpaper in paragraph 6 to appropriate government officials and pursue the following objectives. Washington notes that the cleared intelligence points were delivered to Finance Minister Alan Caruana in meetings with Treasury and State officials in Washington on April 22-23, 2009. Please use the summary of those meetings in paragraphs 4 and 5 for information purposes when preparing this demarche.
-- Stress that IRISL and its affiliates continue to use deceptive practices to obscure their activities from scrutiny.
FOR MALTA ONLY: -- Urge Government of Malta to approach law firms in its jurisdiction and recommend that they institute enhanced vigilance over transactions with IRISL and its affiliates that may facilitate evasion of UN Security Council restrictions. -- Note that the U.S. values Malta's partnership on proliferation-related issues and its previous attentiveness to IRISL's deceptive practices.
FOR UK ONLY: -- Recommend that all ships owned or operated by XXXXXXXXXXXX be subject to the same level of scrutiny as those of IRISL and its affiliates and that HMG should take action if either XXXXXXXXXXXX are engaging in proliferation-related activity.
FOR GERMANY ONLY: -- Urge the German government to approach SMAG GmBH and all other domestic crane manufacturers and encourage them to cancel contracts with IRISL to limit their risk to proliferation-related activity.
----------------------------------- BACKGROUND ON U.S./MALTESE MEETINGS -----------------------------------
¶4. (S//NF) On April 22, 2009, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey met with Alan Caruana, Head of Secretariat in the Maltese Finance Ministry and discussed Iran sanctions issues and IRISL. Mr. Caruana also met with State Department officials on April 23, 2009 to discuss similar issues. During these meetings, Caruana was receptive to the U.S. message and shared a document containing shipping statistics for IRISL in 2008. Caruana indicated that since his last meeting with U/S Levey in April 2008, the Maltese government had pushed away Iranian business, which is not always legal. U/S Levey shared the nonpaper below on IRISL and also provided Caruana with a copy of the most recent Financial Action Task Force (FATF) statement, which calls on jurisdictions to apply effective countermeasures to protect their financial sectors from money laundering and financing of terrorism emanating from Iran.
¶5. (S//NF) Upon returning to Malta, Caruana informed the Charg that Malta's Maritime Authority made its databases available to the public on-line. He offered to assist U.S. authorities in their attempts to find any data that may exist STATE 00052348 002 OF 004 but was not made available to the public. Caruana mentioned that the U.S. and Malta had a good policy of sharing information and a strong relationship with the U.S. Embassy.
--------------------------------------------- ---- NONPAPER ON IRISL's CONTINUED DECEPTIVE PRACTICES --------------------------------------------- ----
¶6. (S//REL MLT, GBR, AND GER) BEGIN TEXT OF S//REL MLT, GBR, AND GER NONPAPER -- The U.S. has continued concerns about the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines' (IRISL) evasive activities in Maltese jurisdiction.
-- As of mid-December 2008, IRSL has taken action to conceal its vessels' true identities in an attempt to maintain access to capital and avoid scrutiny by foreign governments and firms.
-- IRISL has begun to reflag and rename its ships, remove its label and logo from the vessels, and set up new management companies abroad to hide the company's ownership or involvement.
-- As of mid-December 2008, only 66 IRISL ships were still flying the Iranian flag; the rest were sailing under the flags of Malta (50), Hong Kong (18), and Cyprus (2).
-- Thirty-six of the Iranian-flagged vessels were tugs, tankers, or ships that operated exclusively in the Persian Gulf or the Caspian Sea and were owned by IRISL subsidiaries Valfajr Shipping Co. and Khazar Shipping Company.
-- IRISL also continues to charter foreign-operated vessels to expand its capacity and hide its activities. IRISL renamed vessels either during or shortly after their flagging out. While earlier names for IRISL's Iranian-flagged vessels included the word "Iran," e.g. "Iran Makin," the newly reflagged ships now carried less conspicuous and primarily Western-sounding names. Some vessels sailing under the flag of Malta or Hong Kong were renamed for the second time in a year.
-- The measures described above involved the need to repaint the hulls of renamed or flagged-out vessels. Some of this work had been done, but several reflagged and renamed ships still carried the IRISL label and logo.
-- IRISL has registered new companies in Malta and Hong Kong. XXXXXXXXXXXX IRISL had also set up four companies in Hong Kong that were acting officially as registered owners. However, IRISL was still listed as the parent company and IRISL was often identified as a charterer in correspondence.
-- To better evade scrutiny, as of mid-January 2009, IRISL had decided to rename each ship twice at the same time. IRISL had found that by only renaming each ship once, the former sanctioned IRISL-registered name would still appear on voyage paperwork. By renaming each ship twice, IRISL could ensure that both the current and former names of each ship would appear on voyage paperwork to be unrelated to IRISL or its affiliates.
-- As of late January 2009, IRISL had transferred four or five ships to the personal ownership of XXXXXXXXXXXX
POINT FOR UK ONLY: -- All ships owned or operated by XXXXXXXXXXXX should be subject to the same level of scrutiny as those of IRISL and its affiliates. HMG should investigate these two firms and ensure XXXXXXXXXXXX are not engaging in proliferation-related activity.
END POINT FOR UK ONLY -- As of mid-January, IRISL planned to split into four companies. IRISL's operations would be divided into a bulk and general cargo company; a ship management company; a container company; and a manning company.
-- As of mid-January 2009, IRISL was experiencing serious cash flow problems.
STATE 00052348 003 OF 004 -- As of late-January, IRISL was forced to cancel a recent order it had placed with SMAG GmBH, a German company that manufactured deck cranes for cargo ships. Several ships built recently for China used this brand of deck cranes. IRISL also had an outstanding debt to SMAG for previously purchased deck cranes.
POINT FOR GERMANY ONLY: -- Given the importance of deck cranes to the operation of maritime cargo vessels, we urge the German government to approach SMAG GmBH and all other domestic crane manufacturers and encourage them to cancel contracts with IRISL to limit their risk of contributing to proliferation-related activity.
END POINT FOR GERMANY ONLY -- As of mid-February 2009, Maltese law firm Ganado and Associates had terminated all aspects of its professional relationship with IRISL. The firm cited a number of reasons, to include compliance with UN and U.S. sanctions, as well as Maltese anti-money laundering laws as reasons for terminating its relationship with IRISL. IRISL Malta has since replaced Ganado and Associates with Maltese law firm Fenech and Fenech.
-- As of February 6, 2009, Ganado had officially terminated the mandate and ceased to act as special attorneys for the following IRISL-owned companies: - ETA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - BETA KARA NAVIGATION LIMITED - ALPHA KARA NAVIGATION LIMITED - ALPHA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - EPSILON NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - GAMMA KARA NAVIGATION LIMITED - IOTA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - KAPPA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - MU NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - LAMBDA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - ZETA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - BUSHEHR SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - THETA NARI NAVIGATION LIMITED - KINGSWOOD SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - SHERE SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - JACKMAN SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - KERMAN SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - TONGHAM SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - OXTED SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - UPPERCOURT SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - NEWHAVEN SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - REIGATE SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - VOBSTER SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - QUINNS SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - WOKING SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - MARBLE SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED - PETWORTH SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
-- We are concerned that IRISL could use these phantom companies to engage in proliferation-related activity and avoid scrutiny from foreign governments.
POINTS FOR MALTA ONLY: -- We urge Maltese government officials to approach law firms in Maltese jurisdiction and recommend that they institute enhanced vigilance over transactions with IRISL and its affiliates that may facilitate evasion of UN Security Council restrictions.
-- The U.S. values Malta's partnership on proliferation-related issues and its previous attentiveness to IRISL's deceptive practices.
END POINTS FOR MALTA ONLY -- We look forward to working with you on this and other related security and counter-proliferation matters, and are prepared to provide additional assistance as appropriate. END TEXT OF S//REL MLT, GBR, AND GER NONPAPER
------------------ REPORTING DEADLINE ------------------
7.(U) Post should report results within seven business days of receipt of this cable. Please slug replies for ISN, T, EAP, EUR, TREASURY, and NEA. Please use the caption SIPDIS in all replies.
---------------- STATE 00052348 004 OF 004 POINT OF CONTACT ----------------
8.(U) Washington point of contact for follow-up information is XXXXXXXXXXXX.
9.(U) Department thanks Post for its assistance.
CLINTON