9th February 2018
OTTAWA TO TOUGHEN SCRUTINY OF ARMS EXPORTS DESPITE FINDINGS OF SAUDI PROBE
On 8th February, the Globe & Mail in Canada reported that the federal government says it has concluded there is no definitive evidence Canadian-made combat vehicles were used to commit human-rights violations in Saudi Arabia last summer, but nevertheless plans to enshrine in law a “substantial risk” clause it promises will apply tougher scrutiny to future arms exports.
And
CANADA SELLING WEAPONS TO PHILIPPINES DESPITE HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS
The Guardian on 8th February reports that Canada has sold 16 combat helicopters worth $185 million to the Philippine air force despite criticizing Duterte’s human rights abuses. Canada is the 15th largest weapons exporter in the world, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and analysts say that Trudeau’s government struggles to put its purportedly progressive standards ahead of commercial interests.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/08/canada-combat-helicopters-philippines
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF USED PART EXPORTING
On 8th February the Export Control Blog related the story of a warehouse operation that dealt in used electronic and testing equipment. In January, the US Bureau of Industry and Security fined Phoenix-based used equipment and part dealer MHz Electronics $10,000 for the exports of 2 pressure transducers to China and Taiwan. Pressure transducers covered by ECCN 2B230 can be used for blast measurement and are therefore controlled because of the role that they can allegedly play in nuclear testing and proliferation. The 2 items involved were sold for $280 and $1,100. The post asks if such an operator could have been expected to identify controlled goods, and find the ECCN to know that they were controlled, and could not any user of the equipment involved not find better, new equipment?
http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/8893
HOW A SAUDI NUCLEAR REACTOR COULD ACCELERATE AN ARMS RACE
An article in The Economist argues that Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions make little economic sense. It also refers to a project in UAE where a South Korean firm is close to finishing the Arab world’s first operational nuclear-power reactor. It began under a so-called “123 agreement” permitted under US export control laws, and which impose tough safeguards in return for US nuclear technology. It compares this “gold-plated” project to Saudi’s ambitions, which involve 16 reactors. Crucially, it seems, the Saudis want to carry out their own uranium enrichment.
UK COMPANY SOLD SPYWARE TO HONDURAN GOVERNMENT BEFORE ELECTIONS
Telesur on 8th February reported that, according to the Guardian newspaper, a UK-based company sold nearly $420,000 in illicit spyware to the Honduran government in the run-up to the November presidential elections despite it being banned by British law. No details of the UK company or the equipment involved are provided in the article.
EUROPEAN SUPERVISORS ISSUE A JOINT OPINION ON INNOVATIVE CDD SOLUTIONS
Baker McKenzie on 8th February published an article about the Opinion published by the Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities (or ESA) on the use of innovative solutions by banks and other financial services businesses when carrying out customer due diligence (CDD). The article says that the Opinion’s content is aimed at national supervisors, and that it is “technology agnostic” (i.e., it does not say what constitutes “good” or “bad” types of “innovative” or other online CDD solutions). Rather, the ESAs’ supervisory goals in this is Opinion is for firms to take note of the range of risks that are specific to online CDD solutions, their providers and how to embed measures to identify, mitigate and manage those risks and how to evidence compliance. The article identifies what it describes as the key takeaways from the Opinion such as, as one might expect, that specific online CDD risks and a firm’s exposure to risks arising from their CDD solutions and providers must be considered and addressed in the firm’s risk assessments prior to deployment. Another is that new technology can be advantageous if it is supported by human decision-making/verification and appropriate demonstrable “understanding and ownership” of these processes by senior management in areas such as where PEP are involved.
The Opinion is at –
PARADISE PAPERS: EU PARLIAMENT VOTES TO LAUNCH TAX INQUIRY
The Guardian reported on 8th February that the EU parliament has voted to launch an inquiry, consisting of a special committee of 45 MEP, into financial crime, tax evasion and tax avoidance, saying that the Paradise papers had revealed the “unfinished work” needed to secure fair taxation. Taxe 3 will spend a year investigating issues including those raised in the leak of data from the offshore law firm Appleby. It says that a key focus for the inquiry will be the use of offshore tax havens to save on VAT. The leak exposed how the Isle of Man had issued £790 million in VAT refunds to the owners of 231 private jets.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/feb/08/paradise-papers-eu-parliament-votes-launch-tax-inquiry
UK SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS LONGSTANDING COURT OF APPEAL AUTHORITY ON JURISDICTION OVER DEBT UNDER LETTERS OF CREDIT
On 7th February, Osborne Clarke published an article about the recent case concerned with third party debt orders (TPDO). The court held that the debt under a letter of credit (LoC) is located at the place where the debtor (i.e. the bank) is resident. The article says that the decision will have significant effects on enforcement considerations against parties who regularly trade using letters of credit (as is frequently the case in international trade). It points out that decision overturns the previous position that debt arising under a letter of credit is situated at the place where payment is to be made against documents. The article says that the decision has the effect of bringing assets into the jurisdiction for enforcement purposes based on the location of the banks financing international trade, even though the assets being traded and contracting parties are located out of the jurisdiction.
CHAIRMAN OF SAMSUNG NAMED AS A SUSPECT IN A $7.5 MILLION TAX EVASION CASE
On 8th February, Business Insider reported that Samsung Electronics’ ailing chairman, Lee Kun-hee, named by South Korean police as a suspect in a $7.5 million tax evasion case that involved the use of bank accounts held by employees. It says that a series of scandals have dogged the family of Samsung, the country’s biggest business empire.
UK GOVERNMENT REJECTS FEARS OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO TRUSTS REGISTER
On 1st February, International Adviser reported that a note from John Glen, economic secretary to HM Treasury, to the chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, Bill Cash, reveals that avoiding public access to the UK’s register is a “negotiating priority”. Designed to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, the register is the result of the implementation of the EU’s 4th Money Laundering Directive.
https://international-adviser.com/uk-government-quashes-fears-public-trust-register/
SCOTS SHELL FIRMS PLAY KEY ROLE IN LATIN AMERICA’S BRIBERY ‘MEGA SCANDAL’
The Herald on 3rd February revealed that 3 Edinburgh companies, and 2 English ones, all unnamed, have been named in court papers in Brazil as being involved in the Odebrecht corruption scandal. The 3 are Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLP), which have been implicated in many recent tax and money laundering reports.
STUDY: AMERICAN JIHADISTS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ
The George Washington University Program on Extremism has produced a report. The introduction says that hundreds of Americans have been drawn to jihadist organizations fighting in Syria and Iraq. Many were arrested while attempting to make the journey. The 64 individuals identified in this study all reached their destinations, and it sheds light on the motivations, methods, and threats posed by these travellers. It categorises them into 3 distinct types – pioneers, networked travellers, and loners – providing case studies for each category to highlight its relevance.
https://extremism.gwu.edu/travelers
ILLEGAL CIGARETTE TRADE STILL DOGS EUROPE’S FRINGES
In an opinion piece, the EU Observer on 9th February looks at the illicit tobacco trade deprived EU governments of more than €11 billion in tax revenue in 2015, a figure projected to have risen even further since then, plus 700,000 premature deaths per year. It points out that the EU Tobacco Products Directive of 2014, among other things, requires tobacco companies to comply with a new Track and Trace (T&T) requirement by May 2019, though it points out that there is a long history of links between cigarette manufacturers and smugglers. The article highlights Belarus, pointing out that many illicit cigarettes come from Belarus, where they are produced by state-owned Grodno Tobacco Factory Neman (GTFN) and Tabak Invest, and last year, GTFN reportedly supplied 5.53 billion illegal cigarettes to the European market. As well as their own brands, they also produce under contract with some of the major international tobacco companies.
https://euobserver.com/opinion/140923
POLICE ACCESS TO THE WHOIS WEBSITE OWNERS LIST
On 9th February, EurActiv reports that law enforcement authorities have complained to the European Commission saying that they could soon have restricted access to the WHOIS database that identifies website owners because the system is on a collision course with the EU’s strict new data protection law. Plans are in hand to change the system in May, following implementation of the GDPR from 25th May. Law enforcement uses WHOIS to look up a “significant number” of websites every week as part of criminal investigations. The data protection changes will mean that at least some personal information about website owners may no longer be displayed in WHOIS directories, which are publicly available and contains names, email addresses, phone numbers and other information identifying people who registered internet domain names. The changes have provoked a dispute between police forces and privacy activists, and the Commission.
FRANCE TO SPEND €37 BILLION ON UPGRADING NUCLEAR ARSENAL
EurActiv on 9th February reports that France is planning a €37 billion revamp of its nuclear arsenal over the next 7 years, part of a sharp increase in defence spending aimed at allowing France to “hold its own” as a key power in Europe, the country’s defence chief said.
UK PLANT HEALTH CONTROLS
In the UK, DEFRA on 8th February issued updated, comprehensive guidance on plant health controls, imports and exports, certification schemes, plant passporting and listed quarantine plant pests.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plant-health-controls
INQUIRY INTO SALE OF AC MILAN
Dorsey & Whitney in its February 2018 Anti-Corruption Digest reports that on January 13th, La Stampa reported that Milanese prosecutors have opened an investigation into last year’s €740 million sale of Italian football club AC Milan from former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to a group of Chinese investors led by Li Yonghong.
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/dorsey-anti-corruption-digest-february-22681/
CMA CGM LAUNCHES ‘WORLD FIRST’ LIQUID REEFER SOLUTION
Lloyds Loading List on 9th February reported that the French liner operator, CMACGM, has unveiled “Reeflex”, a world first in the transportation of liquids using a temperature-controlled container as an alternative for shippers to conventional breakbulk transportation and allows for liquids to be loaded into a container using a specially designed single-use recyclable bag, with a capacity ranging from 12,000 to 24,000 litres.
CRYPTO-CURRENCY AND ICO IN THE BVI
On 7th February, law firm Ogier published a briefing on the position in the BVI and existing BVI securities and financial services regulation, AML law etc. It concludes that existing BVI legislation is sufficiently flexible to support ICO of utility tokens without these being subject to any additional licensing, disclosure or record keeping obligations under existing BVI financial services legislation.
https://www.thelawyer.com/knowledge-bank/white-paper/crypto-currency-icos-british-virgin-islands/
RUSSIAN EX-GOVERNOR GETS 13 YEARS ON GRAFT CHARGES
On 9th February Rferl reported that a Russian court has sentenced a former governor of the Sakhalin Oblastin the Russian Far East to 13 years in prison after convicting him on corruption charges. In 2015, he was arrested and charged with taking some $5.6 million in bribes from a company in Sakhalin, Energostroi. 2 co-defendants – former subordinates Andrei Ikramov and Sergei Karepkin – were sentenced to 9½ and 8 years in prison respectively.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-sakhalin-governer-khorosavin-13-years-corruption/29029136.html
FINNISH MOST-WANTED FUGITIVE ARRESTED IN PARIS THANKS TO A TIP VIA THE EU MOST WANTED WEBSITE
A Europol news release on 9th February reports that one of Finland’s most wanted fugitives, wanted for fraud and forgery, was arrested in Paris on 2nd February.
See also –
SPAIN EXTRADITES ALLEGED RUSSIAN DEVELOPER OF TROJAN TO US
Sputnik on 9th February reported that Russian programmer Stanislav Lisov has been extradited from Spain to the US. He is suspected by the US of developing a “bank Trojan” called NeverQuest, with which he abducted $855,000, and also unsuccessfully tried to conduct other illegal financial transactions.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201802091061513477-russia-lisov-cybercrimes-spain-us/?src=ilaw
EX-CREDIT SUISSE BANKER FOUND GUILTY OF FRAUD
Business times on 9th February reported that a former Credit Suisse Group AG wealth manager, Patrice Lescaudron, who catered to wealthy eastern Europeans, was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme that resulted in damages of CHF143 million as he diverted cash from client accounts to cover bad trades in one of the biggest financial crimes in Swiss history. He was sentenced to 5 years by a judge in Geneva.
AMENDED CODE ON THE USE OF INVESTIGATION POWERS UNDER THE PROCEEDS OF CRIME ACT 2002
On 9th February the Attorney General’s Office reissued the code of practice for use by prosecutors (in England and Wales and Northern Ireland) and has been updated following amendment of POCA by the Criminal Finances Act 2017. It took effect on 31st January.
DAVID DRUMM – TRIAL BEGINS OF FORMER ANGLO IRISH BANK CEO
On 9th February the Irish Examiner reported that the trial has begun of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm for allegedly conspiring in a €7 billion fraud scheme.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/–827281.html?src=ilaw
WOLVERHAMPTON DRUGS WHOLESALER PACKED HOUSE WALLS WITH CASH
An NCA news release on 9th February reported that, Daljinder Bassi, a 36-year-old man from Wolverhampton who acted as a drugs wholesaler to dealers in the West Midlands has been jailed for 13 years, following an investigation by the joint NCA and Met Police Organised Crime Partnership (OCP). He was in October 2017 as he drove along the M6 with 3 kg of heroin in his car. Officers searching his home found cash and Class A drugs in powder, rock and block form concealed in various hiding places, including under the floorboards, beneath the insulation in the loft and within the wall cavities. The cash hidden in the walls was only accessible from the loft using a home-made pulley system.
INTERPOL FACIAL RECOGNITION NETS MOST WANTED MURDER FUGITIVE
An Interpol news release reports that Police in Buenos Aires have arrested an internationally wanted murder suspect after his image was identified as a likely match by Interpol’s facial recognition unit.
Kristian Danev, a Slovak national aged 33, is wanted internationally by Czech authorities under an Interpol Red Notice following a murder 10 years ago. As part of an investigation by police in Argentina, Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Buenos Aires submitted images of the suspect to Interpol’s General Secretariat headquarters for comparison against records in its facial recognition database. After the search result came up as a potential match, police in Argentina detained the suspect for further questioning, resulting in the suspect confirming his identity.
https://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2018/N2018-002
BRAZILIAN IN US GETS 33 MONTHS FOR MONEY LAUNDERING PYRAMID SCHEME CASH
The Telegram news site in Massachusetts reports that a Brazilian national, Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, 28, was sentenced to almost 3 years in prison for conspiring to launder about $20 million in proceeds from the TelexFree pyramid scheme eventually found hidden in a mattress in Westboro. TelexFree Inc was a massive pyramid scheme based in Marlboro that reaped billions of dollars from nearly 2 million victims worldwide. It was intended that Rocha was to act as a courier to get the money to one of the scheme’s founders, by then in Brazil.
TUNISIA FIRES CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR FOR “TURNING A BLIND EYE”
Albawaba on 9th February reported that Tunisia had fired the governor of its central bank, after the EU announced that the country was to remain on an EU blacklist, accusing him of turning a blind eye to obscure transfers received from NGO and political parties.
https://www.albawaba.com/business/eu-tunisia-money-laundering-blacklist–1086106
WHAT DOES CHINA’S DECLASSIFICATION OF PATENTS REVEAL ABOUT ITS DEFENCE STRATEGY?
On 8th February, the International Institute for Strategic Studies published a research paper looking at China’s release of thousands of national defence patents in early 2017, which was intended to spur innovation in the civilian sector and forms part of a bold military modernisation drive, and to be seen in the context of an effort to engage China’s civil-commercial sector in its national defence technological and industrial base. The patents in question relate mainly to Chinese air, space and missile technologies, with some dating from the late 1980s and others registered as recently as 2016. The paper examines the effectiveness of this round of patent releases for the integration of civilian companies into the Chinese defence technological and industrial base.
BELARUS REPORTS GOOD YEAR FOR DEFENCE EXPORTS
Janes.com on 9th February reported that during 2017 the military-industrial complex of Belarus had a 25% increase in production and secured $1 billion in exports; a 15% increase compared with 2016, and it was already one of the world’s top 20 arms exporters. Russia remains the main market for the nation’s military industry, but it was announced that 69 countries acquired military products from Belarus last year.
www.janes.com/article/77773/belarus-reports-good-year-for-defence-exports
DISCUSSION PAPER ON 3D PRINTING AND FIREARMS
A discussion paper from SEESAC (South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons SEESAC), which operates under a UN Development Programme mandate, begins by saying that over the last few years, the term 3D printing has become known as a relatively easy method for producing firearms, raising concerns that this could lead to increased proliferation, insecurity and even fuel terrorism. The purpose of this brief is to inform policymakers in the Balkans of the developments and challenges posed by 3D printing of firearms and to initiate discussion on necessary policy and legal changes to counter the current and potential threat – though it serves as a useful primer for anyone. It notes that authorities are practically unable to control materials that 3D printers use in the manufacture of firearms since the same materials are used for the production of all other consumer products. It suggests that competent authorities should assess if their export control list definitions adequately cover 3D printing technology, e.g. by capturing the “technical data” required for making the weapons and components. It offers 4 approaches to control 3D-printed weapons –
- Control of 3D printers used for the manufacture of firearms;
- Control of materials from which such weapons are produced;
- Prohibition of production of such weapons; and/or
- Increased control of digital technical files based on which firearms are made
http://www.seesac.org/f/docs/SALW-Marking-and-Tracing-2/Brief02_eng-Web.pdf
US, VIA PARAGUAY, THE LARGEST SOURCE OF GUNS ENTERING BRAZIL
On 11th January, Mercopress reported that the US is the largest source of guns entering Brazil that end up in the hands of armed bandits and drug traffickers, according to a Brazilian Federal Police report. Roughly 1,500 guns originated in the US out of a study of more than 10,000 arms seized by police since 2014, mostly in Rio de Janeiro, the December 2017 report said, although the guns often travelled through a third country before arriving in Brazil. Guns from the US tended to be assault rifles and higher calibre handguns. 8 foreign stores are named selling the most high calibre guns that ended up in Brazil, with 5 located in Florida, although a store in Paraguay was the largest individual seller. Guns from the US generally enter Brazil through direct shipments of assembled weapons, shipments of gun parts or indirect shipments through a third country, with Paraguay being the top intermediary.
http://en.mercopress.com/2018/01/11/us-via-paraguay-largest-source-of-guns-entering-brazil
NORTH KOREA, MYANMAR IN A SANCTIONS-BUSTING EMBRACE
On 8th February, the Asia Times carried a story claiming that a confidential UN report says Myanmar continues to take delivery of North Korean weapons in violation of UN sanctions and amid consistent official denials. The article says that the revelations of Myanmar’s continued missile-related imports from North Korea show that the 2 sides’ military relations are alive and well despite repeated claims that they have been severed. They also underscore that Myanmar’s autonomous and powerful military, and not the civilian elected government, continues to dominate with secrecy all matters related to national defence. The article relates previous examples of known or suspected assistance provided to Myanmar.
http://www.atimes.com/article/north-korea-myanmar-sanctions-busting-embrace/
SANCTIONS: IOC CLEARS IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FOR OLYMPICS SAMSUNG PHONE GIFTS
KYC 360 on 9th February reports that Iranian and North Korean athletes at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will receive Samsung mobile phones, organisers said, after Iran summoned South Korea’s ambassador over reports its athletes would not get the gifts. News reports said 4,000 of the latest $1,100 Samsung smartphones were being given to athletes attending the Winter Games, but athletes from Iran and North Korea would be excluded because of sanctions against the 2 countries.
https://kyc360.com/news/sanctions-ioc-clears-iran-n-korea-samsung-phone-gifts/
SPAIN CONSIDERING FOLLOWING GIBRALTAR IN BANNING NARCO-BOATS
The Gibraltar Chronicle reports that Spain is considering following Gibraltar’s lead and prohibiting the fast launches commonly used by gangs trafficking drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar. The powerful rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) synonymous with smuggling in this area were banned in Gibraltar in the 1990s but are legal in Spain. Now, the Spanish Government has confirmed it is studying legislation.
GLAXOSMITHKLINE RESPONDING TO US AUTHORITIES RE THIRD PARTY ADVISERS USED IN CHINA
Buckley Sandler on 9th February reported that UK-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline PLC announced that it is responding to requests for information from the US DoJ and SEC regarding third-party advisors that GSK engaged in China, pursuant to its continuing obligation to report to the SEC on its efforts to improve compliance following its September 2016 settlement of allegations that it violated the FCPA.
https://buckleysandler.com/fcpa-scorecard
REMINGTON SEEKS FINANCING TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY
The Firearms Blog reports a Reuters story that that with nearly $1 billion in debt and credit agencies warning that their capital structure is “unsustainable”, legendary firearms and ammunition manufacturing giant Remington is looking for financing to fund business operations during bankruptcy proceedings.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/02/08/remington-financing-bankruptcy/
Snowdrops and chemical warfare aren’t two things you’d expect to mention in the same sentence. However, there’s a surprising link between the 2 thanks to a compound found in these winter flowers. This graphic looks at this compound and how it helps treat both Alzheimer’s disease and nerve agent poisoning.
http://www.compoundchem.com/2018/02/08/snowdrops/
AML AND PEP: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BANK OF ITALY
On 8th February, Paul Hastings reported that on 30th January the Bank of Italy had published a note (dated 23rd January) containing several “good practice” recommendations in order to adequately and efficiently implement policies in the field of AML legislation and politically exposed persons (PEP).
https://www.paulhastings.com/publications-items/details/?id=a80fee69-2334-6428-811c-ff00004cbded
UK ILLEGAL MONEYLENDER RECEIVES FIRST-EVER FCA SERIOUS CRIME PREVENTION ORDER (SCPO)
On 9th February, Monde Visione reported that convicted UK moneylender, Dharam Prakash Gopee, 64, had been sentenced to 3½ years imprisonment, and has been issued with a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO), which will severely restrict his ability to carry out this type of crime in the future. This is the first time the Financial Conduct Authority has sought such an order, which is said to underline the seriousness of his conduct.
BLACKWATER AND THE CORPORATE MERCENARIES WHO’VE CHANGED THE RULES OF WAR
Website Nation of Change carried an article on 9th February about private military companies (PMC), saying that no matter what they call themselves, they are soldiers of fortune and now quietly operate around the world. The article contends that mercenaries have gone corporate. The UN Mercenary Convention, signed in 2001, defines and places limits on what constitutes mercenaries. Although there are notable holdouts, the article says, the position of the UN is that mercenarism is against international humanitarian law. But this hardly seems to matter because, by exploiting loopholes in international law along with some creative “lawyering,” the modern mercenary ad PMC seem able to operate anyway. Recently, we have seen moves in Russia to legitimise PMC (which may, or may not, actually be “private”).
https://www.nationofchange.org/2018/02/01/blackwater-corporate-mercenaries-whove-changed-rules-war/
FIRST ASSAD, THEN THE WORLD: AL QAIDA’S STRATEGY IN SYRIA
On 9th February, Cipher Brief carried a story that while ISIS’s territory has dwindled, al-Qaida has managed to build a strong following in Syria, and may use the civil-war-torn country as a base from which to target the West. The group has evolved into the network’s largest global affiliate by strategically positioning itself as a key opposition movement battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The article begins by pointing out that al-Qaida’s Syrian offshoot, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra or the al-Nusra Front, emerged in 2011 against the backdrop of the Syrian civil war.
LIBYA’S FALLING STRONGMAN
On 9th February, the Atlantic Council published an article suggesting that Libyan strongman, General Khalifa Haftar and his self-declared Libyan National Army (LNA), may not be the man to secure the country. This follows the indictment by the International Criminal Court of Mahmoud Mustafa Busyf al Werfalli, the leader of al-Sai’qa Brigade—an LNA affiliate. The piece says that Werfalli’s relevance as a leader of the most powerful Salafi brigade under the LNA makes him an indispensable asset to Haftar. Salafis have been key to Haftar’s consolidation of power due to their strict obedience to authority. In addition, Werfalli’s brutality against Islamist fighters helped rally popular support for Haftar’s campaign against armed Islamists. But now in protecting Werfalli, Haftar places himself in a difficult position; and the article cautions that the events in Benghazi demonstrate Haftar’s diminishing strength and authority.
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/libya-s-falling-strongman
AN IDEA OR A THREAT? ISLAMIC STATE JAMMU & KASHMIR
On 9th February, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point published a article which states that in early February 2016, the Islamic State announced its intention to expand into Kashmir as part of its broader Khorasan branch.1 One of the causes of concern associated with the spread of the Islamic State affiliate in Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) is the existing instability within the region due to the controversial Line of Control (LoC) that divides the region into Indian and Pakistani controlled areas, an area that has triggered 3 wars and numerus other crises. The region also hosts 3 prominent militant groups—the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)—which historically have been linked to elements of the Pakistani state and largely favour Pakistan. Adding ISJK would not only exacerbate Pakistan’s current instability but also antagonise relations between the 2 nuclear-armed countries. Amongst the conclusions reached by the article is that it currently remains to be seen if the ISJK morphs into something larger than an idea or whether it simply remains an online propaganda channel; but that the likelihood that ISJK inspires a sufficiently large number of young Kashmiris to stimulate an entire new wave of jihad in Jammu and Kashmir seems unlikely, at least in the short term. The real threat, it says, lies in ISJK effectively radicalising Kashmiri youth via its social media campaign and co-ordinating activity through digital networks, which can give way to heightened terrorism, extreme tactics, and sectarian attacks.
See the full article at –
https://ctc.usma.edu/idea-threat-islamic-state-jammu-kashmir/
15 ARRESTED IN ITALY OVER ENI BRIBERY SCANDAL
The Local reported on 7th February that 15 people have been arrested in Italy on suspicion of having “adjusted” lawsuits in favour of Italian energy giant Eni, according to judicial sources. Italian financial police raided the offices of Massimo Mantovani, a member of the Eni management and the group’s former legal director, the sources said. One of Eni’s lawyers, Piero Amara, is also among those said to have been arrested. Investigators are probing if the pair tried to throw Italian investigators off course in order to spare the Eni group and its general manager Claude Descalzi corruption allegations surrounding an oil contract in Nigeria.
https://www.thelocal.it/20180207/fifteen-arrested-in-italy-over-eni-bribery-scandal
OFAC AMENDS ITS COUNTER-TERRORISM SANCTIONS LISTS
On 9th February, OFAC amended its sanctions lists, amending 1 entry, adding 3 individuals and adding the following entities –
- AL-MUTAFAQ COMMERCIAL COMPANY, Boosaaso, Somalia [SDGT] (Linked To: YUSUF, Mohamed Mire Ali).
- LIIBAAN TRADING (a.k.a. LIBAN TRADING; a.k.a. LIIBAN TRADING), Boosaaso, Somalia [SDGT] (Linked To: YUSUF, Mohamed Mire Ali).
- PROFESYONELLER ELEKTRONIK (a.k.a. PROFESSIONALS ELECTRONIC TRADE IMPORT AND EXPORT LIMITED COMPANY; a.k.a. PROFESYONELLER ELEKTRONIK TICARET; a.k.a. “PROFESYONELLER ELEKTRONIK TIC ITH VE IHR LTD. STI”), Kecioren, Ankara, Turkey [SDGT] (Linked To: ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND THE LEVANT; Linked To: SAKARYA, Yunus Emre).
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180209.aspx
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