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Last update - 07:26 16/02/2008 U.S. meets Iranian officials to discuss 'terror' funds By Reuters Tags: FATF, United States, Iran In a departure from usual policy, a senior U.S. Treasury official met Iranian representatives in Paris last month as part of a multinational gathering to discuss "terror financing," said U.S. officials on Friday. Senior Treasury Department official Daniel Glaser was given permission by the Bush administration to attend the January 24 meeting, as required by U.S. policy because contacts with Iran are usually forbidden, said a senior official, who spoke on condition he not be named. Glaser, who is the Treasury Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, co-chaired with Italy a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting to discuss money laundering and how to crack down on the financing of terrorism. Advertisement "To my knowledge, they did not have one-on-one meetings (with the Iranians)," said the senior U.S. official. "It was something agreed within the U.S. government that Glaser could attend," he added. The Treasury Department said the meeting was initiated by the task force, a 34-nation grouping whose purpose is to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. Iran is not a member of the group. "There was nothing secretive about this meeting. It was a multilateral FATF meeting, initiated by FATF not Iran, and Treasury attended in its capacity as co-chair of a FATF working group," said Treasury Department spokesman Andrew DeSouza. Nearly a dozen other countries attended the meeting, said DeSouza. "[The meeting was] part of an ongoing effort to address the significant threat Iran poses to the integrity of the international financial system," he added. Last October, the task force said it was concerned over Iran's "lack of comprehensive anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism regime" and urged Iran to tackle this problem on an "urgent basis." The United States has imposed its own sanctions against Iranian banks and groups for suspected financing of terrorism. In October, Washington designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and imposed sanctions on its elite Quds force. The United States, which is at loggerheads with Tehran over its nuclear program and other issues, does not have diplomatic ties with Iran and meetings such as those in Paris are rare. The United States is pushing for a third round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb and Tehran says is for peaceful power generation. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chastised her ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, for joining a panel discussion with Iran's foreign minister in Davos, Switzerland last month, without first getting permission to attend. One exception has been discussions with Iran over Iraq, where Washington accuses Tehran of stoking up violence. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, has held several rounds of discussions in recent months with his Iranian counterpart to discuss Iraq. There has been no significant dialogue between the two nations since the United States introduced sanctions after the storming and occupation of its embassy in Tehran by revolutionary students in November 1979. Related articles: In about turn, U.S. says Iran may be able to make nukes by 2009 Will the US bomb Iran? Will Israel? Bookmark to del.icio.us   Purchase price More consumers are letting their consciences do the shopping. Fighting fear N.Y. mayor urges Jewish voters to denounce Obama Muslim rumors.   1.   or how much of Iraq does Iran want for peace in ME? 02:54  |  Avi 16/02/08   2.   Reuters minimized something very important 03:35  |  Avi 16/02/08   3.   #2, dear avi 10:10  |  Fritz T. 16/02/08   4.   Finally, the truth dawns on America`s boneheads 10:15  |  Clickfool 16/02/08   5.   # 2 11:25  |  JJ 16/02/08   6.   #3 Fritz T. 11:43  |  Sarah 16/02/08   7.   Is the west innocent ? 12:06  |  Jean Van Daem 16/02/08   8.   # 5. The Iranian people do not hate the U.S. 12:54  |  Stephen. 16/02/08   9.   Squeez the nuts more 16:05  |  guy 16/02/08   10.   there isno shred of evidence that iran is an 16:56  |  bozhidar balkas 16/02/08   11.   sideshow as mushroom clouds gather 23:32  |  frenz 16/02/08   12.   # 8;yes,and the US people hate the Iranian government!it`s a two 05:58  |  glenna 21/06/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: Peace dead? Send us your own plan Responses: 187 U.S., Canada warn Hezbollah set to strike Jewish targets, report says Responses: 210 Report: Israel held drill as prep for attack on Iran Responses: 288 Messianic Jews: Police indifferent to threats against us Responses: 118 Rosner's Domain Will we see a record number of Jewish lawmakers? (2) Comparing Obama and Chamberlain (WTR) Guests: intermarried Jews are more distant from Israel The Joe Lieberman dilemma Poll: Cease fire in Gaza is an achievement for... More Headlines 00:08 Oil prices jump after report of Israeli drill for Iran attack 19:50 Hamas: Arms smuggling to continue despite Gaza truce 01:33 UNICEF severs ties with Israeli patron Lev Leviev 18:23 Three Israeli hikers hurt in shooting attack near Ramallah 20:48 Hamas spokesman voices rare optimism regarding Gaza truce 19:43 N.Y. Mayor urges Jewish voters to denounce Obama Muslim rumors 21:44 PMO: Prisoner exchange with Hezbollah not likely next week 17:59 Austrian politician: Suspected Nazi is 'treasured citizen' 14:45 Report: Israel held military drill as prep for attack on Iran 12:09 Israel's Messianic Jews: Police indifferent to threats against us 13:31 Jerusalem officials to High Court: Gay parade desecrates holy city Previous Editions Select Day 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun

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