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Sanctions:
The US has issued guidelines on transactions with the Palestinian
Authority. For further information, please visit the following link: -
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Page
s/terror.aspx
There are also restrictions by Israel of movement within the
Palestinian territories and of goods moving in and out.
November 28, 2011 - The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab
member states), of which this country is a member, has approved
imposing sanctions on Syria. These include: -
* Cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank
* Halting funding by Arab governments for projects in Syria
* A ban on senior Syrian officials travelling to other Arab countries
* A freeze on assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's
government
The declaration also calls on Arab central banks to monitor
transfers to Syria, with the exception of remittances from Syrians
abroad.
For further information, click here
The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab member states), of which
Palestine is a member, has boycotted Israel in a systematic effort
to isolate Israel economically in support of the Palestinians,
however, the implementation of the boycott has varied over time
among member states..
There are three tiers to the boycott. The primary boycott prohibits
the importation of Israeli-origin goods and services into boycotting
countries. The secondary boycott prohibits individuals, as well as
private and public sector firms and organizations, in member
countries from engaging in business with any entity that does
business in Israel. The Arab League maintains a blacklist of such
firms. The tertiary boycott prohibits any
entity in a member country from doing business with a company or
individual that has business dealings with U.S. or other firms on
the Arab League blacklist.
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists:
Information unavailable.
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report
No report available.
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2011 (introduction):
No report available
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2011
(introduction):
No report available
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Palestinian Territories
Overview: The primary Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces
in the West Bank were the Civil Police, the National Security
Forces (NSF), the Preventive Security Organization, the General
Intelligence Service, the Presidential Guard (PG), and the Civil
Defense. Much of the PA security forces are under the Interior
Minister's operational control and follow the Prime Minister's
guidance. Israeli authorities, among others, noted continuing
improved capacity and performance of PA security forces as a
leading contributor to the improved security environment of the
West Bank.
Hamas continued to consolidate its control over Gaza, eliminating
or marginalizing potential rivals. Gaza remained a base of
operations for several terrorist organizations besides Hamas,
such as PIJ; Salafist splinter groups, such as Jund Ansar Allah
and Jaysh al-Islam; and clan-based criminal groups that engaged
in or facilitated terrorist attacks. Hamas relied on its internal
intelligence, police, coastal patrol, border guard, and military-wing
"Executive Force" bodies, probably numbering at least 15,000 in
total.
2010 Terrorist Incidents: In 2010, there were multiple acts of
violence conducted to achieve political goals by different
sub-state actors in the West Bank, both Israeli and Palestinian.
There were no attacks targeted against Americans. Attacks
included:
* On May 4, arson was committed against a mosque south of
Nablus in the village of Al Lubban Ash Sharqiya. While
perpetrators were never apprehended, it is possible this act was
committed in order to stall any political progress related to the
Israeli government's 10-month moratorium, imposed in November
2009, on new residential construction in West Bank settlements.
This town has no Palestinian Police station and is under Israeli
security control.
* On August 31, four Israeli residents of the West Bank settlement
of Beit Hagai were killed by gunfire while traveling by car in an
area under Israeli security control near Hebron. Hamas
spokesmen quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.
* On September 1, two Israeli residents of a Jordan Valley
settlement were wounded in a shooting attack near the West Bank
settlement of Kokhav Hashahar in an area under Israeli military
control, approximately seven miles north-east of Ramallah.
Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades quickly published a
"military communique" claiming responsibility.
* On October 4, arson was committed by Israeli citizens against a
mosque southwest of Bethlehem in the village of Beit Fajjar, which
is under Israeli security control. In addition to fire damage, the
mosque was vandalized with Hebrew-language graffiti "revenge"
and "price tag."
* On October 20, arson was committed against a Palestinian girls'
school building south of Nablus in the village of As Sawiya, which
is under Israeli security control. The damaged building also had
Hebrew-language graffiti: "regards from the hilltops," suggesting
the attack was conducted by Israeli settlers.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In response to the West Bank
shootings that occurred August 31 and September 1, PA security
forces and IDF personnel mounted large-scale campaigns
throughout the West Bank. By noon on September 1, the PA had
detained 283 Hamas supporters for questioning; by September 3
that number had grown to 600. PA President Abbas and Prime
Minister Fayyad issued statements condemning each attack. On
September 2, President Abbas announced that the PA security
forces had tracked down the vehicle used to conduct the August
31 shooting.
The primary limitation on PA counterterrorism efforts in the Gaza
Strip remained Hamas' continued control of the area and the
resulting inability of PA security forces to operate there. No
apparent progress was made in apprehending, prosecuting, or
bringing to justice the perpetrators of the October 2003 attack on
a U.S. Embassy convoy in Gaza that killed three U.S. government
contractors and critically injured a fourth.
Limitations on PA counterterrorism efforts in the West Bank
included restrictions on the movement and activities of PA security
forces in areas of the West Bank for which the Israeli government
retained responsibility for security (some 80 percent of that total
land area).
The limited capacity of the PA's civilian criminal justice system
also hampered PA counterterrorism efforts. U.S. assistance to
police and prosecutors began to have an effect at the local district
level in Jenin, where case management improved and backlogs
decreased. The PA continued to lack modern forensic capability.
Ongoing low-level violence between Israeli settlers and
Palestinians in the West Bank tested the limited mandates of PA
security forces.
The Palestinian Legislative Council has not functioned since
mid-2007, and President Abbas issued no decrees related to
counterterrorism. However, a Memorandum of Understanding
between police and prosecutors was finalized in 2010 that
established best practices for working together, and the Ministry
of Justice has begun the first re-write of the penal code in 50
years.
Countering Terrorist Finance: The PA continued its efforts against
terrorist financing in the West Bank and Gaza by increasing its
capacity to detect, analyze, and interdict suspicious financial
activity. The Palestinian financial intelligence unit (referred to
locally as the "Financial Follow-up Unit" or FFU) continued to build
its capacity. The Palestinian Monetary Authority maintained a staff
of roughly 80 in the Gaza Strip to conduct on-site bank
examinations, including audits of bank compliance with the PA's
2007 Anti-Money Laundering decree. The PA Ministries of Interior
and of Awqaf and Religious Affairs also continued to monitor the
charitable sector for signs of abuse by terrorist organizations. PA
security forces seized nearly US$10 million in cash from Hamas in
2010, according to PA officials. The PA is an observer to the
Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force
(MENAFATF), a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body.
Regional and International Cooperation: The United States
continued to assist the PA's counterterrorism efforts through the
capacity building of PA security forces. As of the end of the year,
six NSF battalions and one Presidential Guard battalion had been
trained and equipped under the auspices of the U.S. Security
Coordinator (USSC). USSC-run training of NSF battalions took
place at the Jordan International Police Training Center in Jordan.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: PA President
Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad consistently
condemned acts of violence and reiterated their support for a
peaceful, negotiated solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The PA Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, a former Hamas
member who broke with that organization in the 1990s to protest
its abuse of religion to justify violence, spoke out publicly against
Hamas's rule of Gaza and against attempts to incite violence
against non-Muslims. PA efforts to end incitement to violence
continued with officials monitoring sermons given in West Bank
mosques. There were no such efforts against incitement in Gaza,
where the de facto Hamas authorities continued to support and
practice incitement in public statements.
____________________________________________________
Links:
Worldwide AML Legislation (International Bar Association)
The US has issued guidelines on transactions with the Palestinian
Authority. For further information, please visit the following link: -
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Page
s/terror.aspx
There are also restrictions by Israel of movement within the
Palestinian territories and of goods moving in and out.
November 28, 2011 - The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab
member states), of which this country is a member, has approved
imposing sanctions on Syria. These include: -
* Cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank
* Halting funding by Arab governments for projects in Syria
* A ban on senior Syrian officials travelling to other Arab countries
* A freeze on assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's
government
The declaration also calls on Arab central banks to monitor
transfers to Syria, with the exception of remittances from Syrians
abroad.
For further information, click here
The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab member states), of which
Palestine is a member, has boycotted Israel in a systematic effort
to isolate Israel economically in support of the Palestinians,
however, the implementation of the boycott has varied over time
among member states..
There are three tiers to the boycott. The primary boycott prohibits
the importation of Israeli-origin goods and services into boycotting
countries. The secondary boycott prohibits individuals, as well as
private and public sector firms and organizations, in member
countries from engaging in business with any entity that does
business in Israel. The Arab League maintains a blacklist of such
firms. The tertiary boycott prohibits any
entity in a member country from doing business with a company or
individual that has business dealings with U.S. or other firms on
the Arab League blacklist.
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists:
Information unavailable.
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report
No report available.
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2011 (introduction):
No report available
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2011
(introduction):
No report available
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Palestinian Territories
Overview: The primary Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces
in the West Bank were the Civil Police, the National Security
Forces (NSF), the Preventive Security Organization, the General
Intelligence Service, the Presidential Guard (PG), and the Civil
Defense. Much of the PA security forces are under the Interior
Minister's operational control and follow the Prime Minister's
guidance. Israeli authorities, among others, noted continuing
improved capacity and performance of PA security forces as a
leading contributor to the improved security environment of the
West Bank.
Hamas continued to consolidate its control over Gaza, eliminating
or marginalizing potential rivals. Gaza remained a base of
operations for several terrorist organizations besides Hamas,
such as PIJ; Salafist splinter groups, such as Jund Ansar Allah
and Jaysh al-Islam; and clan-based criminal groups that engaged
in or facilitated terrorist attacks. Hamas relied on its internal
intelligence, police, coastal patrol, border guard, and military-wing
"Executive Force" bodies, probably numbering at least 15,000 in
total.
2010 Terrorist Incidents: In 2010, there were multiple acts of
violence conducted to achieve political goals by different
sub-state actors in the West Bank, both Israeli and Palestinian.
There were no attacks targeted against Americans. Attacks
included:
* On May 4, arson was committed against a mosque south of
Nablus in the village of Al Lubban Ash Sharqiya. While
perpetrators were never apprehended, it is possible this act was
committed in order to stall any political progress related to the
Israeli government's 10-month moratorium, imposed in November
2009, on new residential construction in West Bank settlements.
This town has no Palestinian Police station and is under Israeli
security control.
* On August 31, four Israeli residents of the West Bank settlement
of Beit Hagai were killed by gunfire while traveling by car in an
area under Israeli security control near Hebron. Hamas
spokesmen quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.
* On September 1, two Israeli residents of a Jordan Valley
settlement were wounded in a shooting attack near the West Bank
settlement of Kokhav Hashahar in an area under Israeli military
control, approximately seven miles north-east of Ramallah.
Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades quickly published a
"military communique" claiming responsibility.
* On October 4, arson was committed by Israeli citizens against a
mosque southwest of Bethlehem in the village of Beit Fajjar, which
is under Israeli security control. In addition to fire damage, the
mosque was vandalized with Hebrew-language graffiti "revenge"
and "price tag."
* On October 20, arson was committed against a Palestinian girls'
school building south of Nablus in the village of As Sawiya, which
is under Israeli security control. The damaged building also had
Hebrew-language graffiti: "regards from the hilltops," suggesting
the attack was conducted by Israeli settlers.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In response to the West Bank
shootings that occurred August 31 and September 1, PA security
forces and IDF personnel mounted large-scale campaigns
throughout the West Bank. By noon on September 1, the PA had
detained 283 Hamas supporters for questioning; by September 3
that number had grown to 600. PA President Abbas and Prime
Minister Fayyad issued statements condemning each attack. On
September 2, President Abbas announced that the PA security
forces had tracked down the vehicle used to conduct the August
31 shooting.
The primary limitation on PA counterterrorism efforts in the Gaza
Strip remained Hamas' continued control of the area and the
resulting inability of PA security forces to operate there. No
apparent progress was made in apprehending, prosecuting, or
bringing to justice the perpetrators of the October 2003 attack on
a U.S. Embassy convoy in Gaza that killed three U.S. government
contractors and critically injured a fourth.
Limitations on PA counterterrorism efforts in the West Bank
included restrictions on the movement and activities of PA security
forces in areas of the West Bank for which the Israeli government
retained responsibility for security (some 80 percent of that total
land area).
The limited capacity of the PA's civilian criminal justice system
also hampered PA counterterrorism efforts. U.S. assistance to
police and prosecutors began to have an effect at the local district
level in Jenin, where case management improved and backlogs
decreased. The PA continued to lack modern forensic capability.
Ongoing low-level violence between Israeli settlers and
Palestinians in the West Bank tested the limited mandates of PA
security forces.
The Palestinian Legislative Council has not functioned since
mid-2007, and President Abbas issued no decrees related to
counterterrorism. However, a Memorandum of Understanding
between police and prosecutors was finalized in 2010 that
established best practices for working together, and the Ministry
of Justice has begun the first re-write of the penal code in 50
years.
Countering Terrorist Finance: The PA continued its efforts against
terrorist financing in the West Bank and Gaza by increasing its
capacity to detect, analyze, and interdict suspicious financial
activity. The Palestinian financial intelligence unit (referred to
locally as the "Financial Follow-up Unit" or FFU) continued to build
its capacity. The Palestinian Monetary Authority maintained a staff
of roughly 80 in the Gaza Strip to conduct on-site bank
examinations, including audits of bank compliance with the PA's
2007 Anti-Money Laundering decree. The PA Ministries of Interior
and of Awqaf and Religious Affairs also continued to monitor the
charitable sector for signs of abuse by terrorist organizations. PA
security forces seized nearly US$10 million in cash from Hamas in
2010, according to PA officials. The PA is an observer to the
Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force
(MENAFATF), a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body.
Regional and International Cooperation: The United States
continued to assist the PA's counterterrorism efforts through the
capacity building of PA security forces. As of the end of the year,
six NSF battalions and one Presidential Guard battalion had been
trained and equipped under the auspices of the U.S. Security
Coordinator (USSC). USSC-run training of NSF battalions took
place at the Jordan International Police Training Center in Jordan.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: PA President
Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad consistently
condemned acts of violence and reiterated their support for a
peaceful, negotiated solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The PA Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, a former Hamas
member who broke with that organization in the 1990s to protest
its abuse of religion to justify violence, spoke out publicly against
Hamas's rule of Gaza and against attempts to incite violence
against non-Muslims. PA efforts to end incitement to violence
continued with officials monitoring sermons given in West Bank
mosques. There were no such efforts against incitement in Gaza,
where the de facto Hamas authorities continued to support and
practice incitement in public statements.
____________________________________________________
Links:
Worldwide AML Legislation (International Bar Association)
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| GAZA STRIP |
| KnowYourCountry |
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| Last Updated: 16 April 2012 |