Wikileak [20]: "Hariri & Ghattas K urged the US to designate Shawket & Makhlouf to punish Assad..."

S E C R E T BEIRUT 000264

NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER, TREASURY FOR U/S LEVEY

SUBJECT: LEBANON: HARIRI PROVIDES ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE ON MAKLOUF, SHAWKAT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

1. (S/NF) In the course of a February 11 meeting with the Charge (Ref A), majority leader Saad Hariri and advisor Ghattas Khoury provided anecdotal information regarding alleged financial transactions of Rami Maklouf and Syrian Directory of Military Intelligence Asef Shawket. They alleged that Maklouf had assisted Syrian President Bashar Asad in moving funds out of Syria to Dubai. Most of the money was funneled through the Damascus airport he said. Maklouf also allegedly owns a hotel in Romania and other real estate in Dubai. Shawket reportedly facilitated the transfer of $50 million from Qatar in Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun's OTV, in the names of Aoun's daughters.(S/NF) As they have before, Hariri and Khoury urged that the USG designate Maklouf and Shawket as a means of punishing Syria for it's interference in Lebanon and because their activities promote corruption.