Cablegate: (S) Norway Rebuffs Usg On Irisl Freight Forwarder

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNY #0549 2831343
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 091343Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7086

S E C R E T OSLO 000549
SIPDIS
FOR ISTN, T, TREASURY, AND NEA/IR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2018 TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD PARM KNNP EUN EWWT PREL NO
SUBJECT: (S) NORWAY REBUFFS USG ON IRISL FREIGHT FORWARDER
REF: STATE 104496

Classified By:XXXXXXXXXXXX for reasons 1.4 (b) an d (d)

1. (S) In responding to reftel points, XXXXXXXXXXXX, after discussing Norway´s overall compliance with all UN Iran sanctions, stated that there is "no legal foundation" under Norwegian law to give any kind of mandatory order to companies not on the UN Security Council lists associated with resolutions 1737, 1747, and 1803. XXXXXXXXXXXX attention had been drawn one week prior, when the demarche was initially delivered, to a freight forwarder for IRISL, Lehman Group (Norway), that operates in Oslo. IRISL has no direct operations in Norway.

2. (S) After receiving this answer, poloff contacted XXXXXXXXXXXX, who specializes in export controls re reftel. XXXXXXXXXXXX said she would look into the possibility of whether the GON could alert Lehman Group to the fact that unless it ceased business dealings with IRISL, it could be subject to punitive E.O. 13382 action by the U.S.

2. (S) Comment: This response is consistent with Norway´s refusal to take any action with regard to sanctions that has not been approved directly by the Security Council. We made clear, and XXXXXXXXXXXX understands, that the USG may take action under E.O. 13382 if Lehman Group continues dealing with IRISL.
WHITNEY

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