The United States joined the governments of Iraq and the United Kingdom in designating Bloto International Company in Bangkok, its owner and director, and two Iraqi ambassadors as entities and individuals acting on behalf of Saddam Hussein's former regime.

According to an August 2 press release from the Department of Treasury, the designation blocks the property and financial interests of the company and the three individuals under U.S. Executive Order 13315. The Bush administration is also submitting the names of the individuals and associated companies to the United Nations with the recommendation that their assets be identified, frozen, and transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq.

"These sham operatives masked themselves as legitimate people and businesses, when they were actually aiding and abetting Saddam's cruel and oppressive regime," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, as quoted in the press release.

The chief of mission for the Iraq Interests Section in Washington, Rend al-Rahim Francke said, "It is important for Iraq to identify and sanction those who have used the funds of the Iraqi people illegally to benefit themselves and the Hussein regime."

U.S. Department of the Treasury
August 2, 2004

U.S., IRAQ, U.K. JOINTLY DESIGNATE AMBASSADORS INTEL OPS OF THE FORMER HUSSEIN REGIME

- Names Submitted to U.N. 1518 Committee for Member State Freeze

This Department of Treasury press release may be viewed at: http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1821.htm

In the fourth tranche of recent actions taken against members of the former Hussein regime, the United States, Iraq and the United Kingdom today jointly designated three individuals and one front company pursuant to Executive Order 13315. The United States has now designated 232 Iraqi-related entities and individuals, comprised of 191 parastatals, 30 individuals and 11 front companies.

"These sham operatives masked themselves as legitimate people and businesses, when they were actually aiding and abetting Saddam's cruel and oppressive regime," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Today's designations by the Treasury Department include a Bangkok-based company serving as a front for the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS), along with its owner and director, a former IIS officer suspected of planning attacks in January 2003 against U.S. citizens in Thailand. The designations also include two Iraqi ambassadors who used their senior positions to engage in a variety of illicit activities ranging from the financing of foreign anti-Coalition fighters during Operation Iraqi Freedom to the embezzlement of regime funds.

"It is important for Iraq to identify and sanction those who have used the funds of the Iraqi people illegally to benefit themselves and the Hussein regime," said Rend al-Rahim Francke, Chief of Mission for the Iraq Interests Section.

Today's action is taken pursuant to Executive Order 13315 which blocks property and interests in property of senior officials of the former Iraqi regime within the possession or control of U.S. persons. The United States is also submitting the names of these individuals and associated companies to the U.N. with the recommendation they be listed by the 1518 Committee under U.N. Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483. UNSCR 1483 requires U.N. member states to identify, freeze and transfer to the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) assets of senior officials of the former Iraqi regime and their immediate family members, including entities owned or controlled by them or by persons acting on their behalf.

OFAC took action today against:

Bloto International Company and Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi Information available to the U.S. Government indicates that Bloto International Company (Bloto) was a Bangkok-based trading company that served as a front for the former IIS. The IIS, headed by Tahir Jalil Habbush Al-Tikriti, a senior official of the former regime previously designated under E.O. 13315 and submitted to the U.N. for listing, was the main intelligence agency and internal security division of the former Iraqi regime.

Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi (Al-Tamimi), the owner and director of Bloto, is suspected of being a former officer of the IIS "Projects Directorate." Information available to the United States indicates that Al-Tamimi was a member of a group operating under the direction of the Iraqi Embassy in Bangkok. In late January 2003, the group attempted to organize a "demonstration" involving kidnappings and attacks targeted at U.S. Embassy employees and U.S. citizens living in Bangkok. Al-Tamimi has also been linked to two IIS officers who came to Bangkok in December 2001 to retrieve explosives being stored in the Iraqi Embassy. Al-Tamimi was expelled from Thailand in April 2003.

Individual: Muhannad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi AKA: Muhamad Juma Y. Al-Tamimi DOB: 1956 POB: Baghdad, Iraq Iraqi Passport No.: M0817630 Iraqi Passport No.: H0284744

Entity: Bloto International Company AKA: Bloto International, LTD. AKA: Bluto International AKA: Pluto-Dubai Trading Company, LLC Address: Iraq

Bangkok Offices Address: 131/13 Soi 7/1 Sukhumvit Road, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand

Address: 131/13 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Neua sub-district, Wattana District, Bangkok 10110

United Arab Emirates Office Address: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nabil Abdullah Al-Janabi The U.S. Government has identified Nabil Abdullah Al-Janabi (Al-Janabi) as the former Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon and as a suspected IIS officer, therefore a senior official of the former Iraqi regime as described in Executive Order 13315 and in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483. Information available to the U.S. Government indicates that, until the fall of the former regime during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Al-Janabi financed foreign fighters traveling to Iraq to participate in hostilities against Coalition forces, offering $2500 "signing bonuses" to new recruits.

Individual: Nabil Abdullah Al-Janabi DOB: August 14, 1942 POB: Baghdad, Iraq Nationality: Iraqi Passport No.: H101901/1 Address: Beirut, Lebanon

Abbas Khalaf Kunfuth The U.S. Government has identified Abbas Khalaf Kunfuth (Kunfuth) as the former Iraqi Ambassador to Russia and a senior official of the former Iraqi regime, as described in Executive Order 13315 and in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483. Information available to the U.S. Government indicates that Kunfuth may have used his senior position to embezzle funds of the former regime.

Individual: Abbas Khalaf Kunfuth DOB: 1955 POB: Baghdad, Iraq Nationality: Iraqi Address: House 21, Lane 17, Subdivision 603, Dragh District, Al-Mansour, Baghdad