March 2004

I wish to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Tawfique Abdullah, CEO of the Dubai Metals and Commodities Center, and Eli Izhakoff and the other officers and members of the World Diamond Council for the opportunity to address this very important gathering. Opportunities like this to engage in dialogue underscore the importance of the ongoing dialogue and partnership between the diamond industry and governments of the world.

Dear [ ]:

Thank you for inviting me here for the fourth, annual, Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Conference of the Securities Industry Association. I am always eager to speak with our industry partners because your insights and experiences are invaluable to our work at FinCEN. A few weeks ago, I had a great meeting here in New York City with representatives of the securities industry and was able to take back to FinCEN a heightened awareness of some of the issues confronting you as you strive to meet your regulatory obligations. I will be addressing some of those issues today.