9406 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 33 / Thursday, February 17, 2011 / Notices 

18Lebanese Canadian Bank, 2009 Annual Report. 

19Lebanese Canadian Bank, AML Policy 

Statement, http://www.lebcanbank.com. 

20Bankers Almanac, Lebanese Canadian Bank 

SAL, June 22, 2010 (http:// 

www.bankersalmanac.com). 

cash from exchange houses or wiring 

funds for the TBML schemes described 

above—are family members of one of 

the aforementioned individuals running 

Asia-based TBML activities. 

At least one of these individuals has 

family relationships and personal 

contact with key LCB managers, in some 

cases working directly with those 

managers to conduct his transactions. 

The USG has information indicating 

that a minority owner of the bank, who 

concurrently serves as General Manager, 

his deputy, and the managers of key 

branches are in frequent—in some cases 

even daily—communication with 

various members of the aforementioned 

drug trafficking and money laundering 

network, and they personally process 

transactions on the network’s behalf. 

Additionally, LCB managers are linked 

to Hizballah officials outside Lebanon. 

For example, Hizballah’s Tehran-based 

envoy Abdallah Safieddine is involved 

in Iranian officials’ access to LCB and 

key LCB managers, who provide them 

banking services. 

Finally, information available to the 

U.S. Government indicates that LCB’s 

subsidiary, Gambia-based Prime Bank, 

is partially owned by a Lebanese 

individual known to be a supporter of 

Hizballah. In addition to Gambian 

nationals, Prime Bank serves Iranian 

and Lebanese clientele throughout West 

Africa. 

2. The Extent to Which LCB Is Used for 

Legitimate Business Purposes in the 

Jurisdiction 

LCB is one of 49 mostly private 

Lebanese banks that make up Lebanon’s 

financial sector. LCB has maintained 

modest but steady growth since 2000, 

with total assets of more than $5 billion 

in 2009.18 LCB also appears to be aware 

of the risk posed by money laundering, 

as noted in its Anti-Money Laundering 

Policy Statement.19 A publicly available 

source also indicates that U.S. financial 

institutions maintain correspondent 

relationships with LCB,20 and it is likely 

that a high volume of those transactions 

through those accounts is legitimate. 

However, numerous instances have 

been identified where substantial 

volumes of illicit funds have passed 

through LCB. Thus, any legitimate use 

of LCB is significantly outweighed by 

the apparent use of LCB to promote or 

facilitate money laundering. 

3. The Extent to Which Such Action Is 

Sufficient to Ensure, With Respect to 

Transactions Involving LCB, That the 

Purposes of the BSA Continue To Be 

Fulfilled, and To Guard Against 

International Money Laundering and 

Other Financial Crimes 

As detailed above, FinCEN has 

reasonable grounds to conclude that 

LCB is being used to promote or 

facilitate money laundering, and is, 

therefore, an institution of primary 

money laundering concern. Currently, 

there are no protective measures that 

specifically target LCB. Thus, finding 

LCB to be a financial institution of 

money laundering concern, which 

would allow consideration by the 

Secretary of special measures to be 

imposed on the institution under 

Section 311, is a necessary first step to 

prevent LCB from facilitating money 

laundering or other financial crime 

through the U.S. financial system. The 

finding of primary money laundering 

concern will bring criminal conduct 

occurring at or through LCB to the 

attention of the international financial 

community and further limit the bank’s 

ability to be used for money laundering 

or other criminal purposes. 

III. Finding 

Based on the foregoing factors, the 

Director of FinCEN hereby finds that the 

Lebanese Canadian Bank SAL is a 

financial institution of primary money 

laundering concern. 

Dated: February 9, 2011. 

James H. Freis, Jr., 

Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement 

Network. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3346 Filed 2–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Internal Revenue Service 

[REG–100194–10] 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request for Regulation Project 

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort 

to reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is 

soliciting comments concerning the 

existing proposed regulations, REG– 

100194–10, Specified Tax Return 

Preparers Required to File Individual 

Income Tax Returns Using Magnetic 

Media—Taxpayer Choice Statements. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before April 18, 2011 to 

be assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Yvette Lawrence, Internal Revenue 

Service, Room 6129, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the regulations should be 

directed to Ralph M. Terry at Internal 

Revenue Service, Room 6129, 1111 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20224, or at (202) 622–8144, or 

through the Internet at 

Ralph.M.Terry@irs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Specified Tax Return Preparers 

Required to File Individual Income Tax 

Returns Using Magnetic Media— 

Taxpayer Choice Statements 

OMB Number: 1545–2201. 

Regulation Project Number: REG– 

100194–10. 

Abstract: This document contains 

proposed regulations relating to the 

requirement for ‘‘specified tax return 

preparers,’’ generally tax return 

preparers who reasonably expect to file 

more than 10 individual income tax 

returns in a calendar year, to file 

individual income tax returns using 

magnetic media pursuant to section 

6011(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 

(Code). The proposed regulations reflect 

changes to the law made by the Worker, 

Homeownership, and Business 

Assistance Act of 2009. The proposed 

regulations affect specified tax return 

preparers who prepare and file 

individual income tax returns, as 

defined in section 6011(e)(3)(C). For 

calendar year 2011, the proposed 

regulations define a specified tax return 

preparer as a tax return preparer who 

reasonably expects to file (or if the 

preparer is a member of a firm, the 

firm’s members in the aggregate 

reasonably expect to file) 100 or more 

individual income tax returns during 

the year, while beginning January 1, 

2012 a specified tax return preparer is 

a tax return preparer who reasonably 

expects to file (or if the preparer is a 

member of a firm, the firm’s members in 

the aggregate reasonably expect to file) 

11 or more individual income tax 

returns in a calendar year. The proposed 

regulations are unrelated to and are not 

intended to address the requirements for 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 33 / Thursday, February 17, 2011 / Notices 9407 

obtaining a preparer tax identification 

number (PTIN) under section 6109. See 

the final regulations under section 6109 

published in the Federal Register (75 

FR 60309–01). 

Current Actions: There is no change to 

this existing regulation. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

312.000. 

Estimated Time per Respondent: 5.41 

Hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 1,689,930. 

The following paragraph applies to all 

of the collections of information covered 

by this notice: 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, and a person is not required to 

respond to, a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Books or records relating to a 

collection of information must be 

retained as long as their contents may 

become material in the administration 

of any internal revenue law. Generally, 

tax returns and tax return information 

are confidential, as required by 26 

U.S.C. 6103. 

Request for Comments: Comments 

submitted in response to this notice will 

be summarized and/or included in the 

request for OMB approval. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (d) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on respondents, including 

through the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology; and (e) estimates of capital 

or start-up costs and costs of operation, 

maintenance, and purchase of services 

to provide information. 

Approved: February 10, 2011. 

Yvette Lawrence, 

IRS Reports Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3547 Filed 2–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Office of Thrift Supervision 

[AC–58 OTS No. 01292 and H 4762] 

Fraternity Federal Savings & Loan 

Association, Baltimore, MD; Approval 

of Conversion Application 

Notice is hereby given that on 

February 10, 2011, the Office of Thrift 

Supervision approved the application of 

Fraternity FS&LA, Baltimore, Maryland, 

to convert to the stock form of 

organization. Copies of the application 

are available for inspection by 

appointment (phone number: (202) 906– 

5922 or e-mail: 

public.info@ots.treas.gov) at the Public 

Reading Room, 1700 G Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20552, and the OTS 

Southeast Regional Office, 1475 

Peachtree Street, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 

30309. 

Dated: February 10, 2011. 

By the Office of Thrift Supervision. 

Sandra E. Evans, 

Federal Register Liaison. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3562 Filed 2–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6720–01–M 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Research Advisory Committee on Gulf 

War Veterans’ Illnesses; Notice of 

Meeting 

The Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) gives notice under Public Law 92– 

463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) 

that the Research Advisory Committee 

on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses will 

meet on February 28–March 1, 2011. On 

February 28, the meeting will be held in 

room 230 at the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC, from 8 a.m. until 3:15 

p.m. On March 1, the meeting will be 

held in room 1143 of the Lafayette 

Building, 811 Vermont Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC, from 8 a.m. until 1:30 

p.m. The meeting is open to the public. 

The purpose of the Committee is to 

provide advice and make 

recommendations to the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs on proposed research 

studies, research plans and research 

strategies relating to the health 

consequences of military service in the 

Southwest Asia theater of operations 

during the Gulf War. 

The Committee will review VA 

program activities related to Gulf War 

Veterans’ illnesses and updates on 

relevant scientific research published 

since the last Committee meeting. The 

session on February 28 will include 

remarks and discussion with two panels 

(Veterans Service Organization 

representatives and Gulf War Veterans) 

in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 

1990–1991 Gulf War. There will also be 

a panel discussion with the members of 

the VA Gulf War Steering Committee 

and VA researchers. On both days of the 

meeting, there will be presentations on 

ongoing VA, Department of Defense 

Congressionally Directed Medical 

Research Program, and National 

Institute for Health research programs. 

The session on March 1 will include 

discussion of Committee business and 

activities. 

Public comments will be received on 

March 1, at 1 p.m. A sign-up sheet for 

five-minute comments will be available 

at the meeting. Individuals who speak 

are invited to submit a 1–2 page 

summary of their comments at the time 

of the meeting for inclusion in the 

official meeting record. Members of the 

public may also submit written 

statements for the Committee’s review 

to Dr. Roberta White at rwhite@bu.edu. 

Any member of the public seeking 

additional information should contact 

Dr. Roberta White, Scientific Director, at 

(617) 278–4517 or Dr. William Goldberg, 

Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 

461–1667. 

Dated: February 11, 2011. 

By Direction of the Secretary. 

William F. Russo, 

Director of Regulations Management, Office 

of the General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2011–3559 Filed 2–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 


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