US embassy cable - 04SANAA507

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000507 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2014 
TAGS: PTER, PARM, PREL, PHUM, YM, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SALEH'S SON: ALIVE AND WELL IN SANAA 
 
REF: A. GMP20040305000091 
 
     B. GMP20040306000146 
 
Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.5 (b. and d.) 
 
1. (u) Colonel Ahmed Ali Saleh, President Saleh's oldest son 
and Commander of the Yemen Special Forces, made a public 
appearance on March 6 at a graduation ceremony for the 
Republican Guard and Special Forces.  DATT, who attended the 
ceremony, confirms that Saleh appeared to be unharmed. 
Saleh's appearance refutes widespread press reports (ref a) 
that said Saleh was recovering in Amman after an 
assassination attempt.  Saleh told Al-Ayyam newspaper that 
those responsible for the rumor are "resentful about the 
progress, modernization and change being led by President 
Saleh in Yemen." 
 
2. (c) Post confirmed that Political Security Organization 
(PSO) forces detained al-Quds reporter Sa'id Thabet, who some 
believe to be the original source of the report.  Thabet is 
an embassy contact and newly-elected to the Yemen Journalist 
Syndicate (YJS) Board, whose members protested 3/7 in front 
of the PSO headquarters.  Both the YJS and the Arab 
Journalist Federation based in Cairo (ref b) condemned the 
detention in public statements. 
 
3. (c) Comment: While COL Ahmed Ali Saleh's attendance at the 
3/6 ceremony puts to rest rumors that he was injured and 
recovering in Amman as a result of an assassination attempt, 
the circumstances surrounding the reports are still unclear. 
Post is seeking clarification.  After a decrease in the 
number of journalists arbitrarily detained in 2003, Thabet's 
detention indicates remaining obstacles to press freedom. 
Journalists who cross so called "red-lines," including 
reporting on security and issues that "harm national unity," 
face harassment.  End comment. 
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