US embassy cable - 04SANAA694

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SANAA 000694 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA AND 
S/CT 
 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, PHUM, PTER, KISL, YM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF HAMAS LEADER 
AHMAD YASSIN. 
 
REF: SANAA 468 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  The assassination of Ahmad Yassin 3/22, the 
spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, 
received widespread reaction at various levels of Yemeni 
society including the government, political parties and the 
media.  Newspapers, including government, opposition and 
independent papers, published extensive coverage of the 
incident and statements of condemnation by the government 
and by political parties.  Yemen TV and opposition 
statements commented the same day on the assassination 
saying that the weak Arab presence in the 
Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the U.S. Administration 
backing for Israel were responsible for the assassination. 
Statements supported resistance and argued that the Israeli 
policies are blocking any chances for peace.  A statement by 
the Committee of Yemeni Scholars (Ulama) held the U.S. 
responsible for the assassination and described it as 
"Israel's number one supporter."  All media outlets covered 
as well a demonstration in Sana'a 03/23 in which over 70 
thousand people participated.  President Ali Abdallah Saleh 
addressed the demonstration expressing support to all 
Palestinian factions and demanding that the "terrorist 
Sharon" should be tried before the International Criminal 
Court as a war criminal.  Overall, the media condemned the 
act, and held the U.S. Administration responsible for the 
"Israeli terrorist attacks against the Palestinians."  END 
SUMMARY 
 
2.  Yemen TV broadcast two-hour coverage 3/22 on the Yassin 
assassination.  The broadcast commented, "such consequences 
are a result of the U.S. backing for Israel."  Yemen TV 
blamed the U.S. for its "shy" reaction to the assassination. 
It also broadcast coverage of a protest organized by the 
Students Federation at Sana'a University.  Reportedly 
thousands of students and some University professors took 
part in the demonstration.  Anti-Israeli and anti-American 
slogans were chanted during the protest. 
 
3.  Al-Sahwa Net, web site of Islah's Al-Sahwa weekly, 
(03/22), published a statement by the major opposition party 
in Yemen, the Yemeni Alliance for Reform (Islah), condemning 
the assassination.  The statement holds Israel and the U.S. 
Administration responsible for the assassination and for any 
consequences that may occur.  It also published separate 
statements by the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting 
Parties (JMP), the ruling General People's Congress and the 
Yemeni Socialist Party.  The JMP statement holds the Arab 
regimes responsible for developments in Palestine "due to 
their silence to the previous Israeli threats to assassinate 
Sheikh Ahmad Yassin over the past months."  The statement 
called on the international community to shoulder its legal, 
humanitarian and political responsibilities "toward the acts 
of terror being committed in Palestine with U.S. collusion." 
 
4.  The statement by the Yemeni Socialist Party stressed 
that "the assassination will only ignite conflicts and 
reduce chances for peaceful solutions in the region and 
which have already been obstructed by the right-wing 
government of Sharon."  The ruling General People's Congress 
party stressed in its statement that the Yemeni attitude is 
firm in supporting the Palestinians "in their legitimate and 
fair struggle to restore their rights and establish the 
independent state of Palestine on their national soil."  The 
statement called on the international community "to 
interfere and stop the Israeli massacres; to try Sharon as a 
war criminal; to impose strict sanctions on the Sharon 
government; and to take the initiative to achieve peace in 
the Middle East region." 
 
5.  Al-Sahwa Net (03/22) reported that a parliamentary 
delegation visited the Hamas office in Sana'a and offered 
condolences over the death of Yassin.  Al-Sahwa Net quoted 
the Hamas representative in Yemen, Jamal Eissa, who called 
on the people of Yemen to attend a ceremony in solidarity 
with Palestine next Thursday, 3/24 in Sana'a. 
 
 
6.  Al-Thawra official daily (03/23) quoted an unnamed 
Yemeni government source who condemned in strongly worded 
terms the "criminal act committed by the Sharon government." 
"This cowardly, dangerous and terrorist Israeli criminal 
act," the source added, "is a new affirmation of the state 
terrorism being practiced by Israel and its Prime Minister 
Sharon against the Palestinian people, and is a hindrance to 
all international efforts that aim to establish a fair and 
comprehensive solution to the Israeli/Arab conflict."  The 
source said that the assassination "will only lead to more 
violence and resistance."  It demanded on behalf of the 
government of Yemen that the U.N. and the Quartet "condemn 
this heinous and horrible crime and to put a limit to the 
Israeli terror policies."  The source urged the U.N. 
Security Council to send international protection forces to 
protect the Palestinians "and to prevent the situation from 
deteriorating further."  "This Israeli escalation" the 
source emphasized "is a natural result of the international 
community's neglect to the destructive and extremist Israeli 
policies."  The source demanded from the international 
community to impose sanctions on the Israeli government and 
try Sharon as a war criminal. 
 
7.  Al-Thawra (03/23) also published two separate statements 
by the Parliament and the Shura Council strongly condemning 
the assassination.  The statement urged all levels of the 
Palestinian society, including political leaders and 
resistance factions, "to unite and strengthen resistance by 
all possible means available."  The Parliament called on 
Arab and Muslim leaders to "offer all types of moral and 
material support to the Palestinian people to help them 
continue the resistance and liberate Palestine."  The 
statement requested from the Arab and Muslim countries that 
have "direct or indirect" relations with Israel "to 
reconsider such relations."  The Parliament holds the U.S. 
Administration "fully responsible for the acts of terror 
being committed by the Zionist entity against the 
Palestinians."  It called on the international community and 
the Security Council "to take a serious position toward 
Zionist terrorism and to prove the credibility of its war 
against terrorism."  Al-Thawra also quoted the Foreign 
Relations Committee in Parliament, which said that "any 
peace efforts with Sharon and bloodsuckers in his government 
will never see light."  "Resistance and Jihad" the FRC added 
"is the only option that all Arab and Muslim populations 
have to confront the powers of evil which enjoy the support 
of the U.S. Administration."  The Shura Council statement 
said that the Council received the news "with great sorrow 
and anger."  It said,  "all Israel's peace theories are 
maneuvers to gain more time to implement its hidden desires 
to eliminate and expel the rest of the Palestinians from 
Palestine."  The statement confirmed that the assassination 
is not targeted against Hamas, "but against all the Arab and 
Muslim populations."  Al-Thawra quoted Speaker of Parliament 
Shaikh Al-Ahmar who described the assassination as an 
"unforgivable act."  He called on the U.S. government to 
"prove its credibility and stand by its responsibilities as 
a peace sponsor to stop the Zionist crimes."  He also called 
on the U.S. to "stop supporting Israel with weapons and 
money and to stop defending it in all international events." 
Al-Thawra also quoted the Hamas representative in Sana'a who 
said that the assassination will make Hamas stronger and 
more determined to resist the Israeli occupation. 
 
8.  Al-Thawra (03/23) published an op-ed titled "What is 
After the Assassination?"  The article indicated that strong 
statements of condemnation and negotiations with Israel will 
not stop Israel since Israel "is looking forward to 
eliminating all the Arabs."  "Israel will not change its 
policies and terrorist plans unless the Arabs move toward 
solidarity and take practical decisions" Al-Thawra added. 
The paper published another op-ed which said that "the peace 
process has been buried the day Sheikh Ahmad Yassin was 
killed." 
 
9.  Aden-based independent daily Al-Ayyam (03/23) published 
extensive coverage of the assassination.  On the front-page, 
a very provoking photo of Sheikh Yassin in the morgue with 
his brain scattered was printed.  The paper highlighted 
regional and international reactions to the assassination. 
 
10.  All news websites including the government's official 
web site Saba News Agency; the Al-Motamar Net (web site run 
by the ruling General People's Congress); the Al-Sahwa Net 
(web site of Islah's Al-Sahwa weekly); the independent Al- 
Tagheer Net; and the Al-Wahdawi Net reported that a 
"massive" demonstration took place in Sana'a today 3/23. 
Seventy thousand people were reported by newspapers to have 
taken part in the demonstration.  The demonstrators handed a 
letter to the U.N. Representative in Sana'a requesting the 
U.N. to interfere immediately "to stop the Israeli massacres 
and try Sharon."  Banners were raised during the 
demonstration calling on the people to boycott U.S. and 
Israeli products and calling on the Arab states "to open the 
door for the Arab youth to go on jihad and not to naturalize 
relations with Israel."  The demonstration was attended by 
the President of the Republic who delivered a speech 
condemning the assassination of Yassin.  President Saleh 
requested the U.N. and the international community to try 
Sharon before the International Criminal Court as a war 
criminal.  He described Sharon as "the world's number one 
terrorist" and that "no terrorism in the world equals 
Sharon's."  The President considered the assassination of 
Yassin as a "challenge to the upcoming Arab League summit." 
He said that the Palestinians are suffering from the Israeli 
intransigence "due to the absence of Arab solidarity." 
"This is the first message to the Arab nation" the President 
added "and the second will be to kill Yasser Arafat."  The 
President voiced Yemen's support "with all its capabilities" 
to all resistance factions including Fath, Hamas, Jihad and 
the Public Resistance Movement. The President called on all 
the Palestinian factions to "unite and confront the Zionist 
intransigence."  He noted that the occupation of Iraq is a 
Zionist plot.  "The occupation of Iraq" the President added 
"is a Zionist conspiracy.  Whatever reforms Israel is 
weaving for the Middle East is an overt challenge to the 
Arab nation."  "Reforms only come from inside and with an 
Arab and Islamic will.  Political situations cannot be 
reformed from outside either from the Congress or from 
elsewhere.  And we do not accept foreign pressures whatever 
they are" the President added. 
 
11.  Al-Thawra (03/24) published another statement by the 
Joint Meeting of the Shura Council and Parliament; the 
Yemeni Cabinet; the Committee of Yemeni Scholars (Ulama); 
and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.  The statements 
condemned very strongly the assassination of Yassin. The 
statement by the Shura Council and the Parliament urged the 
Palestinians to unite and "enhance resistance by all 
possible means."  The statement requested all Arab and 
Muslim countries that have "direct or indirect relations 
with the Zionist entity to reconsider these relations."  The 
statement charged the U.S. Administration as "fully 
responsible for the acts of terror committed by the Zionist 
entity against the people of Palestine since it is the 
strategic ally of Israel and number one supporter."  The 
Cabinet called on the international community, the U.N. and 
the Quartet to condemn the assassination; "to put a limit to 
the Zionist state terrorism and to impose sanctions on 
Israel."  The Ulama Committee called on the Arab and Muslim 
countries to boycott the Israeli products and the products 
of companies that support Israel.  It called on the Arab and 
Muslim states that have economic and diplomatic relations 
with Israel "to break" these relations. 
 
12.  Anti-American independent Al-Balagh weekly (03/23) 
published an op-ed titled "Down with terrorist Sharon . Down 
with terrorist Bush."  The op-ed blamed the U.S. position 
toward Palestine.  It criticized Bush's "logic" that 
considers "the disabled Hamas leader as a terrorist, while 
Sharon for all his crimes, is seen by Bush as a man of 
peace."  The paper added that Sharon and Bush are "the real 
terrorists." 
 
13.  COMMENT: While the universal condemnation of the 
assassination by both government and opposition forces as 
reflected in the above statements seems to reflect the 
general public sentiment in the country, the peaceful and 
almost toned-down nature of the demonstrations could be an 
indication that the Yemeni reaction may remain in the realm 
of rhetoric.  Additionally, the government's obvious hand in 
organizing the largest demonstration seems to suggest that 
the authorities were acting preemptively to give the public 
a chance to blow off steam and thus avoid more serious 
action. The general condemnation of the United States as an 
accomplice in the act is not new, neither is it surprising 
given the fact that the United States is always blamed for 
not restraining Israel. 
HULL