US embassy cable - 04SANAA1092

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO NP, T AND EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2014 
TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PREL, PARM, YM 
SUBJECT: PSI: UPDATE ON ROYG CONSIDERATION OF STATEMENT OF 
INTERDICTION PRINCIPLES 
 
REF: A. SANAA 877 
     B. 03 STATE 272470 
 
Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.5 (b and d) 
 
1. (u) This is an action request; see paragraph 4. 
 
2. (c) Following up on a 4/22 meeting and email exchanges, 
Pol/Econ Chief met with Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, 
the Americas and International Organizations Mustapha Noman 
on 5/2 to discuss the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) 
Statement of Interdiction Principles (SOP).  Noman thanked 
Pol/Econ Chief for translation of PSI-related documents, 
including the SOP.  He said that he forwarded the documents 
to Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi with his comments and a 
recommendation that the ROYG support/approve the SOP, with 
the proviso that Israel "is included."  When questioned on 
this point, Noman clarified that Israel would need to 
officially support the SOP, as Yemen has been requested to 
do, and that without this condition his recommendation would 
not be taken seriously. 
 
3. (c) Noman inquired about the overlap between the SOP and 
UN Security Council Resolution 1540, as adopted on April 28, 
2004.  He was specifically interested operative paragraphs 1 
and to of UNSCR 1540 that state: 
 
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, 
 
     (1) Decides that all States shall refrain from providing 
any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to 
develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer 
or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their 
means of delivery; 
 
     (2) Decides also that all States, in accordance with 
their national procedures, shall adopt and enforce 
appropriate effective laws which prohibit any non-State actor 
to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, 
transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and 
their means of delivery, in particular for terrorist 
purposes, as well as attempts to engage in any of the 
foregoing activities, participate in them as an accomplice, 
assist or finance them; 
 
Pol/Econ Chief explained that, at first glance, the two 
documents appear mutually reinforcing and that there is 
nothing in the SOP that would contradict the UNSCR 
requirements, but that the SOP provides additional detailed 
commitments with regard to all actors.  It is Noman's opinion 
that the UNSCR language is sufficient and that signing on to 
the SOP would be redundant. 
 
4. (u) Action request:  Understanding that the PSI is 
intended to complement other non-proliferation regimes but 
may be "informed by efforts in other fora" and does not 
establish a mechanism for formal cooperation with the UN (ref 
b), Post requests guidance on how to respond to the MFA's 
question of the interaction between UNSCR 1540 and the SOP. 
HULL