US embassy cable - 04SANAA1492

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001492 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/RA - SPYKERMAN; NEA/ARP - ROBERTS; S/CT - MILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2014 
TAGS: PTER, EAID, EFIN, PREL, PGOV, PARM, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM, MARITIME SECURITY, TRAFFICKING PERSONS 
SUBJECT: YEMEN: PRIORITIZATION OF CT PROGRAMS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 112122 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for reasons 1.5 (a, b, c and d 
) 
 
1. (c) Embassy Sana'a welcomes the opportunity to engage with 
AF Bureau on counter-terrorism issues and on developing a 
more comprehensive CT strategy for the region.  Post is 
concerned with border and maritime security as well as the 
movement of people and arms between Yemen and East Africa, 
particularly Somalia, as highlighted by the recent seizure of 
a dhow carrying a shipment of weapons from Yemen.  As 
requested in reftel, below is an outline of Post's 
counter-terrorism (CT) programs that will boost ROYG 
effectiveness in combating terrorism and potential for 
participating in regional security cooperation. 
 
2. (c)  Post's ongoing military/counter-terrorism cooperation 
includes: 
 
   - counter-terrorism training and modernization for Yemeni 
Special Forces; 
 
- U.S. Military Training Teams (MTTs) in country to train 
ground and maritime forces; 
 
- equipment, including 8 EDA (Excess Defense Articles) patrol 
boats that were commissioned in April 2004, training, and 
guidance to establish Yemeni Coast Guard (YCG) capabilities; 
 
- equipment and training for Yemen's Terrorist Interdiction 
Program (TIP), the on-line system for monitoring entry and 
exit from all of Yemen's air, land, and sea ports.  The 
program is currently in Phase III (of 4 phases) and has 
established monitoring portals at 24 border crossing points 
in Yemen; 
 
- training under the Anti-terrorist Assistance (ATA) program, 
e.g., the Department of State and the FBI jointly sponsored a 
terrorist crime scene investigation training course for ROYG 
officials in summer 2003.  Recently a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Interior (MOI) for an 
INL crowd control training program with Yemeni police 
officers; 
 
- an interagency Export and Border Security (EXBS) team visit 
in December 2003; the trip report is still pending, but Yemen 
is slated to receive approximately $470,000 to fund sending 
ROYG officials to a Senior Export Control Seminar, a workshop 
on controlled/dual-use items, land and sea interdiction 
training, and basic equipment and border patrol vehicles; 
 
- a Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Threat Reduction 
team visited in May 2004 and negotiated approximately $47,000 
in contracts for upgrades to make radiological source storage 
sites more secure; and 
 
Post believes that there is real benefit to continued 
capacity building for both counter-terrorism forces, border 
control and law enforcement through all of the programs 
listed above and is continually exploring additional funding 
sources to maintain U.S. efforts. 
 
3. (s)  Post is also engaged in sensitive intelligence 
programs to increase cooperation and information sharing. 
 
RETURN ON INVESTMENT:  SUCCESSFUL YEMEN CT OPERATIONS 
 
4. (c) These collaborations are producing tangible successes. 
 In mid-September 2003, the ROYG disrupted an al-Qaida cell 
operating in Sana'a, Yemen and targeting Western interests, 
Yemeni officials trained by the FBI during the ATA program 
participated in the take-down of the cell, which was headed 
by Afghanistan-trained 'Amr al-Sharif, who was trying to 
reconstitute al-Qaida in Yemen. 
 
5. (sbu) In June 2003, the newly-formed Central Security 
Forces (CSF) CT unit was dispatched to the Hattat mountains 
in Abyan province to hunt down and bring to justice those 
responsible for an attack on a military medical convoy the 
week before.  The area commander put this unit, trained by 
British and U.S. forces, at the lead of this effort when 
Ministry of Defense forces became bogged down by harassing 
gunfire from the surrounding hills.  Over a 3-day period, the 
CSF unit engaged those responsible and completed their 
mission.  In May 2004, international forces intercepted a 
dhow with a substantial shipment of weapons on board; after 
careful negotiation the confiscated weapons were returned to 
the ROYG for outfitting counter-terrorism and special forces 
for future operations. 
 
FUTURE EFFORTS:  INCREASING MARITIME SECURITY AND REGIONAL 
COORDINATION ON TIP 
 
6. (c) Post sees two key areas for increased regional/HOA 
cooperation: maritime security and regionalizing the TIP 
program.  Increased Yemeni cooperation with TF-150 and 
regional maritime forces could contribute substantially to 
regional maritime security efforts since enhanced regional 
cooperation would better control routes and impede terrorist 
movements.  Regionalizing the PISCES/TIP border monitoring 
program to allow greater information exchanges would improve 
the ability of all countries in the region to stem the 
movement of terrorists or criminals, as well as illegal 
immigration that contributes to the threat of terrorism. 
Moreover, Post believes that Yemen's leadership recognizes 
the need to increase contacts and coordination with its 
neighbors in the interest of enhancing stability and economic 
growth in the region, as demonstrated by Yemen's recent 
efforts to reach out to Ethiopia and the Sudan and create 
tripartite cooperation, and is likely to be receptive to the 
initiatives outlined above. 
 
7. (u) Post's points of contact on this message are 
Counter-terrorism Coordinator Austin Gilreath, class email: 
gilreathag@state.sgov.gov; telephone 967-1-303-155, ext. 
2356; facsimile 967-1-303-179 or Pol/Econ Chief Mary Brett 
Rogers; class email: rogersmb@state.sgov.gov; telephone 
967-1-303-155, ext. 2236; facsimile 967-1-303-183. 
 
HULL