US embassy cable - 04SANAA2345

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 002345 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2014 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, ECON, YM, ECON/COM, ENERGY 
SUBJECT: FIRST KIDNAPPING IN THREE YEARS RESOLVED QUICKLY 
 
REF: SANAA 2225 
 
Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Five oil workers were kidnapped on 8/31 in 
Ma'rib governorate for three hours.  The Ma'rib Governor sent 
in troops who, after brief gunfire, freed the three hostages. 
 All men are safely back in Sanaa.  While Post has no/no 
indication that the kidnapping was terrorist related, it may 
signal increased tribal restiveness as ROYG security forces 
are preoccupied with fighting in the north. Post will monitor 
closely to see if a pattern is emerging in terms of a return 
to tribal tensions and lawlessness. End summary. 
 
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Five Oil Workers Kidnapped for "Lunch" 
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2. (C) Occidental Petroleum Yemen Manager Richard Schmitt 
confirmed to Pol/Econ Deputy on 9/1 that one Australian, two 
Omanis, and two Yemenis were detained for three hours on 8/31 
while driving back to Sanaa from the field.  Schmitt said 
that 10 kilometers outside of Ma'rib city a pick-up truck 
full of armed tribesmen overtook the oil workers' SUV and 
forced the five men to an "undisclosed location."  After 
lunch the five were moved again.  Schmitt stated that the men 
were employees of a subcontractor of Occidental, the Omani 
drilling company MB. Schmitt reported that the tribesmen 
called the MB company and demanded jobs for six of their 
tribesmen.  According to Schmitt, MB used to employ members 
of the Jedan tribe, which is believed to be responsible for 
the kidnapping. 
 
3. (C) Once informed of the ransom, Schmitt said 
representatives from MB called the Governor of Ma'rib as well 
as his chief of security, to request a quick resolution. 
According to Schmitt, the Governor's men moved in and 
resolved the situation peacefully.  A Yemen Hunt security 
official told Pol/Econ deputy that upon the military's 
arrival there was a brief exchange of gunfire. 
Characterizing the incident as an "aggressive kidnapping," 
Schmitt asserted that the event is not "benign."  Schmitt 
will press the ROYG for "immediate, aggressive action" 
against the perpetrators.  Yemen Hunt said that they are 
monitoring the situation carefully, but have not yet moved to 
change their security posture. 
 
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ROYG Downplaying Incident 
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4. (C) German CDA told Pol/Econ Deputy on 8/31 that the 
National Security Bureau (NSB) is attempting to spin the 
story as a simple robbery, and commented that in his opinion 
it is "definitely a kidnapping."  The Governor of Ma'rib 
denied to al-Sawha net that the kidnapping took place.  A 
prominent Ma'rib Sheikh Rabish told Saba news agency that the 
Australian engineer was simply hosted by the "Jed'an tribe in 
Ma'rib for lunch." 
 
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Spike in Tribal Violence? 
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5. (C) The kidnapping comes on the heels of three tribal 
incidents involving expats in the past six weeks.  All 
incidents occurred in the al-Jawf governorate and none of the 
incidents resulted in injuries. 
 
-- On 7/27 American contractors of the Adventist Relief and 
Development Agency were fired upon while driving in the 
region. 
 
-- On 8/4 Embassy officers were waived off from visiting a 
northern village with gunfire; 
 
-- On 8/31 two Yemeni contractors refused to stop to pick up 
a tribesman who shot up the car the men were riding in. 
 
In addition to the ongoing conflict in Sa'da (reftel), Post 
is aware of another stand-off between the ROYG and tribes in 
the al-Jawf governorate.  Press reports indicate that the 
government is holding one tribal leader and the tribes are 
holding a government soldier hostage.  Al-Jawf tribal sheikhs 
told an Amcit NGO worker that the government is afraid to 
release the tribesman for fear he will join al-Houthi in his 
conflict against the government in the North. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  The successful resolution of the kidnapping 
demonstrates the ROYG's resolve to maintain its record of no 
westerners kidnapped since 2001.  Tribal kidnapping to gain 
jobs, schools or other economic incentives is a tradition 
rooted in Yemeni society.  Post does not/not believe this was 
related to terrorism.  However, the fact that this incident 
occurred while the ROYG is embroiled in an ongoing struggle 
in Sa'da, when combined with the other incidents against 
expats described above, indicates renewed tribal muscle 
flexing in the provinces.  Yemen is actively seeking to 
transform its former "wild west" image into that of a stable, 
emerging democracy safe for foreign investment.  If the 
tribes return to their previous custom of holding foreigners 
for ransom (of whatever sort) it will negatively impact on 
foreign investment so desperately needed in Yemen.  Post will 
monitor such incidents and closely report as appropriate. 
End comment. 
KRAJESKI