US embassy cable - 04SANAA2790

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002790 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2014 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PHUM, YM 
SUBJECT: YEMEN ASKS US TO STAY OUT OF KHAIWANI CASE 
 
REF: SANAA 02725 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d 
). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  At November 1 meeting, Deputy Foreign 
Minister Dhabbi expressed concern that the US plans to join 
European missions in criticizing the ROYG publicly for the 
detention of journalist al-Khaiwani.  Ambassador responded 
that no such discussion had taken place and the US would not 
at this time comment on the case.  Ambassador confirmed that 
the US was following the case closely, and was concerned 
about its implications for freedom of the press.  Ambassador 
noted the larger context, specifically the ROYG's planned 
prisoner release during Ramadan.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Deputy Foreign Minister Dhabbi requested a meeting 
with Ambassador to deliver a message from President Saleh. 
Saleh was concerned, said the DFM, about the possibility that 
the US would join with the Europeans in criticizing the 
ROYG's conviction and imprisonment of "as-Shura" editor 
Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani (reftel).  Dhabbi met earlier the same 
day with three European Ambassadors who, according to the 
DFM, reported that a statement was "still under discussion." 
 
3.  (C)  Ambassador told Dhabbi he had not yet been 
approached by European missions, and was not planning to 
speak out on the case at this time.  Nevertheless, he did not 
rule out such a move in the future.  He stressed that both 
the Embassy and Washington were following the Khaiwani case 
closely and were concerned about deteriorating press freedoms 
in Yemen.  Ambassador said the ROYG had been developing a 
good record in the region on press freedoms and expressed his 
hope that this did not represent a negative trend. 
 
4.  (C)  Dhabbi explained that Khaiwani was not in prison for 
exercising free speech but for provoking the rebellion of 
Al-Houthi in Sa'ada, and for encouraging social and religious 
divisions in the country.  Yemen could not risk a threat to 
its unity as in 1994, said Dhabbi, and did not need the 
encouragement of any new forms of Islam.  Dhabbi also said 
that it was the courts which imprisoned Khaiwani and not the 
government.  He pointed to the behavior of the U.S. media 
during the war in Iraq, suggesting that the Yemeni press 
should also support its President during times of war. 
 
5.  (C) This case, Dhabbi claimed, has received undo 
attention because Khaiwani is a member of the media. 
Ambassador stressed that the US supports the unity of Yemen 
and its right to defend itself, but that there is a larger 
context.  The ROYG, said Ambassador, is currently weighing 
releasing security prisoners to which the US has serious 
objections.  The USG, he continued, is invested in the growth 
of democracy in Yemen and press freedoms are a big part of 
this effort.  Perhaps, said Ambassador, Khaiwani would be a 
more appropriate recipient of a compassionate release than 
the known al-Qaida associates currently on the list. 
KRAJESKI