US embassy cable - 04SANAA3118

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 003118 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, MARR, ECON, KMPI, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: DAS DIBBLE MEETINGS WITH ROYG MINISTERS: YEMEN 
NEEDS MORE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: A. SANAA 3098 
 
     B. SANAA 2985 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d 
). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Ambassador and Visiting NEA/ARPI Deputy 
Assistant Secretary Philo Dibble met separately with Minister 
of Foreign Affairs Qirbi, Minister of Interior Alimi, and 
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Sofan on 
December 15.  The Ministers worked from the same talking 
points: thank you for U.S. security and development 
assistance -- but we need more, disappointed with lack of 
assistance from GCC countries-- please help, and, we want 
economic and security cooperation from Saudis -- they are 
your friends, talk to them.  DAS's discussion with Sofan on 
TIFA talks and WTO accession covered in ref A.  End Summary. 
 
 
2. (C) On December 15 Ambassador and visiting NEA/ARPI DAS 
met separately with FM Abubakr Abdullah al-Qirbi, Interior 
Minister Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, and Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ahmed 
Sofan.  In addition to appeals for increased USG security and 
development assistance, discussion focused on reaching MCA, 
results of the BMENA Forum for the Future, financial and 
political pressures on reform, joint CT efforts, combating 
SA/LW smuggling, and security detainees. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Appreciate US Support, Need More 
-------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) DAS thanked all three interlocutors for Yemen's 
partnership in the GWOT, emphasizing that there was still 
room for the relationship to be closer.  He pointed to the 
December 6 attack in Jeddah, saying it clearly illustrates 
the importance of continuing and strengthening US - Yemen CT 
cooperation.  The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Planning 
agreed that security was paramount, however expensive, and 
therefore development in Yemen was suffering.  Predictably, 
the Minister of Interior complained that he was forced to 
compete for funds with much needed development programs, such 
as the President's initiative to alleviate poverty. 
 
4. (C) Alimi expressed his gratitude for USG security 
assistance, pointing to the creation and ongoing training of 
the Coast Guard, and the training and equipping of the 
Central Security Forces Counter-Terrorism Unit (CSF-CTU). 
The positive results of our security cooperation, Alimi told 
DAS, are "widespread" but we need greater assistance, 
particularly for the CSF-CTU (ref B). 
 
5. (C) Qirbi told DAS that the ROYG had made great strides in 
fighting terrorism in Yemen and in dealing with AQ, but 
"a'-Qaida is not the end of the road.  There will always be 
more groups," said the FM, segueing into an appeal for 
increased US economic and development aid to combat the root 
causes of terrorism.  DAS agreed that the CT struggle has 
several dimensions, emphasizing that security is essential as 
the threat is now.  The other dimensions -- fighting 
extremism through democratic reform and economic development 
-- go hand in hand with security efforts.  Combating 
terrorism by changing political, social and economic 
conditions in the region is a long term endeavor, he told the 
FM, and we continue to look for ways to address this. 
Passing from threshold to MCC status is an important 
opportunity.  The ROYG should not miss out on it, DAS 
advised, by failing to significantly address the issues of 
rule of law and corruption. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Forum for the Future: Get Serious, Widen the Tent 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
6. (C) FM Qirbi shared his impressions of the FfF meeting in 
Rabat, saying that the meeting was important, but too short. 
He criticized "some Arab states" for neglecting to tackle 
substantive issues, saying that the Forum was in danger of 
becoming an arena for states in the region to defend their 
reform records instead of formulating next steps.  Qirbi 
suggested that membership be expanded to include problem 
states such as Somalia and Sudan.  "Participation is better 
than exclusion," he said, adding that he was pleased to see 
Syria was there.  DAS agreed the FfF needed more meat, saying 
that he hoped the next meeting in Bahrain would produce more 
tangible results.  DAS said he understands there is suspicion 
among participants as to US and G-8 motives, however, the 
Forum is designed to be a mechanism for us to work together 
to promote your own reform initiatives. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Qirbi: I Want My Democracy Center 
--------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) As expected, Qirbi made a plug for the creation of a 
democracy center in Sanaa to support the BMENA Democracy 
Assistance Dialogue (DAD).  (Note: Qirbi is keen to establish 
a permanent DAD body -- complete with secretariat, a concept 
not supported by the USG and Italy.  End Note.)  The Foreign 
Minister said that Italy and Turkey are "at a loss" for who 
will pay for the center, claiming that "if DAD is not 
supported by an organization, it will be a waste of time." 
Qirbi said he had talked with NDI and other US NGOs regarding 
the project.  DAS responded that we are still examining the 
follow-up on various FfF issues, including this one, and 
pointed to MEPI as a possible avenue. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Regional Cooperation, Need Your Help... 
--------------------------------------- 
8. (C) Qirbi, Alimi, and Sofan all raised the need for GCC 
countries to step up assistance to Yemen.  The FM and 
Minister of Planning pressed for US help in persuading Gulf 
states to provide more economic and development aid (ref A). 
"If we are to move forward with economic reforms," said 
Sofan, "we need a cushion to allay the fears of the Yemeni 
people that they will suffer."  (Comment:  President Saleh 
recently undertook a fund-raising tour of Europe and some 
Gulf states and is clearly disappointed with the results. 
End Comment.) 
 
9. (C) Alimi briefed DAS on his participation in the IISS GCC 
Regional Security Conference in Bahrain earlier this month 
and requested that the US lobby GCC members to provide 
security assistance to Yemen.  He said that the Bahrain 
conference was a positive development that should be built 
upon.  Alimi said that participants made a commitment to 
regional cooperation in the GWOT, and understands that the 
fight against terrorism cannot be won unilaterally, 
nevertheless, he complained, GCC security aid to Yemen has 
not been forthcoming. 
 
------------------------------- 
...Particularly with the Saudis 
------------------------------- 
 
10. (C) Moving from the GCC in general to Saudi Arabia, all 
three Ministers said that the KSA was not being as helpful as 
it should.  A prosperous Yemen is in our neighbor's interest, 
said all three interlocutors.  Sofan pointed to specific 
proposals he had made to the Saudis to alleviate the negative 
effect of Saudiazation on Yemeni guest laborers and to 
increase Saudi investment in Yemen.  Sofan complained that 
the Saudis never responded to these proposals. 
 
11. (C) Alimi also lamented about the lack of Saudi 
cooperation in the realm of stemming SA/LWs smuggling across 
the Saudi-Yemeni border.  "We made two proposals to the 
Saudis," he reported, "assist the ROYG to purchase weapons 
and explosives from private hands and arms dealers in tribal 
areas near the Saudi-Yemen border, and finance the creation 
of a MOI border security force.  I made these proposals to 
Prince Nayef and he was enthusiastic," said Alimi, but that 
was two years ago and still nothing. "You are our friends, 
and the Saudis are your friends," said Alimi, "Maybe you 
could talk to them?"  The Minister of Interior suggested 
establishing a US-Saudi-Yemen dialogue on Saudi-Yemeni 
security cooperation, DAS promised to explore the idea. 
 
--------------------------- 
Iran and the Future of Iraq 
--------------------------- 
 
12. (C) DAS raised US concerns on Iran with Foreign Minister 
Qirbi.  Iran has strategic interests to promote, he relayed, 
and it chooses to do so in a way that does not enhance 
stability in the region.  Qirbi said Iranian-Yemeni relations 
are good, but that unfortunately, Teheran is unpredictable. 
The FM said that Iran believes upcoming Iraqi elections will 
serve its interests due to the Shia majority, and that it 
expects to forge closer relations with the new Iraqi 
government.  Shi'ites within Iraq are also concerned about 
Iranian influence, Qirbi added, because they have a secular 
component they want to preserve.  Qirbi said many in the 
region see the Iraqi elections as an end, rather than a means 
to produce a stable, united Iraq and eliminate violence and 
terrorism.  "If they can create stability internally," he 
said, "then the home grown elements of the insurgency should 
die away."  A long time advocate of Democratic reform in 
Yemen, Qirbi said that Arab governments have a responsibility 
to "help the IIG ensure real elections occur and real 
democracy is established in Iraq."  "The US presence in Iraq 
will be short," he said, "five to ten years, but in the end 
you will leave and there will still be KSA, Turkey, Iran -- 
Iraq must have good relations with its neighbors without 
interference in internal affairs."  (Note: Saleh's statements 
of support for the IIG and for January 30 elections run hot 
and cold, Qirbi's view is not consistently reflected in ROYG 
behavior on Iraq.  End Note.) 
--------------------------- 
Gotta Get Control of SA/LWs 
--------------------------- 
 
13. (S) DAS thanked Qirbi and Alimi for ROYG cooperation in 
the recent weapons buyback, describing the effort as a "major 
success."  However, he continued, the flow of SA/LWs into and 
through Yemen remains a significant problem -- for you, for 
us, for your neighbors.  Given how high the stakes are, said 
DAS, Yemen needs to be very serious about getting smuggling 
under control."  Both Ministers immediately pointed to what 
the ROYG claims was a 40 million dollar effort to buy back 
all types of SA/LW as well as explosives from the grey 
market.  Yemen cooperates with Saudi Arabia to stem arms 
smuggling, said Qirbi, but as long as there is money to buy 
and a market like Iraq, some smuggling will continue. 
 
14. (S) Alimi said he was pleased that Yemen and the US had 
reached a solution for removing specific weapons from the 
market, but "I still have a lot of anxiety about what remains 
out there."  "Yemen has a huge amount of weapons," continued 
Alimi, because of the cold war, and the 1994 civil war in 
"which regional players were involved." "So," continued the 
MI, "we all bear the responsibility." 
 
----------------- 
Prisoner Releases 
----------------- 
 
15. (S) DAS expressed USG appreciation to the Minister of 
Interior for ROYG cooperation in delaying the release of 
security detainees suspected of ties to AQ, but stressed that 
the ROYG needs to fulfill its promises and provide a complete 
exchange of information with the USG.  Alimi claimed he had 
already complied by passing the detainees files to the Office 
of the Attorney General (AG) for prosecution. (Note: To 
Post's knowledge no files, evidence or information on the 
detainees garnered during PSO detention has been shared with 
the AG. Security Chief Gamish continues to insist that the 
PSO has no information.  End Note.)  Alimi told DAS he 
favored a legal solution, but if the AG finds there is no 
evidence these individuals have violated Yemeni law, "we 
cannot continue to hold them indefinitely.  We have a 
constitutional obligation, and I am under pressure from 
Parliament, civil society groups and human rights advocates 
to release them." 
KRAJESKI