US embassy cable - 05SANAA432

UNCLAS SANAA 000432 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA AND 
S/CT, NICOLE IBBINS-SEDACA 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
NEA/PPD MQUINN, JSMITH, CWHITTLESEY, FFINVER 
NEA/ARPI AMISENHEIMER, TROBERTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, PTER, KISL, YM, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON UNDER SECRETARY PAULA 
DORBRIANSKY'S VISIT TO SANA'A, YEMEN, FEBRUARY 24, 2005. 
 
1. SUMMARY: U.S. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS 
PAULA J. DOBRIANSKY'S VISIT TO SANA'A, YEMEN WAS EXTENSIVELY 
COVERED IN THE YEMENI MEDIA. MOST NEWSPAPERS REPORTED ON THE 
VISIT WITHOUT COMMENT, CITING HER MEETINGS WITH THE 
PRESIDENT AND OTHER ROYG OFFICIALS AS WELL AS HER 
DISCUSSIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS AND THE SUBSEQUENT 
PRESS CONFERENCE. MOST PRESS REPORTS FOCUSED ON HER PRAISE 
FOR DEMOCRATIC REFOM IN YEMEN AND STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF 
PRESS FREEDOM AND ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES. END SUMMARY 
 
2. AL-THAWRA OFFICIAL DAILY (02/25) CARRIED FIVE 
STRAIGHTFORWARD REPORTS ON THE VISIT WITHOUT COMMENTARY. 
ONE STORY, DESCRIBING DOBRIANSKY'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT 
SALEH SAID THE TWO OFFICIALS DISCUSSED THE OUTCOMES OF THE 
SEA ISLAND G-8 SUMMIT. THE REPORT ADDED THAT DEMOCRATIC 
DEVELOPMENT, WOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL LIFE, THE 
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT AND ITS ROLE IN YEMENI 
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WERE THE FOCUS OF DISCUSSIONS ON YEMENI 
DOMESTIC ISSUES.  IN A FRONT PAGE STORY ON THE VISIT, AL- 
THAWRA QUOTED THE U/S AS SAYING THAT "YEMEN IS A LEADER OF 
FREEDOMS IN THE REGION."  AL-THAWRA ALSO CARRIED HER 
STATEMENT COMMENDING YEMEN'S "LEADING" ROLE IN DEMOCRATIC 
REFORM IN THE REGION AS WELL AS THE "ONGOING DEBATES" AT THE 
NATIONAL LEVEL TO "IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE 
COUNTRY." OTHER OFFICIAL MEDIA TOOK THE SAME POSITIVE TACK. 
SABA NEWS AGENCY HIGHLIGHTED THE U/S'S FOCUS ON PRESS 
FREEDOMS WITH THE HEADLINE: "US OFFICIAL URGES YEMENI 
PARLIAMENT TO ABOLISH PROSECUTION AND IMPRISONMENT OF 
JOURNALISTS." 
 
3. THE ADEN-BASED INDEPENDENT AL-AYYAM DAILY PUBLISHED A 
FULL-PAGE REPORT ON THE CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM AND THE PRESS 
CONFERENCE WITH A BANNER HEADLINE: "IT IS IMPORTANT THAT 
YEMEN NOT LOSE ITS GOOD REPUTATION ON PRESS FREEDOM." 
 
4. YEMEN TV BROADCAST TWO REPORTS THE SAME DAY (02/24) ON 
ITS PRIME TIME NEWSCAST WITH COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE THE 
UNDER SECRETARY'S MEETINGS.  THE REPORTS FOCUSED ON THE 
EXPANSION OF THE YEMENI-US PARTNERSHIP, QUOTING THE A/S 
SAYING: "YEMEN PLAYS AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING 
DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOMS. 
 
5. ALTHOUGH ALMOST ALL REGIONAL TELEVISION NEWS CHANNELS 
SUCH AS AL-JAZEERA, AL-ARABIYYA, AL-AKHBARIYYA, AL-HURRA, 
MBC AND KUWAIT TV WERE PRESENT AT THE CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM 
AND THE SUBSEQUENT PRESS CONFERENCE, ONLY AL-JAZEERA AND AL- 
ARABIYA COVERED THEM BRIEFLY.  AL-JAZEERA QUOTED A STATEMENT 
BY U/S DOBRIANSKY IN A REPORT IT BROADCAST ON THE YEMENI 
APPEALS COURT DECISION ON THE USS COLE CASE. SPEAKING DURING 
THE PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24 (TWO DAYS 
BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COURT DECISION), MS. 
DOBRIANSKY SAID: "WE COMMEND THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT AND THE 
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR CONDUCTING TWO DIFFICULT 
TRIALS VERY PROFESSIONALLY AND OPENLY."  THE AL-ARABIYYA 
REPORT ALSO COMMENTED THAT THE UNDER SECRETARY'S VISIT CAME 
ON THE EVE OF THE APPEALS COURT DECISION ON THE COLE CASE. 
 
6. COVERAGE BY TWO INDEPENDENT NEWS WEBSITES (RA'Y NEWS, AL- 
TAGHYEER) AND THE RULING PARTY'S AL-MO'TAMAR NET FOCUSED ON 
THE U/S'S SUPPORT FOR PRESS FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND ANTI- 
CORRUPTION MEASURES. 
 
7. COMMENT:GENERALLY, MOST SENIOR US OFFICIAL VISITS TO 
YEMEN RECEIVE SOME NEGATIVE COVERAGE IN THE YEMENI AND 
REGIONAL MEDIA.  IN LIGHT OF THIS FACT, THE MEDIA REACTION 
TO UNDER SECRETARY DOBRIANSKY'S VISIT IS SIGNIFICANT, 
BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF NEGATIVE COVERAGE TO DATE. TO THE 
CONTRARY, ALL OF THE REPORTS ON THE VISIT, IN ADDITION TO 
BEING STRAIGHTFORWARD AND FACTUAL, HAD A POSITIVE TONE TO 
THEM.  EVEN HABITUAL CRITICS OF THE UNITED STATES, SUCH AS 
AL-JAZEERA, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT 
THE VISIT AND THE ISSUES DISCUSSED DURING THE UNDER 
SECRETARY'S MEETINGS WITH OFFICIALS AND HER DISCUSSIONS WITH 
 
SIPDIS 
CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS. END COMMENT 
 
KRAJESKI