US embassy cable - 05SANAA652

S E C R E T SANAA 000652 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2015 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, PREL, PHUM, SY, LE, IR, IZ, DEMARCHE 
SUBJECT: DFM ON SA/LW, SYRIA AND IMPRISONED JOURNALIST 
KHAIWANI 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 45505 
     B. SECSTATE 44486 
     C. SECSTATE 41957 
     D. SANAA 564 
 
Classified By: CDA Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b. and d.) 
 
1. (S) Summary: On March 16, DCM delivered refs A-C demarches 
to Deputy Foreign Minister Mustapha Noman and held a 
wide-ranging conversation on recent U.S.-ROYG discussions on 
SA/LW, Syria, and imprisoned journalist Abdulkarim 
al-Khaiwani.  Suggesting continued follow-up on the SA/LW 
issue, Noman told DCM that the USG has gotten Saleh's 
attention and should inform Saleh when it demarches European 
capitals on this issue.  Noman offered no substantive comment 
on refs B and C, but said that Saleh strongly urged President 
Asad to leave Syria quickly in his March 3 telephone call. 
Noman recommended the USG to refrain from taking any further 
action on Khaiwani until the results of his appeal are 
announced on March 24. End summary. 
 
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SA/LW: Tell Saleh When You Demarche the Euros 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (S) After reviewing the March 10 Ambassador/Saleh 
conversation on SA/LW ref D, Noman asked DCM to consider 
informing Saleh when the USG demarched European capitals to 
stop selling weapons to unofficial ROYG representatives. 
Repeating, "when it happens, he should know," Noman explained 
the need to maintain momentum and expressed his personal 
concern that in six months the joint political will could 
diminish.  Noman (please protect) asked why the arms dealer 
in question, Faris al-Mana'a, was not on any U.S. terrorist 
financing watch list?  He posited, again, very privately and 
off the record, that if the USG took such an action, it would 
send a strong signal to other arms merchants (and the ROYG) 
that we are taking this issue seriously. 
 
 
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Syria: Nasrallah Made a Mistake 
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3. (C) In response to Ref A demarche, Noman said several 
people he knew who had supported Hizbollah and Nasrallah 
before, have now decided he was a Syrian stooge.  Noman said 
Nasrallah miscalculated in his speech to the pro-Syrian 
demonstration in Beirut.  Noman confided that President 
Saleh, in his March 3 conversation with President Asad, 
suggested that Asad should fulfill the terms of withdrawal 
"in two weeks, instead of four."  Noman relayed that he asked 
Saleh if he believed that Asad was really in charge.  Saleh 
reportedly replied, "no." 
 
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Khaiwani:  Let Us Wait Until March 24 
------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) DCM raised the status of imprisoned journalist 
Abdulkarim Khaiwani and underscored USG concerns over press 
freedom in Yemen.  Noman replied that he might raise the 
issue directly with the president, but repeated several times 
that he thought all concerned parties should wait until the 
appellate court verdict is issued on March 24.  DCM suggested 
that if Khaiwani does not win his appeal, a Presidential 
pardon should be issued.  DCM added that if he is not 
pardoned, the ROYG may see increased USG pressure to release 
Khaiwani.  Noman took the idea onboard, commenting that 
perhaps a direct message to the President is needed.  Noman 
relayed that Presidential Advisor Abdul Karim al-Iryani spoke 
to the appellate judge on the Khaiwani case, but said that 
Iryani told Noman he was frustrated because the judge was 
"PSO" and very rigid.  Noman closed by relating that he 
recently gave an interview to the Dubai-based newspaper, 
al-Bayan, to be published shortly, in which he admitted that 
Khaiwani's imprisonment was a mistake, but stuck to the ROYG 
party line and said that Khaiwani violated the law.  "The 
journalists should focus on changing the law," closed Noman. 
Krajeski