US embassy cable - 05SANAA726

S E C R E T SANAA 000726 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2015 
TAGS: PINR, PREL, PTER, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: FIGHTING ESCALATES IN SAADA: AL-HOUTHI LIVES ON 
 
REF: SANAA 697 
 
1. (U) Renewed fighting between government forces and 
followers of the slain anti-American rebel cleric Hussein 
al-Houthi occurred on March 28.  Reports from official media 
and Post contacts indicate over 20 casualties from both 
sides.  The ROYG blamed the current uprising on the dead 
cleric's father, 81 year-old Badr Eddin al-Houthi, who is 
accused of breaking a cease-fire agreement that has held 
since the killing of his son by security forces last 
September. The London-based Arabic daily al-Hayat reported 
that Badr Eddin al-Houthi was captured by government forces, 
but this has yet to be confirmed.  ROYG sources report that 
the rebels set up roadblocks on the Saada-Dhahyan-Bagem road 
and attacked military checkpoints. There are no official 
reports of civilian casualties, but tribal sources claim 
several homes were destroyed by Army artillery fire. 
 
2. (C) Badr Eddin al-Houthi, considered one of Yemen's most 
prominent Zaidi Shia leaders, recently criticized the ROYG 
for holding hundreds of supporters of his son's movement, the 
Believing Youth, who were rounded up during fighting in Saada 
last summer and have remained detained in Sanaa.  The elder 
al-Houthi claims the truce between his son's supporters and 
government forces rested on a ROYG-promised amnesty for the 
captured Believing Youth. Deputy Foreign Minister Noman told 
Pol/Econ Chief on March 29 that many detainees are "young 
kids" aged 15-18.  According to Noman, attempts by Judge 
al-Hitar to "rehabilitate the children" have stalled and all 
of the detainees refused opportunities to return home in 
exchange for denouncing their beliefs. 
 
3. (S) This round of violence follows a previous flare-up 
near Saada on March 19 (reftel).  (Comment:  Al-Houthi, the 
father, has left virtual house arrest in Sanaa and returned 
to his home region, possibly foreshadowing a resurgence of 
the rebellion under his leadership.  Post just learned that 
140 CSF U.S.-trained soldiers have been sent to the area of 
conflict.  We will be watching closely to see if this 
flare-up is an isolated incident or the precursor to renewed 
large-scale fighting akin to what we saw last summer.  End 
comment.) 
Khoury