US embassy cable - 05SANAA836

S E C R E T SANAA 000836 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, S/CT, CA, DS/DSS, 
DS/IP/NEA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, DS/OPO/FPD, CENTCOM FOR 
POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2015 
TAGS: ASEC, AMGT, PREL, PTER, EAC 
SUBJECT: SANAA EAC MEETING - 30 MARCH 2005 
 
 
Classified By: RSO Tim Laas for reasons 1.4 (b), (c) and (d). 
 
1.    (S/NF) Summary:  CDA Nabeel Khoury, convened an EAC 
meeting on March 30, 2005 to discuss recent security concerns 
including a grenade attack against unidentified ROYG 
officials in a busy downtown shopping area, threats from 
Yemen citizens who have lost family members in Iraq, and 
resurgence of fighting in the Saddah area between ROYG 
military and Al-Houthi supporters.  The EAC was held in 
conjunction with a stress management training visit to post 
by the regional compliment psychiatrist.  EAC meeting 
included key offices and country team personnel. End Summary. 
 
2.    (S/NF) CDA informed EAC of a reported attack on a local 
ROYG police vehicle, 3/29, in which a grenade was used 
against a police car in the Bab-al-Yemen shopping district. 
The motive remained unknown at the time of the meeting 
despite discussions with MOI and other post contacts.  EAC 
members agreed that sending a warden message would be 
prudent, advising American Citizens to exercise caution in 
the area until more information is availabe from ROYG.  (RSO 
Note: RSO met with MOI chief of staff, who had been briefed 
by the Minister of Interior, indicating that the attack was 
criminal in nature, isolated, and the security situation was 
back to normal in the area.  MOI officials also indicated to 
RSO that the purpetrator had already been arrested.  CDA, on 
the other hand, was told by another ROYG official that the 
incident was related to the violence in Saddah and that the 
purpetrator was probably an Al-Houthi supporter). 
 
3.    (S/NF) CDA also discussed the issue of renewed fighting 
between government forces and followers of the slain rebel 
cleric Hussein al-Houthi in Saddah.  CDA noted that the 
situation would be monitored closely as to the level of 
conflict and potential danger for westerners in Sana'a as a 
result of the violence. 
 
4.  Visiting regional compliment psychiatrist attended the 
EAC and used the discussion to launch a group session on 
stress management, using the EAC related incidents as 
examples of stress causes for officers living and working in 
Yemen. 
Khoury