US embassy cable - 05SANAA935

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO NEA ALAN MISENHEIMER, NSC FRANCIS TOWNSEND 
AND ELLIOT ABRAMS, DOD ASD/ISA PETER W. RODMAN 
FROM THE AMBASSADOR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, MARR, MOPS, PINR, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: SAADA-RELATED MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO CENTRAL 
SECURITY FORCES CT UNIT 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (S/NF) SUMMARY:  PRESIDENT SALIH URGENTLY REQUESTS 
MATERIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HIS SECURITY FORCES CURRENTLY ENGAGED 
WITH AL-HOUTHI INSURGENTS.  THE LIST OF REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED 
BY MINISTER OF INTERIOR, MAJOR GENERAL ALIMI (SEPTEL) ON 9 
APRIL 05 SHOULD BECOME THE STARTING POINT FOR YEMEN 
ASSISTANCE DISCUSSIONS BY INTER-AGENCY OFFICIALS MEETING IN 
WASHINGTON D.C., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND, AND CJTF-HOA . 
EMBASSY SANA'A COUNTRY TEAM HAS ASSESSED AND PRIORITIZED 
ALIMI'S REQUESTED ITEMS, AND NOW REQUESTS POLICY GUIDANCE AND 
EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING BY ALL CONCERNED. MEDICAL SUPPLIES, 2-3 
ARMORED HMMWVS, AND NIGHT VISION DEVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED 
IMMEDIATELY IF POSSIBLE. 
 
2.  (S/NF)  MEDICAL SUPPLIES: MEDICAL SUPPLIES SHOULD BE 
FIRST PRIORITY DELIVERABLES TO YEMEN SECURITY FORCES.  RAPID 
DELIVERY OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES DEMONSTRATES U.S. COMMITMENT AND 
CONCERN FOR THE SITUATION FACING PRESIDENT SALIH IN THIS 
EMERGENCY. 
 
3.  (S/NF)  ARMORED HIGH MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES (ARMORED 
HMMWVS):  CENTRAL SECURITY FORCE COUNTER TERRORISM UNIT 
(CSF-CTU) URGENTLY REQUESTS WHEELED ARMORED VEHICLES WITH 
WEAPON MOUNTS IN ORDER TO ENGAGE AL-HOUTHI INSURGENTS IN 
VICINITY OF SAADA WHERE YEMENI ARMORED VEHICLES HAVE HAD A 
DIFFICULT TIME OPERATING IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.  CSF-CTU 
CURRENTLY HAS TWENTY (20) M-1025/1026 ARMORED HMMWVS ON ORDER 
THROUGH PSEUDO FMF CASE S4-B-AUA. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND 
EXPEDITING THE ACQUISITION AND SHIPMENT OR SUBSTITUTION OF 
IN-THEATER STOCK OF TWO TO FOUR OF THESE HMMWVS TO FILL THE 
IMMEDIATE REQUIREMENT. ADDITIONALLY, YEMEN GOVERNMENT IS 
REQUESTING ONE COMMAND/OPERATIONS VEHICLE FOR COMMAND AND 
CONTROL. AS WITH THE ARMORED HMMWVS TWO COMMAND AND CONTROL 
CONFIGURED AMBULANCE HMMWVS ARE ON ORDER THROUGH THE PSEUDO 
CASE. RECOMMEND EXPEDITING ACQUISITION AND SHIPMENT OF ONE OF 
THESE VEHICLES FOR THE REQUIREMENT. 
 
4.  (S/NF)  NIGHT VISION DEVICES (NVDS):  THIRD PRIORITY ARE 
THERMAL SIGHTS (AN/PVS-13) FOR NIGHT TIME SURVEILLANCE AND 
RECONNAISSANCE OF INSURGENT POSITIONS AND TWELVE NIGHT VISION 
SCOPES (AN/PVS-10) FOR SNIPER RIFLES FOR THE CONDUCT OF 
TARGET INTERDICTION.  CURRENTLY YEMENI SECURITY FORCES HAVE 
NO LONG RANGE NIGHT TIME SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY HINDERING 
THEIR ABILITY TO FIGHT AT NIGHT AND ALLOWING INSURGENT FORCES 
TO EVADE GOVERNMENT FORCES. 
 
5.  (S/NF)  WEAPONS: 
 
            (A)  TWELVE EACH M-24 SNIPER SYSTEMS FOR TARGET 
INTERDICTION.  WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT TRANSFER OF AR-10T 
SNIPER SYSTEMS GRANTED UNDER ATA PROGRAM FROM *** FORCE TO 
CSF-CTU HOWEVER THIS IS ONLY AN INTERIM FIX. 
 
            (B)  ANY QUANTITY OF GRENADE LAUNCHERS WITH 
COMPATIBLE AMMUNITION FOR USE AGAINST INSURGENT FORCES IN 
CAVES AND ON MOUNTAIN/HILLTOPS.  RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR 
RAIL COMPATIBLE M-203 SYSTEMS WITH HIGH EXPLOSIVE (HE) AND 
HIGH EXPLOSIVE DUAL PURPOSE ROUNDS. 
 
            (C)  ANY QUANTITY OF M-240 MACHINE GUNS WITH 
COMPATIBLE AMMUNITION.  RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR AT LEAST 
TWO TO FOUR OF THESE MACHINE GUNS COME WITH VEHICLE MOUNTS. 
M-60 MACHINE GUNS FROM EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES (EDA) WOULD BE 
AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE.  THESE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FIRE 
SUPPORT AND SUPPRESSIVE FIRE IN SUPPORT OF CSF-CTU DIRECT 
ACTION MISSIONS. 
 
            (D)  ONE MAN-PORTABLE ANTI-ARMOR WEAPONS SYSTEM 
WITH ONE KILOMETER STAND OFF TO DESTROY BUNKERS AND HARDENED 
POSITIONS.  RECOMMEND RECOILLESS RIFLE TYPE SYSTEM LIKE CARL 
GUSTAV WITH ANTI-ARMOR, HIGH EXPLOSIVES, AND ANTI-PERSONNEL 
ROUNDS. 
 
6.  (S/NF)  NON-LETHAL RIOT CONTROL GAS CANISTERS AND 
LAUNCHERS.  THESE ITEMS WOULD BE USED TO FLUSH INSURGENTS OUT 
OF BUILDINGS AND CAVES.  RECOMMENDATION THAT THESE ITEMS IF 
AVAILABLE AND APPROVED, BE PROVIDED UNDER STATE DEPARTMENT 
ATA PROGRAM. 
 
7.  (S/NF)  ARMORED VEHICLES: 
 
            (A)  THIRTY ONE ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS 
(M-113); WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT 
TRANSFER EXISTING M-113'S AND/OR BTR-60'S FROM MINISTRY OF 
DEFENSE TO MINISTRY OF INTERIOR.  IF WE WERE TO TRANSFER U.S. 
M-113'S, WE WOULD NEED EXPEDITED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL UNDER 
THE ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT. WE SHOULD THEREFORE INVESTIGATE 
AN EXPEDITED FMF CASE FOR SPARE PARTS. COUNTRY TEAM IS 
PREPARED TO EXPLAIN THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT CURRENTLY 
AVAILABLE, AND ARE LONG LEAD-TIME ITEMS AND THAT 
SUBSTITUTION/CROSS-LEVELLING WITHIN YEMEN SECURITY FORCES IS 
THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION. 
 
            (B)  ONE ARMORED RECOVERY VEHICLE:  AS WITH APC's 
WE ARE RECOMMENDING TRANSFER OF EXISTING VEHICLES FROM 
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE TO MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. 
 
            (C)  ONE ARMORED MOBILE OPERATIONS CENTER: 
RECOMMEND USING EXISTING M-113 OR BTR-60 AND ASSISTING YEMENI 
GOVERNMENT IN CONVERSION FOR COMMAND AND CONTROL. 
 
8.  (S/NF)  CAMERA CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING LIVE DIGITAL FEED 
VIA SATELLITE OR RADIO TO HEADQUARTERS OR BASE STATION. 
RECOMMEND THAT WE ENCOURAGE YEMEN SECURITY FORCES MAKE 
MAXIMUM USE OF THEIR ON-HAND VIDEO RECORDING EQUIPMENT, AND 
HELICOPTER COURIER IN ORDER TO FULFILL THIS REQUIREMENT. 
 
KRAJESKI