US embassy cable - 05SANAA1868

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001868 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE, PLS PASS TO STATE MED 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2010 
TAGS: MASS, PINR, PREL, YE 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SALEH REQUESTS MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR 
CHIEF OF STAFF QASSEMI 
 
Classified By: CDA NABEEL KHOURY FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) & (d) 
 
1.(C) President Saleh contacted CDA on July 6, and his office 
has called daily since then, requesting medical treatment for 
Chief of Staff General Mohammed al-Qassemi at the Bethesda 
Naval Hospital. General Gassemi, 58, checked into University 
of Mainz clinic in Germany in early June and was diagnosed as 
having a malignant tumor in his right lung. Upon request, 
ROYG supplied CDA with the German clinic's medical report, 
according to which General Qassemi seems to have had a 
successful surgery to remove the tumor. Follow up chemo 
therapy and further tests were recommended. 
 
2. (C) CDA has already made email and telephone contacts with 
ARP at State, with DIA and with Centcom Deputy Commander, 
General Smith, concerning General Qassemi's possible 
admission into Bethesda Naval. State Med has also been asked 
for their advice and they are working on the same issue, but 
also recommended a back-up option of admission to the Harvard 
Medical Center, if admission is not granted to Bethesda. 
 
3. (C) Ideally, post recommends admission and coverage of 
General Qassemi's medical costs at Bethesda Naval. Qassemi is 
a key military contact with influence on key bilateral 
military and military-intelligence issues. He reputedly 
carries more weight than MinDef Alewa with the President and 
with the military establishment in Yemen.  Our second option 
is admission without subsidy. As a third option, State Med 
can facilitate his entry into a private medical establishment 
such as Harvard. President's interpreter and key embassy 
interlocutor, Mohamed Sudam, told CDA that ROYG would foot 
the bill if necessary and would still appreciate our 
facilitative assistance. 
 
4. (C) Post appreciates early decision on General Qassemi, 
who is currently recovering from surgery in Germany and 
awaits our decision to proceed directly from Germany to the 
States based on our recommendation and assistance. 
Khoury