US embassy cable - 05SANAA3105

S E C R E T SANAA 003105 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2015 
TAGS: PREL, CVIS, EFIN, ETTC, PTER, KSEP, KVPR, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM, TERFIN 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DELIVERS ZINDANI INFORMATION 
 
REF: A. STATE 193448 
     B. SANAA 2806 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas C. Krajeski for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1.  (S) Summary: On October 24, Ambassador delivered ref A 
information on de-listing terrorist financier Sheikh Abd 
al-Majid al-Zindani to Deputy Foreign Minister Mohiedeen 
Al-Dhabi.  Dhabi thanked Ambassador for responding to the 
ROYG's previous request for assistance (ref B), but once 
again asked for specific information on Zindani's support to 
Al-Qaeda. End Summary. 
 
2.  (S)  Ambassador passed instructions on how Zindani 
himself could request the Office of Foreign Assets Control 
and the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee to reconsider his 
designation as a terrorist financier.  He stressed, however, 
that the USG possessed credible evidence of Zindani's support 
to terrorists and expressed disappointment that the ROYG had 
yet to freeze his assets or block his travel. 
 
3.  (S) Dhabi responded that Zindani would not leave the 
country as he was "too afraid to travel."  In the middle of 
the meeting, Thabi called the passport office to confirm that 
Zindani no longer possessed a valid passport.  He believes 
Zindani last traveled abroad on a diplomatic passport three 
years ago, when he accompanied the President on a visit to 
Saudi Arabia in his capacity as a presidential advisor. 
Regardless of Zindani's fears, Ambassador emphasized the 
importance of the ROYG fulfilling its UN obligations and 
formally blocking his travel.  Zindani's designation as a 
terrorist financier is primarily based on his support for 
Al-Qaeda, said Ambassador, and the lack of action against him 
contradicts the ROYG's own campaign against the 
organization's activities in Yemen. 
 
4.  (S)  Dhabi reiterated the ROYG's request for specific 
information on Zindani's support for Al-Qaeda, adding that 
his government was most interested in evidence of support 
given within the last five years.  New information would be 
helpful, he continued, to allay concerns within the Yemeni 
government that Zindani's designation stemmed from his 
support of Osama bin Laden during the Soviet occupation of 
Afghanistan. 
Krajeski