US embassy cable - 03SANAA492

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 000492 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL, PREL, PGOV, IZ, YM 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR HULL'S INTERVIEW WITH AL-AYYAM 
 
Translated text of Ambassador Hull's Arabic Interview with 
Al-Ayyam. Other aspects of the Ambassador's March 9-10 visit 
to Aden reported reftel. 
 
Begin Text: 
 
"Q: We have learned that today you visited various places in 
Aden which have received U.S. assistance. Could you please 
tell us what kind of assistance was given? 
 
A: Of course, my visit to Aden has two objectives, the first 
one focuses on development and the other one focuses on 
security.  We started today to focus on development, 
including the assistance for manufacturing school furniture 
for schools all over the Republic of Yemen. We visited a 
school furniture factory in Mualla, Aden. We highly 
appreciate the efforts of all partners and the efforts of 
Yemeni workers. I think the factory currently employs about 
700 Yemeni workers. In addition to that, we visited the 
branch of the Yemen Women,s Union that has now a computer 
lab to provide training. No doubt, the Union provides great 
service to Yemeni society and Yemeni women, especially the 
new generation. Our efforts will continue in Yemen to assist 
Yemeni governorates, including Aden. 
 
Q: Does this assistance come within U.S. policy to support 
Yemeni civil society institutions? 
 
A: Yes, we have a partnership with the Yemeni government and 
with civil society institutions. 
 
Q: Let,s now move to the security side. The United States is 
currently training Yemeni coast guards. It installed 
observation systems in strategic locations in Aden city. How 
is this security cooperation going, and what can we expect in 
the near future? 
 
A: We believe that there is a link between development and 
security. There is no development without security and no 
security without development. Therefore, I believe that our 
efforts regarding the Yemeni Coast Guard are very important. 
We, at present, are working with two objectives. The first 
one is to train the new coast guard cadres and the second one 
is to provide boats and necessary equipment for the Coast 
Guard. We want to benefit from our visit (to Aden) to find 
locations for the Coast Guard and also locations for 
workshops that can serve the Coast Guard in the future. 
 
Q: What is the number of the trainees who were sent to the 
U.S.?  Will you send more groups? 
 
A: I think the first group of cadres was about 20 persons. 
They are now studying English in Yemen. After they learn the 
language, there will be training in the United States. 
 
Q: How do you evaluate Yemen,s efforts in counter-terrorism? 
 
A: I think Yemen is in the lead among states in 
counter-terrorism. No doubt, this was achieved thanks to the 
policy of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the cooperation of 
the Yemeni people. We recently noticed a concrete and 
important progress in that regard. I think Yemen now, from 
the terrorism side, is much safer than it was in the past. I 
believe that by continuing more efforts in the future, we 
will see stability and security in this country. 
 
Regarding the security of the southern part of the Red Sea, 
there are many naval vessels that belong to the U.S., 
Germany, and Spain. They all set out from Djibouti. Is there 
a trend for using Aden seaport as well? 
 
A: I think it is possible to use Aden seaport if that is 
acceptable by the Yemeni government. At present we use the 
Port of Djibouti. No doubt that Aden seaport is excellent and 
suitable for use, but it is up to the Yemeni government. 
 
Q: Regarding Iraq, the U.S. Administration is now trying to 
get a new resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council. 
There is opposition from many countries in the Council. How 
do you view the issue of the new resolution? 
 
A: The new resolution is presented by the U.K. It is 
supported by Spain and the U.S. We believe that it is useful 
to be discussed by the Security Council. No one can predict 
the result of that debate. However, it is good that such 
issues will be discussed in full in the Security Council. 
 
Q: Don,t you believe that the rejection of that resolution 
or its failure by veto could form a threat to the legal cover 
that resolution No. 1441 provides? 
 
A: I do not think so. Resolution No. 1441 and the previous 
ones state clearly commitments on the Iraqi government to get 
rid of its weapons of mass destruction fully and immediately. 
It is clear that the recent reports of al-Baradei and Blix 
indicated that the Iraqi government did not comply. So, we 
believe that we have sufficient legal cover to go to military 
action without any other resolutions. 
 
Q: As a Yemeni and an Arab, how can I trust U.S. allegations? 
A: I think we should review the history. We faced a lot of 
problems in the past. Afghanistan and the terrorism coming 
from it were a problem of the international community. We had 
a great challenge regarding the Muslims in Kosovo who were 
being persecuted. If we go further into the past, to the 
Second World War and the great suffering in Europe and Asia. 
I think in all these cases, the U.S. played a leading role in 
facing those challenges. In Europe, during the Second World 
War, in the former Yugoslavia, in Kosovo and the suffering of 
Muslims there. And finally, the suffering of the Afghans as a 
result of the Taliban rule. If you review the situation today 
in all those places, people in Germany, Kosovo, Japan, and in 
Afghanistan are enjoying a much better life as a result of 
the effective leadership of the United States. Therefore, we 
should be judged by our record. 
 
Q: Do you mean that the Iraqi people will be in a better 
situation after the changing of the regime in Baghdad? 
 
A: Yes. No doubt the Iraqi people are a talented and educated 
people and Saddam,s government has caused lots of suffering 
to the Iraqi people and to the peoples of the region. The 
Iraqi people have been suffering for three decades from the 
evil of Saddam Hussein,s regime. The evidence of that is 
that many people from Arab states, Europe, and America can 
see university professors, doctors, and the elite of the 
Iraqi people who were forced by the Baghdad regime to leave 
their homeland and work in those countries as barbers, 
taxi-drivers, and restaurant workers. I am sure that the 
citizens of this Arab state will bear responsibility for the 
developmental reconstruction that will change Iraq within a 
few years. Those people were prevented from living in 
dignity. It is enough for us to recall our memory regarding 
Saddam Hussein,s use of chemical weapons against his people 
in Halabja and against his neighbors. That can make us 
realize that Iraq and the region will be in a better 
situation without that regime. 
 
Q: Do you think that overthrowing the Iraqi president,s 
regime and the establishment of a democratic state will lead 
to the spread of democracy and freedom in the region? 
 
A: I think that we have to know that Arab states and the Arab 
people are now undergoing a number of democratic experiences. 
If you think what is going on in Yemen regarding the upcoming 
elections, political pluralism, free press, and the ability 
of papers such as al-Ayyam to publish reports, I think we 
have to admit that there is a democratic activity that exists 
in this part of the world. I do not believe that this 
democratic activity has arrived in Iraq. In the last 
elections in Iraq, Saddam Hussein got 100% of the votes. What 
I think is that the opportunity will be given to the Iraqi 
citizens soon to create their own democracy. I am confident 
that this talented and educated people will add a great 
experience in that regard for the efforts of many 
(states/nations) in the region. 
 
Q: With regard to Yemen as a U.S. friend and ally, what does 
the U.S. expects from Yemen in the coming conflict with the 
Iraqi regime? 
 
A: We expect that Yemen will seek to achieve its national 
interest. I think that this is up to the Yemeni government to 
decide. I am certain that President Saleh and his government 
will do that. As for us, we wish that our cooperation with 
Yemen continue in the fields of development and security 
because we believe that those fields serve the interests of 
the U.S. and Yemeni people. 
 
Q: Some people say that America will enter Iraq to control 
its oil? 
 
A: With regret, the Iraqi people did not benefit from the oil 
which was discovered in 1928. Iraq is the first Arab oil 
state. Yet, Iraqi oil should not be for Moscow, Washington, 
London, Paris, or any other state, but it is for the people 
of Iraq. This has not yet happened, but it will happen soon. 
 
Q: Many people accuse the U.S. of neglecting the Palestinians 
and their suffering. What do you think? 
 
A: I believe that the nations of the Middle East are still 
worried about  developments in Palestine. President Bush 
reiterated his policy recently that the aim of our efforts is 
to establish an independent and democratic Palestinian state 
that lives peacefully side-by-side with Israel. We have a 
 road map, that leads us to that result. This map is not 
the idea of the U.S. only, but it is also the idea of 
Europeans, Russians, and the U.N. I believe that now we must 
put this map in effect so that we reduce violence both on the 
Israeli and Palestinian sides. We also must work towards 
providing more security and a better life for the 
Palestinians. President Bush said clearly that this is very 
important to the U.S. government." 
 
HULL