US embassy cable - 03SANAA585

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000585 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2009 
TAGS: PREL, YM, IZ 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: YEMEN ANTSY OVER IRAQI CRITICISM 
 
Classified By: AMB: EJHULL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) An interpreter for President Salih, Mohamed Sudam, 
phoned Ambassador March 23 to underline that the Yemeni 
government is taking criticism over its stance on the war 
against Iraq.  Sudam cited March 23 remarks of Iraqi VP Taha 
Ramadan, and an editiorial by Al-Quds Al-Arabi's 
editor-in-chief Abdul Bari.   (We have been unable to find 
the latter, nor has the local stringer here for Al-Quds.) 
Concurrent with Sudam's signal of Yemeni sensitivity, there 
has been a shift in local media coverage (septel). 
 
2.  (U) Here is the Ramadan excerpt -- in which Yemen clearly 
falls in the third category: 
 
"As for the official Arab stands, they are divided into three 
categories.  I know some Arab rulers will be annoyed by what 
I say.  What I will say applies to the majority and not all 
Arab states.  Here are the three categories.  1. Rulers who 
directly plot and take part in the aggression, like the 
regime in Kuwait.  2.  Rulers who plot and coordinate in 
secret and indirectly or secretly take part in the 
 
SIPDIS 
aggression.  However, their role has started to be exposed. 
The Arab masses started to discover their roles.  I will not 
mention the names of those governments now.  3.  The failing 
rulers who try to prevent their people from protesting the 
aggression.  They ask their masses not to protest except with 
the approval of interior ministers.  If the masses go the 
embassies of aggression, they are confronted with bullets and 
killing.  They convene councils of war and form investigation 
committees and consider those who confront security men as 
plotters against the security of their countries.  They 
pledged to protect the Americans and Zionists in their 
countries and they are ready to launch a war for this sake." 
HULL