US embassy cable - 03SANAA657

S E C R E T SANAA 000657 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2012 
TAGS: PTER, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: REPORTS OF AL-QAIDA ARRESTS IN YEMEN 
 
Classified By: DCM: AGMISENHEIMER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (U) Eleven persons with suspected links to the al-Qaida 
terror network, including two of the Yemeni government's 
most-wanted terror suspects, have been arrested in various 
parts of Yemen, according to an April 1 Associated Press 
report datelined Sanaa.  Citing a Yemeni security official, 
AP reported that the eleven suspects are now detained in the 
intelligence prison in Sanaa, and that the two most-wanted 
suspects were arrested last week, but further details were 
not available. 
 
2.  (S/Noforn) The two "most-wanted suspects" referenced in 
the AP report in all likelihood are Fawaz al-Rabai'e (aka 
Furqan) and Hamza al-Majali, and ORCA has reported in its 
channels about their recent arrests by Yemeni authorities. 
Identities of the remaining nine suspects, as well as timing 
and circumstances of their arrests are unclear.  The Yemenis 
may have arrested nine new individuals recently; it is just 
as plausible that these "nine" could represent a Yemeni spin 
on their combined total of successful moves against specific 
Al-Qaida individuals over some recent period, or perhaps even 
since August 2002. 
 
3.  (C) We have no doubt that the AP report was generated by 
sources close to President Salih, likely either Mohamed Sudam 
or Fares Sanibani.  Its purpose was to underline -- for 
anyone to see -- that the ROYG remains firmly committed to 
the pursuit of Al-Qaida terrorists in Yemen (which is clearly 
perceived both in Yemen and across the region as a joint CT 
effort with the USG), notwithstanding ROYG views regarding 
the war with Iraq. 
HULL