US embassy cable - 03SANAA1105

UNCLAS SANAA 001105 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, S/CT, CA, DS/DSS, 
DS/IP/NEA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: ESTABLISHING THE FACTS IN IBB 
 
REF: SANAA 1099 
 
1. At approximately 0900 on May 14, 2003 an explosion 
occurred at a courtroom next to Ibb central prison, slightly 
injuring Judge Haizam Naji Fadl. Fadl was not/not the judge 
who presided over the recently concluded trial of Mr. Kemal 
who was convicted of killing three Amcits at the Jibla 
hospital. Information obtained to date does not indicate a 
connection with that trial. 
 
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MOI: It Was an Accident 
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2. Ministry of Interior office director Brigadier General 
Ahmed Sunidar  confirmed to RSO that a explosion occurred at 
in the Court of Appeals next to the Ibb Central Prison, 
located approximately 125 miles south of Sanaa.  According to 
the initial report by the MOI, a soldier guarding the judge 
dropped a hand grenade, wounding the judge. This explanation 
is improbable. Embassy conoff who attended the trial in Jibla 
reports that he did not see guards carrying grenades. 
Subsequent accounts indicating that a grenade was thrown into 
the courtroom are more likely. 
 
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Which courtroom was it? 
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3. AFP reported that the incident occurred in another court 
than the Jibla trial and that the perpetrator was arrested 
shortly afterwards.  A judge at the same courthouse, reported 
to a Consular FSN that the explosion took place during a 
trial that had been moved from Yarim to Ibb for "security 
reasons."  Later, Consular FSN talked to Ibb Prison Warden 
Mohammed Al-Saidi, who said that the bomb exploded in the 
same courtroom where the Jibla shooter trial was held. 
 
4. Comment: As in the case with previous incidents in Yemen, 
conflicting reports are common. Post is seeking further 
clarification with MOI and sources in Ibb.  The information 
available so far does not establish a connection between this 
incident and the judge in the recently concluded Jibla trail. 
End Comment. 
 
HULL