US embassy cable - 03SANAA1263

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, ASEC, MARR, IZ, IR, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM, TERFIN, ECON/COM 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S 6/2 MEETING WITH FM QIRBI: U/S BOLTON 
VISIT; JUDICIAL, ECONOMIC REFORM 
 
REF: SANAA 1170 
 
Classified By: Charge Alan G. Misenheimer for reason 1.5 (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: In a 6/2 meeting with Ambassador, FM Qirbi 
said he looked forward to visiting WDC, possibly with 
Interior Minister Alimi for policy discussions.  He welcomed 
Ambassador's readout of the FBI Director's meeting with Saleh 
earlier the same day.  Ambassador briefed Qirbi on the 
upcoming visit of U/S Bolton, underscoring the importance of 
positive Yemeni action on Article 98 and cooperation with the 
DPRK.  On terrorist financing, the Ambassador argued that 
Moayed should cooperate with U.S. investigators and urged the 
ROYG to designate a legitimate channel (vice the al-Aqsa 
Foundation) of Yemeni public support for Abu Mazen and the 
PA.  End Summary. 
 
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FBI Director Mueller's Visit 
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2. (C) Ambassador, accompanied by DCM, called on FM Abubaker 
al-Qirbi at his home late in the evening of 6/2.  Qirbi was 
joined by Special Assistant Abdel Karim al-Iryani. 
Ambassador began by providing Qirbi with a detailed readout 
of FBI Director Mueller's meeting with President Saleh 
earlier the same day.  Qirbi expressed satisfaction with the 
discussion, noting that law enforcement cooperation with the 
United States would remain a major Yemeni interest for the 
foreseeable future.  Ambassador urged Qirbi to see that Yemen 
is well represented at the upcoming economic forum in Amman 
and the September judicial reform conference in Manama. 
 
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Policy Dialogue with the USG 
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3. (C) Qirbi said he had been reflecting on his recent 
discussion with Ambassador about travel to Washington.  In 
the aftermath of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Yemen's 
April parliamentary elections, he said it was "high time" to 
initiate substantive talks with the USG about future 
developments in the region.  He said he wanted to make Yemen 
a positive element in U.S. strategic thinking about the 
region, including both Iraq and Israeli-Palestinian peace 
efforts.  Of particular importance, he said, was U.S. 
cooperation with Yemen and other countries in the region -- 
especially the GCC states -- to build regional security.  The 
time is past, argued Qirbi, when Yemen or any other country 
in this region, can think of its own security to the 
exclusion of broader security in the region.  Qirbi suggested 
that the effort should address Iran as well.  Referring to 
his talks with Iranian officials during the recent OIC 
meeting in Tehran, he reported that the "Iranians think they 
are reaching out to you but you are ignoring them." 
 
4. (C) The FM commented that it could make sense for him to 
visit Washington together with Interior Minister Alimi, as 
this would provide for a broader base of bilateral 
discussions, including detailed talks on CT cooperation -- 
including U.S. assistance for the Yemeni Coast Guard, which 
falls under Alimi's authority. 
 
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U/S Bolton's Visit: Article 98; DPRK 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Ambassador characterized the upcoming visit of U/S 
Bolton (now set for June 16-18) as a golden opportunity for 
the ROYG to reach a successful outcome on Article 98.  He 
briefly reviewed the positive examples set by Jordan, Egypt, 
Kuwait and Bahrain and noted that the Egyptian model -- based 
on a simple exchange of notes -- might readily be adapted for 
Yemen.  Iryani confirmed that Qirbi's office had received 
copies of the Egyptian notes from the Embassy earlier in the 
week and were actively studying them.  The Ambassador made a 
strong pitch for Qirbi to take personal ownership of the 
issue for Yemen and work it to conclusion in advance of U/S 
Bolton's visit.  Qirbi said he would coordinate with the 
Embassy over coming weeks toward this end. 
 
6. (C) Ambassador also advised the FM that U/S Bolton would 
raise Yemen's cooperation with North Korea, a very sensitive 
and important subject for the USG.  Recalling previous 
discussions of the subject, Ambassador urged Qirbi to 
postpone any actions or decisions on further interaction with 
the DPRK -- including planned port improvements -- before 
discussing the issue with U/S Bolton.  He reiterated the 
recommendation that Yemen seek an acceptable alternative, 
perhaps engineering/construction firms from Eastern Europe. 
Qirbi welcomed the advice and said he looked forward to 
successful discussions with U/S Bolton. 
 
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Economic Reform Meeting in Amman 
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7. (C) Ambassador urged Qirbi to ensure that the ROYG is well 
represented at the upcoming WEF meeting in Amman.  The FM 
acknowledged the importance of the meeting and said Yemen 
would take part. 
 
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Judicial Reform Meeting in Manama 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
8. (C) In response to urging that Yemen also attend the 
September Bahrain meeting on judicial reform, Qirbi expressed 
regret at the new Justice Minister's decision not to attend a 
judicial reform conference in South Korea.  By September he 
will be well settled in, so Yemen should be well represented 
in Manama.  Qirbi acknowledged that judicial reform, 
especially in the areas of commercial contracts and land 
tenure, was desperately needed in Yemen. 
 
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Terrorist Financing/Sheikh Moayed 
------------------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) Qirbi said he was pleased the Moayed case had come up 
in the FBI Director's discussions in Aden.  He said the ROYG 
remained deeply concerned over the domestic implications of 
the case and was attempting to mitigate the impact of a 
possible German decision to extradite Moayed to the United 
States.  Many people are convinced he is innocent, said 
Qirbi.  The Ambassador noted Moayed's popularity in Sanaa, 
but urged Qirbi to draw attention to the integrity of both 
the German and U.S. legal systems.  Moayed will receive due 
process, and should cooperate with U.S. investigators in 
uncovering the network of terrorist financing in the United 
States, said the Ambassador. 
 
10. (C) The Ambassador also noted the financing issue as an 
appropriate way for states of the region, including Yemen, to 
show support for President Bush's high profile effort to 
foster Israeli-Palestinian peace.  Since the USG had recently 
designated the al-Aqsa Foundation, both in Yemen and 
elsewhere, as a terrorist financing entity, the ROYG should 
now seek not only to shut off any remaining channels of 
monetary support for Palestinian extremist groups but also to 
designate and support a legitimate channel for Yemenis to 
support Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority as it embarks 
on a difficult peacemaking effort.  Qirbi said the ROYG would 
follow up accordingly. 
 
MISENHEIMER