US embassy cable - 03SANAA1590

S E C R E T SANAA 001590 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PTER, ETTC, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: YEMEN: LATEST WEAPONS BUYBACK CACHE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull, for Reasons 1.5 (c) and (d) 
 
1.  (S/NF)  During a July 1 telcon, President Saleh informed 
Ambassador that Yemen is actively engaged in 
non-proliferation efforts and instructed Brigadier General 
Ali Shater to coordinate a viewing of ROYG proceeds from the 
past few months of weapons buyback collection efforts. 
Shater later invited Ambassador Hull, accompanied by a team 
of USG experts of his choosing (namely FBI, DAO, CIA, etc.) 
to visit the Yemeni Special Forces Camp on the morning of 
July 2nd. 
 
2.  (S/NF)  Upon entering the hanger, the Embassy team, 
comprised of the Amb, DATT, ORCA, and POL, observed that the 
items displayed were different than those seen in late 
January 2003.  The ordinance, on the whole, was older and 
included items not previously displayed, including: 
 
--  SAM-18s 
--  Strella 2 
--  Strella 3 
--  AT-7 
--  RPGs 
--  plastique 
--  blasting caps 
 
3.  (S/NF)  Although expected, Brigadier General Ali Shater 
was not present.  The overview and tour was given by General 
Yahya Abdullah.  Ambassador noted that it is important to 
continue these collection efforts, especially in light of 
recent events in Abyan and Riyadh.  When asked about the 
disposition of the previous buyback proceeds, Abdullah said 
that useable ordinance was incorporated into Ministry of 
Defense stockpiles, while surplus items were destroyed. 
Abdullah agreed to allow Post to view the destruction in the 
future, which would be more systematic, noting that in the 
past ROYG destruction efforts had been piecemeal. 
 
4.  (S/NF)  Ambassador said that the USG would like to have a 
DIA team visit Yemen to assist ROYG to inventory past and 
future collection efforts.  (Comment: This offer was 
previously rejected by Brigadier General Shater in April 
2003.  End comment.)  While Abdullah and the other working 
level officials agreed in principle, they referred the final 
decision to the Minister of Defense.  General Abdullah said 
that pending legislation would outlaw the trade in heavy 
weapons and institute controls on the trade of light 
weaponry, like Kalashnikovs.  He said ROYG will push hard to 
get this legislation adopted, but in the interim ROYG is 
actively engaged in working within tribal laws to collect as 
many weapons as possible.  Referring to U.S. cooperation with 
the U.S. Coast Guard and the Yemeni Special Forces, Abdullah 
noted that the Yemen military appreciates this ongoing 
cooperation and wants to expand it to include the weapons 
buyback program. 
 
5.  (S/NF)  Ossama Al-Shami of Presidential Protocol called 
Post on the afternoon of July 2 to request a meeting between 
Brigadier General Shater and the Ambassador.  The meeting has 
been scheduled for July 6th. 
 
6.  (S/NF)  Begin comment: ROYG had multiple TV cameras and 
photographers covering the Ambassador's 7/2 walk-through of 
the YSOF facility, and the efforts of his team to collect 
data on the items recovered.  ROYG will use this event to 
showcase their ongoing arm control efforts, and to ensure 
their neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia, and the 
international community that Yemen is committed to combating 
weapons smuggling and terror.  End comment. 
 
HULL