US embassy cable - 03SANAA1934

UNCLAS SANAA 001934 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA DAS LAROCCO, NEA/ARP DJONES AND MMILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, YM, COUNTER TERRORISM, MARITIME SECURITY 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SANA'A PROPOSAL FOR PKO FUNDS 
 
 1.  (SBU) Below is the spending proposal from US Embassy 
Sanaa for use of $5 million PKO funds in Yemen. 
 
2.  (SBU) We have three (3) objectives in using these funds: 
(1) Continue to move forward with the Counter Terrorism fight 
in Yemen and, as a second/third order effect, in the region, 
(2) Provide an infrastructure for joint use by the Yemen 
Navy/Coast Guard as part of the Maritime Security Strategy, 
and (3) Preclude any involvement of North Korea in Yemeni 
maritime affairs. 
 
3.  (SBU) The Yemen Maritime Strategy directs that the Yemen 
Navy and Coast Guard work jointly to secure its ports and 
interdict sea borne infiltration from the Red Sea. The Yemen 
Coast Guard performs its mission out to 12 nautical miles 
while the Yemen Navy works from 12 nautical miles and out. 
Currently, the ROYG is standing up the Yemen Coast Guard with 
EDA patrol boats from the USCG.  The ROYG has let a contract 
to buy ten patrol boats from an Australian firm.  While these 
are good first steps, no infrastructure exists to maintain 
the boats over the long term.  Without this infrastructure 
the new boats will quickly become inoperational and the 
Maritime Strategy unworkable. 
 
4.   (SBU) Additionally, it is necessary to train the 
officers and men of the Yemen Navy and Coast Guard.  English 
language proficiency is a hugely lacking in Yemen.  We need 
to take it upon ourselves to train these officers and men in 
English so they can travel to the Unites States and undergo 
training in our service schools.  This has the added affect 
of immersing these officers and men in the US lifestyle and 
professionalism of the US Armed Forces that they will bring 
back to Yemen. 
 
5.   (SBU) We have found that as we bring trainers in to 
train the Yemen Armed Forces the Yemen soldiers do not have 
the basic equipment of soldiering to include uniforms, boots, 
helmets and other needed items.  We then lose valuable 
training time as we buy essential items of equipment for 
their use. We propose to stockpile uniforms, boots, helmets 
and other equipment so as we begin to train these soldiers 
they look and feel as if they belong to a professional unit. 
This has a great impact on morale and professionalism. 
 
6.  (SBU) We propose to spend $4.45M on Yemen Navy/Coast 
Guard infrastructure to include mobile repair shops, marine 
travel lift, secure communications equipment, facility 
establishment, engine repair parts, hull repair parts, 
maritime skills training, and coastal security and counter 
terrorism training.  Additionally, we propose to spend $350K 
on English language training for up to 200 personnel and 
$200K for basic and essential soldiering equipment. 
 
7.  (SBU) In a meeting with the Yemen Armed Forces Chief of 
Staff, the Ambassador also reiterated the importance of 
Yemeni understanding of USG sensitivities to any Yemeni 
cooperation with North Korea in the construction of the 
Yemeni navy port at Hodeidah.  (Ambassador will be meeting 
with Minister of Defense on this subject next week.) 
 
8.  (SBU) This proposal achieves the objectives outlined in 
paragraph 1 above and also attains US goals and interests in 
Yemen and the region.  Request approval of the proposal and 
the release of the $5M PKO funds to Yemen. 
HULL