SALEH PROMISES PROTECTION FOR AMERICANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 005200 DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, TFUS 3 E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2011 TAGS: MOPS PREL PTER YM SUBJECT: SALEH PROMISES PROTECTION FOR AMERICANS REF: STATE 175419 (U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR EDMUND J. HULL, REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D). ¶1. SEE ACTION REQUEST PARA 5. ¶2. (C) AMBASSADOR CALLED PRESIDENT SALEH UPON RECEIPT OF REFTEL. MAKING SUGGESTED POINTS, AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED URGENT NEED FOR MAXIMUM SECURITY EFFORT AND SUPPORTIVE STATEMENTS BY ROYG. SALEH RESPONDED THAT HE HAD ALREADY GEARED UP HIS SECURITY FORCES TO ASSURE SECURITY FOR OFFICIAL AND NON-OFFICIAL AMERICANS AS WELL AS EUROPEANS. "YOU WILL BE MORE SECURE IN SANAA THAN WASHINGTON," HE SAID. AMBASSADOR THANKED SALEH AND THEN ASKED FOR SUPPORTIVE YEMENI STATEMENT TO SHAPE YEMENI PUBLIC OPINION. SALEH WAS NONCOMMITTAL, EXPRESSING SOME CONCERN THAT THE U.S. HAD NOT FULLY EXHAUSTED THE POSSIBILITY OF ARAB OR ISLAMIC DIPLOMACY. HE SAID THE PRIORITY FOR NOW SHOULD BE SECURITY AND HE WOULD CONSIDER YEMEN'S POLITICAL POSITION AFTER SEEING HOW THE MILITARY OPERATION IS CONDUCTED. HE SUGGESTED THE AMBASSADOR SEE HIM MONDAY OR TUESDAY TO DISCUSS FURTHER THE POLITICAL DIMENSION. ¶3. (C) IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, FOREIGN MINISTER AL-QIRBI TOLD AMBASSADOR THAT YEMEN WOULD ENDORSE THE U.S. RIGHT TO SELF DEFENSE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ONGOING HOSTILITIES. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD BE TRAVELING TOMORROW TO THE OIC MEETING AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY IN YEMEN'S POSITION BETTER TO SHAPE THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: SALEH'S RETICENCE TO TAKE A STRONG POLITICAL STAND REFLECTS LINGERING YEMENI CONCERN THAT YEMEN EVENTUALLY MIGHT BE A MILITARY TARGET. SPECIOUS MEDIA REPORTS AND ILL-INFORMED SPECULATION BY EUROPEAN AND ARAB DIPLOMATIC AND INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS ARE FEEDING THIS CONCERN. ¶5. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF AMBASSADOR COULD REASSURE PRESIDENT SALEH IN MON/TUES MEETING THAT THE USG SEES YEMEN AS A PARTNER IN CT, NOT A TARGET. IDEALLY, THIS SHOULD COME AS A MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY POWELL OR PRESIDENT BUSH. HULL