SANAA EAC MEETING - 14 JANUARY 2003

S E C R E T SANAA 000138 SIPDIS NOFORN 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: DECL: 01/14/2013 TAGS: ASEC AMGT PREL PTER EAC SUBJECT: SANAA EAC MEETING - 14 JANUARY 2003 REF: SANAA 00127 Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) Begin summary: The Ambassador convened an EAC meeting on January 14 to assess the security implications of the two recent detentions of Yemeni citizens in Germany (see reftel),and how this could affect security for official and unofficial Amcits in Yemen. Also discussed was the need to provide security assistance to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for its Yemeni election activities. Key offices and personnel represented at the meeting included: DCM, POL/ECON, CONS, ADMIN, PD, RSO, ORCA, DAO, OMC, SOC YEMEN AND FBI. End summary. ¶2. (S/NF) The Ambassador briefed the EAC on recent developments in Frankfurt, Germany, where honoring a USG request, German law enforcement authorities on January 10 arrested two Yemeni males alleged to be linked to funding al-Qaeda. The two men are being held in Germany pending extradition to the United States. One arrestee, Sheikh Mohammed Ali Hassan Moayed, is a popular imam (Islamic spiritual leader) and a high-ranking official of the Islah party. ¶3. (S/NF) The Ambassador explained that upon informing the Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) of the arrests, the ROYG requested that Germany return deport both men to Yemen. The Ambassador noted that the ROYG has responded to this incident in a fairly low-key manner so far. ¶4. (S/NF) The Regional Security Office (RSO) advised about the location of Sheikh Moayed's mosque in Sanaa. Further, RSO stated that Embassy personnel are monitoring the area in the vicinity of the mosque. EAC members noted that a demonstration following Friday prayers (1/17) was possible, but the area is not frequented by Amcits or other Westerners. ¶5. (S/NF) The EAC decided that a warden message to the U.S. community was not warranted, as the extent of public reaction was not yet clear. While a warden message and/or other responsive measures might become necessary, there was as yet no specific indications of a heightened threat to Amcits or U.S. interests due to the arrest of al-Moayed. ¶6. (S/NF) In a separate item, the Ambassador conveyed that NDI, which is continuing its efforts to facilitate and monitor the April 2003 Yemeni election, requested security advice from the Embassy. The RSO will consult with NDI in the near future to help safeguard NDI's staff members and operations. HULL