YEMEN: ARAB LEAGUE INVITATION FOR GC LIKELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002187 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2013 TAGS: PREL YM DEMARCHE SUBJECT: YEMEN: ARAB LEAGUE INVITATION FOR GC LIKELY REF: SECSTATE 250565 Classified By: Charge Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.5(b,d). ¶1. (c) On September 1, Pol/Econoff met with Abdul Hakim Al-Iryani to deliver reftel demarche on Iraqi Governing Council (GC) participation in the September 9-10 Arab League (AL) meetings in Cairo, and to discuss last week's "postponement" of an announced GC visit to Yemen. Pol/Econoff also delivered reftel points on the October donor conference, although Iryani did not say if the ROYG would like to attend. ¶2. (c) Iryani believes the Arab League (AL) will invite the Iraqi Governing Council (GC) to Cairo because Arab countries "do not want to see an empty chair." He took note of reftel points highlighting the importance of GC participation in regional and international fora, including GC interest in addressing AL members. Referring to a list of new Iraqi Ministers in the press, Iryani asked if the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be confirmed in time to attend AL meetings in Cairo. Regardless of the timing of his appointment, Pol/Econoff said the GC welcomed invitations and would designate a representative as appropriate. ¶3. (c) On the apparent postponement of the GC visit to Yemen, Iryani noted that the GC never set a firm date and, while GC representatives would probably have met with Yemeni Foreign Minister Qirbi and Prime Minister Bajammal, no appointments were actually scheduled. Iryani said the ROYG assumed the GC would contact one of Yemen's embassies in the Gulf during their regional tour. However, according to Iryani, the GC failed to contact Yemeni authorities in either the Gulf, Yemen, or Iraq, to finalize, postpone, or cancel their visit. ¶4. (c) Comment: The MFA apparently discovered the trip was canceled when the GC delegation did not show up. Yemeni authorities appear receptive to a GC visit; but until the GC reschedules its visit it will be difficult to gauge the ROYG's actual level of support for the Iraqi Governing Council. End comment. MISENHEIMER