C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002338

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2013
TAGS: PTER ASEC YM COUNTER TERRORISM ENERGY DOMESTIC POLITICS
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON HUNT PIPELINE: FURTHER
INFORMATION/ANALYSIS

REF: SANAA 02336

Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J.Hull, Reasons 1.5(b and d)


1. (C) Hunt Oil director Karim Abuhamad provided Ambassador
September 15 further information and his assessment of recent
attack on Hunt Oil pipeline (reftel). Abuhamad who has long
experience in Yemen and with the pipeline, noted the attack
was extremely sophisticated in that the saboteurs picked the
point of greatest vulnerability, i.e., the lowest point in
the region. This location meant the pipeline was under
maximum pressure at the point of attack and Hunt repair teams
required a prolonged period to decrease the pipeline pressure
to permit repairs. The charge itself was buried eight feet
underground and represented considerable effort on the part
of the saboteurs.


2. (C) Abuhamad believes saboteurs were from the Zayidi clan
of the Jahm tribe. He noted that the Yemeni government has
recently detained significant numbers of this clan as a
result of altercations between security forces and the clan
in Sana'a. The Zayidi are using this attack to embarrass
President Saleh, Abuhamad said, and further attacks are
expected by Hunt. Three individuals have been detained as
suspects, but Abuhamad did not know if they were involved in
the attack.


3. (C) COMMENT: The Zayidi clan have embarrassed President
Saleh previously, for example by kidnapping a German national
in December 2001 while President Saleh was visiting Berlin.
HULL