Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03SANAA2454
2003-10-06 15:42:00
SECRET
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

DETAINEES: REHABILITATION AND RELEASE

Tags:  PTER PREL YM COUNTER TERRORISM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 002454 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2013
TAGS: PTER PREL YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: DETAINEES: REHABILITATION AND RELEASE

Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 002454

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2013
TAGS: PTER PREL YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: DETAINEES: REHABILITATION AND RELEASE

Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Since the 8/02 inception of the ROYG's
program to rehabilitate and release detainees, approximately
160 of the over 220 detainees who have participated in the
Ulema run dialogues have been recommended for release. Of
those, 43 detainees, none of whom were facing criminal
charges, have been released. According to a senior legal
source, none of those released has had problems to date, and
another prisoner release is anticipated before Ramadan begins
on 10/26. The ROYG has not/not vetted with post the names of
those recommended or released. Our requests for the names
remain pending separately with security, intelligence and
legal authorities. End summary.

--------------
The Philosophy of the Dialogues
--------------


2. (C) During a two-hour meeting on 10/1, Judge Hamoud Hitar
-- who heads the ROYG committee charged with the
rehabilitating security detainees so they can be released --
expanded upon recent press reports concerning the program.
After announcing the program on 24 August 2002, President
Saleh summoned government officials and 15 Yemeni clerics to
a planning meeting on August 30, 2002. One of those
summoned, Hitar said the meeting was attended by Prime
Minister Bajammal, the Speaker of Parliament, Islah Party
Shura Council Chairman Sheik Majid Al-Zindani, Presidential
Advisor Dr. Abdelkarim al-Iryani, Minister of Interior Alimi,
Head of the Political Security Organization Ghalib Gamish.
The meeting resulted in the formation of a committee selected
by the attendees and coordinated by the Ulema, a council of
Yemeni religious scholars.


3. (C) During the Ulema-hosted planning meeting that followed
on September 2-4, 2002, a number of attendees expressed
concern about the President's initiative. Hitar said that
they feared being attacked for their interference or labeled
American agents, and were worried that the detainees would
refuse to take part in the program. He alone declared that,
as a direct order from the President, the dialogue must occur
and was rewarded a half-hour later with a call from President
Saleh noting his loyalty and pledging full support.


4. (C) Phase one of the dialogue project began with the

committee's formation on September 5, 2002. The committee
included Judge Hitar, Sheikh Hasan As-Sheikh, Sheikh Mokbil
Al-Kabadi, and Sheikh Al-Mahrabi (a fifth member, Sheik Ali
Motar, joined the committee for phase two.) The project
faced a number of problems during the early days, including
anger from those who believed this was not suitable work for
the Ulema, and members' fear of physical attack by
extremists. However, reiterating their commitment to the
Koran, Hitar and other committee members asked for a
dialogue, declaring: "If you (the detainees) are right, we
will follow you. If we are right you will follow us."


5. (C) This first round of dialogues concentrated primarily
on detainees in Sanaa, but later spread to Ibb, Taiz, Aden,
Abyan, and Hodeidah. It included 104 detainees, 80 of whom
were recommended for release, and 43 who have since been
released. Hitar said the 43 have had "no problems" following
release, and he hopes the remainder will be released soon.


6. (C) The Ulema held the second round of dialogues from
mid-August 2003 to September 13, 2003 primarily in Aden
because of a large number of detainees from the southern
Yemen region of Hatat. 126 detainees participated in the
discussions. Their names, along with the committee's
recommendation for the release of approximately 80 detainees,
were forwarded to the President in late September 2003.
Hitar believes those detainees who are not facing criminal
charges and make it through Presidential and security reviews
will be released before Ramadan.


7. (C) Hitar expects phase three to begin after Ramadan, but
said the committee is ready to conduct another session at any
time.

--------------
Process of Dialogue - Not a Substitute
for Criminal Proceedings
--------------


8. (C) Hitar stressed that the committee is not investigative
and that criminal cases are a matter for the judicial system,
not the dialogues. He noted that some of these detainees
have been expelled from other countries in the region because
they were suspected of extremism. Others are facing criminal
charges and are not eligible for release but, said Hitar,
their exclusion from the dialogue process would only spread
their ideology to others.


9. (C) The Political Security Organization (PSO) selects
detainees -- highlighting influential leaders -- and provides
the committee access to and use of their prison facilities.
The committee divides the detainees into groups of 5-7 for
Ulema-led sessions on the concepts of jihad in Islam: Holy
War (when, how, where, who can declare, and against whom),
the rights of rulers, commitment to constitution and laws,
the rights of non-Muslims in Muslim countries, the principle
of doing good, and actions that destabilize security -
violence, extremism, and terrorism. For all detainees who
commit to the Koran and the rights of non-Muslims -- and who
are not/not facing criminal charges -- the committee
recommends release. Yemeni security officials initially
opposed this initiative, but Hitar said the Ulema explained
that individuals cannot be detained indefinitely without
charges as noted in an Amnesty International report (2003).

-------------- -
Commitment to Uphold the Rights of Non-Muslims
-------------- -


10. (C) Hitar explained that all detainees pledge their
commitment to the ruler, the constitution, laws, peace and
security, the rights of non-Muslims, and the inviolability of
foreign interests. They must agree that attacks in the
Muslim world, like those against the USS Cole, the Limburg,
and tourists, are not jihad but actions that are banned under
the Koran. Each repentant detainee's signed commitment,
along with the committee's recommendations, is sent to the
President, who in turn forwards the package to security
officials including the PSO and the Ministry of Interior.


11. (C) The committee's recommendations also include
suggestions for the restoration of jobs, new jobs for the
previously unemployed, special dialogues to reinforce vows of
those released, and special supervision for a period of time
to be determined by security forces. The committee
recommends that detainees released under the program invite
others to join their newfound ideology, and asks the
government to encourage unity, tolerance, and moderation in
mosques, schools, media, and other public arenas.


12. (C) Judge Hitar noted the importance of providing the USG
with the most accurate information, and welcomed future
discussions with the Embassy.


13. (S/NF) Comment: We believe Hitar's outline of the
rehabilitation/release process is accurate. That process
does not/not include vetting names with the USG either before
or after a detainee's release. We have requested the names
previously via intel channels, through Judge Hitar on 10/1
(he had the list of names at hand while meeting with
pol/econoff, but lacked authorization to share it),and DCM
requested it through the Interior Minister's Office Director
on 10/6. While Hitar's claim that detainees facing criminal
charges will not/not be considered for release is credible,
post will continue pressing to obtain the names for further
U.S. review and entry into the Visas Viper system.

HULL