DEMARCHE OF YEMENI MFA OFFICIAL ON PSI BACKGROUND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002487

SIPDIS

PASS TO NP AND T

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2013
TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL PHSA PBTS EAIR EWWT KNNP DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE OF YEMENI MFA OFFICIAL ON PSI BACKGROUND
AND POINTS

REF: A. STATE 254587


B. SANAA 2260

C. STATE 262197

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Alan G. Misenheimer for
reasons 1.5 (b and d)


1. (c) On October 12, Pol/Econ Chief met with Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Director of the Americas Office Abdulsalem
Qassim al-Awadhi to re-deliver and discuss the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) Statement of Interdiction
Principles (refs a and b) and to review the questions and
answers in reftel c. Pol/Econoff reiterated the U.S. request
for support for the initiative and feedback on the ROYG's
views on how such principles could be incorporated into
existing counter-terrorism efforts, as well as whether there
are concerns about whether Yemen's domestic laws can support
the initiative. Al-Awadhi assured Pol/Econoff that he had
passed the information on the initiative delivered September
9 (ref b) to the responsible parties in the foreign
minister's office, the prime ministry, and the presidency.
He said he expected a request for recommendations from his
office, and that he did not see any obvious problems with
supporting the initiative.


2. (c) Al-Awadhi was not aware of the letter the UK
Ambassador to Yemen recently forwarded to FM Qirbi on the
PSI, but said that his office would coordinate with the
Office of European Affairs on a response, if necessary. He
was unable to provide a timeline for a substantive response.


3. (c) Comment: Director al-Awadhi gave the impression that
a response on the PSI was unlikely to come from his office,
but needed to be addressed at a much higher level. From the
conversation, it was clear that while al-Awadhi might be
comfortable with the general approach of the PSI, he is not
familiar enough with Yemeni law on the subject to speak to
its compatibility with the initiative. End comment.
HULL