YEMEN: HUNT OIL SHOOTINGS - MARCH 19 UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000520 SIPDIS TERREP E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2010 TAGS: PTER ASEC CASC YM SUBJECT: YEMEN: HUNT OIL SHOOTINGS - MARCH 19 UPDATE REF: SANAA 511 Classified By: AMB: EJHULL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Following the March 18 shooting in Marib of four Hunt Oil employees (reftel),our consular section has been in touch with the family of deceased Amcit Ron Horsch in the U.S. and is assisting in arrangements for shipment of remains from Yemen tonight via Frankfurt. Mark Edwards, the Canadian wounded in the shooting, had successful surgery in Sanaa and was medevaced from Yemen by air through arrangements made by Hunt. ¶2. (C) Investigation of the shooting by Naji Ahmed Al-Kumaym is continuing. Embassy team, including FBI local representative, an OSI investigator, and RSO staff have received information from Yemeni police sources and are presently at the Marib site where they will be examining the crime scene and interviewing eye witnesses and others in the coming hours before returning to Sanaa tonight. ¶3. (C) According to a Hunt Oil source, Al-Kumaym had been released as an employee by Nabors three times since 1992. He is said to have had family problems, not to have been religiously observant or extremist, and reportedly was on medications, with medications having been found in his room. Yemeni police told our investigators that Al-Kumaym had been an employee of Nabors for seven years in good standing, as a carpenter, and that he was well known by Hunt employees including his victims. The police added that Al-Kumaym had seen a doctor three days ago, and had been having sleeping problems and problems with his family; the police also said Al-Kumaym was not religious and was not known to speak of politics. The police confirmed that the attack weapon was a handgun of Russian manufacture, not, as some press reports have said, an AK-47. ¶4. (C) A Hunt official told us that operations in Yemen are under review in the light of regional circumstances, and that dependents are to be evacuated. RSO is providing requested advice and assistance in obtaining metal detectors and security equipment. ¶5. (C) Comment: Until investigators have interviewed witnesses at the site, it remains premature to reach any conclusion regarding possible motives behind these shootings. We expect to know more by tomorrow. HULL