TFIZ01: YEMEN ANTSY OVER IRAQI CRITICISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000585

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2009
TAGS: PREL YM IZ
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: YEMEN ANTSY OVER IRAQI CRITICISM

Classified By: AMB: EJHULL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) An interpreter for President Salih, Mohamed Sudam,
phoned Ambassador March 23 to underline that the Yemeni
government is taking criticism over its stance on the war
against Iraq. Sudam cited March 23 remarks of Iraqi VP Taha
Ramadan, and an editiorial by Al-Quds Al-Arabi's
editor-in-chief Abdul Bari. (We have been unable to find
the latter, nor has the local stringer here for Al-Quds.)
Concurrent with Sudam's signal of Yemeni sensitivity, there
has been a shift in local media coverage (septel).


2. (U) Here is the Ramadan excerpt -- in which Yemen clearly
falls in the third category:

"As for the official Arab stands, they are divided into three
categories. I know some Arab rulers will be annoyed by what
I say. What I will say applies to the majority and not all
Arab states. Here are the three categories. 1. Rulers who
directly plot and take part in the aggression, like the
regime in Kuwait. 2. Rulers who plot and coordinate in
secret and indirectly or secretly take part in the

SIPDIS
aggression. However, their role has started to be exposed.
The Arab masses started to discover their roles. I will not
mention the names of those governments now. 3. The failing
rulers who try to prevent their people from protesting the
aggression. They ask their masses not to protest except with
the approval of interior ministers. If the masses go the
embassies of aggression, they are confronted with bullets and
killing. They convene councils of war and form investigation
committees and consider those who confront security men as
plotters against the security of their countries. They
pledged to protect the Americans and Zionists in their
countries and they are ready to launch a war for this sake."
HULL