PSI: UPDATE ON ROYG CONSIDERATION OF STATEMENT OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001092 SIPDIS PASS TO NP, T AND EUR E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2014 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PREL PARM YM SUBJECT: PSI: UPDATE ON ROYG CONSIDERATION OF STATEMENT OF INTERDICTION PRINCIPLES REF: A. SANAA 877 ¶B. 03 STATE 272470 Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.5 (b and d) ¶1. (u) This is an action request; see paragraph 4. ¶2. (c) Following up on a 4/22 meeting and email exchanges, Pol/Econ Chief met with Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, the Americas and International Organizations Mustapha Noman on 5/2 to discuss the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Statement of Interdiction Principles (SOP). Noman thanked Pol/Econ Chief for translation of PSI-related documents, including the SOP. He said that he forwarded the documents to Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi with his comments and a recommendation that the ROYG support/approve the SOP, with the proviso that Israel "is included." When questioned on this point, Noman clarified that Israel would need to officially support the SOP, as Yemen has been requested to do, and that without this condition his recommendation would not be taken seriously. ¶3. (c) Noman inquired about the overlap between the SOP and UN Security Council Resolution 1540, as adopted on April 28, ¶2004. He was specifically interested operative paragraphs 1 and to of UNSCR 1540 that state: Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, (1) Decides that all States shall refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery; (2) Decides also that all States, in accordance with their national procedures, shall adopt and enforce appropriate effective laws which prohibit any non-State actor to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery, in particular for terrorist purposes, as well as attempts to engage in any of the foregoing activities, participate in them as an accomplice, assist or finance them; Pol/Econ Chief explained that, at first glance, the two documents appear mutually reinforcing and that there is nothing in the SOP that would contradict the UNSCR requirements, but that the SOP provides additional detailed commitments with regard to all actors. It is Noman's opinion that the UNSCR language is sufficient and that signing on to the SOP would be redundant. ¶4. (u) Action request: Understanding that the PSI is intended to complement other non-proliferation regimes but may be "informed by efforts in other fora" and does not establish a mechanism for formal cooperation with the UN (ref b),Post requests guidance on how to respond to the MFA's question of the interaction between UNSCR 1540 and the SOP. HULL