PRESIDENT SALEH'S SON: ALIVE AND WELL IN SANAA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000507

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2014
TAGS: PTER PARM PREL PHUM YM DEMOCRATIC REFORM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SALEH'S SON: ALIVE AND WELL IN SANAA

REF: A. GMP20040305000091


B. GMP20040306000146

Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.5 (b. and d.)


1. (u) Colonel Ahmed Ali Saleh, President Saleh's oldest son
and Commander of the Yemen Special Forces, made a public
appearance on March 6 at a graduation ceremony for the
Republican Guard and Special Forces. DATT, who attended the
ceremony, confirms that Saleh appeared to be unharmed.
Saleh's appearance refutes widespread press reports (ref a)
that said Saleh was recovering in Amman after an
assassination attempt. Saleh told Al-Ayyam newspaper that
those responsible for the rumor are "resentful about the
progress, modernization and change being led by President
Saleh in Yemen."


2. (c) Post confirmed that Political Security Organization
(PSO) forces detained al-Quds reporter Sa'id Thabet, who some
believe to be the original source of the report. Thabet is
an embassy contact and newly-elected to the Yemen Journalist
Syndicate (YJS) Board, whose members protested 3/7 in front
of the PSO headquarters. Both the YJS and the Arab
Journalist Federation based in Cairo (ref b) condemned the
detention in public statements.


3. (c) Comment: While COL Ahmed Ali Saleh's attendance at the
3/6 ceremony puts to rest rumors that he was injured and
recovering in Amman as a result of an assassination attempt,
the circumstances surrounding the reports are still unclear.
Post is seeking clarification. After a decrease in the
number of journalists arbitrarily detained in 2003, Thabet's
detention indicates remaining obstacles to press freedom.
Journalists who cross so called "red-lines," including
reporting on security and issues that "harm national unity,"
face harassment. End comment.
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