MFA RECEIVES GUIDANCE ON U.S. POLICY WITH RESPECT

S E C R E T SANAA 000822 SIPDIS EUR/PRA (CORDOVA); EUR/SCE (KABUMOTOA); NEA/ENA (BUTLER); VC (ELLIOT),OSD (KELLEY) AND NSC (TEPPER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2014 TAGS: KSTC PARM PREL PGOV OPDC ETTC OVIP YM SUBJECT: MFA RECEIVES GUIDANCE ON U.S. POLICY WITH RESPECT TO NATIONS' NON-LETHAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT EXPORTS TO LIBYA; IEEPA SANCTIONS REF: A. SECSTATE 68238 ¶B. SECSTATE 2969 Classified By: A/DCM Douglas Heisler for reasons 1.5 (b and d) ¶1. (s) On April 7, Pol/Econ Chief discussed reftel guidance on U.S. policy on nations' non-lethal military equipment exports to Libya with MFA's Deputy Chief of the Arab World Department, Plenipotentiary Minister Saleh al-Nashad. As in previous meetings, al-Nashad expressed interest in U.S. intentions toward Libya, but was not surprised that the U.S. has not lifted its prohibitions on U.S. defense sales to Libya. He also asked about Libya's removal from the state sponsors of terrorism list. Pol/Econ Chief responded that IEEPA sanctions on Libya remain in place and that the U.S. is closely monitoring Libya's progress in fulfilling its commitments, especially with respect to terrorism and human rights. Note: Reftel b points on the extension of IEEPA were delivered by Pol/Econ Chief and Poloff on January 7 to al-Nashad, who provided no substantive comment at the time. End note. ¶2. (s) Al-Nashad confirmed that trade between Yemen and Libya is limited and assured Pol/Econ Chief that Yemen does not intend to provide any lethal military equipment or WMD-related materials to Libya. He joked that any press reports of Yemen sending military items to Libya are completely false. Comment: This was likely a reference to December 2003 reporting in a Spanish paper that Yemen purportedly delivered scud missiles to Libya. The allegation was soundly denounced by the ROYG's official Saba news agency as "baseless and fabricated," which added that the shipment, intercepted by the Spanish navy in December 2002, remained in the possession of the Yemeni military." End comment. HULL