Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SANAA1500
2005-06-01 12:57:00
SECRET
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR NAVCENT COMMANDER - VADM NICHOLS

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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001500 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2015
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS YM COUNTER TERRORISM MARITIME SECURITY
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR NAVCENT COMMANDER - VADM NICHOLS
VISIT TO YEMEN 12-13 JUNE 05

Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS KRAJESKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (a)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001500

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2015
TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS YM COUNTER TERRORISM MARITIME SECURITY
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR NAVCENT COMMANDER - VADM NICHOLS
VISIT TO YEMEN 12-13 JUNE 05

Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS KRAJESKI FOR REASONS 1.4 (a)


1. (S/NF) EMBASSY SANAA WARMLY WELCOMES THE VISIT OF NAVCENT
COMMANDER, VADM NICHOLS, AND HIS STAFF JUNE 12-13. YOU WILL
FIND THAT OPERATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM TRAINING AND MARITIME
COOPERATION BETWEEN USG AND ROYG IS INCREASING. YOU WILL
MEET WITH DEFENSE MINISTER, MAJOR GENERAL ABDULLAH ALI
ALAIWA, AND INTERIOR MINISTER, MAJOR GENERAL RASHAD AL-ALIMI.
CHIEF OF STAFF (CHOD),MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED AL-QASSEMI MAY
ATTEND IF HE IS AVAILABLE. YOU WILL ALSO MEET WITH COMMANDER
OF THE YEMEN NAVY, BRIGADIER GENERAL RAWAIS ABDULLAH ALI
MUJOWAR, AS WELL AS BRIGADIER GENERAL ALI ABDULLAH RASSA,
DIRECTOR (CDR) OF YEMEN COAST GUARD. YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT ADEN, TOUR ADEN HARBOR AND MEET WITH THE
GOVERNOR OF ADEN, DR. YAHYA MOHAMMED AL-SHUAIBI.


2. (S/NF) YOU WILL FIND THESE ROYG OFFICIALS ANXIOUS TO
DISCUSS WHAT THE THEY CHARACTERIZE AS INADEQUATE U.S.
ASSISTANCE TO COMPENSATE YEMEN FOR IT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE
GWOT. ONE OR MORE OF YOUR INTERLOCUTORS WILL LIKELY ASK YOU
FOR USG ASSISTANCE TO EQUIP AND TRAIN AS WELL AS PROVIDE
SPARE PARTS. THEY CAN BE EXPECTED TO ECHO PRESIDENT SALEH'S
MANTRA ("WE ARE FIGHTING YOUR FIGHT") THAT THE EFFORTS OF THE
YEMEN MILITARY AND SECURITY FORCES TO SUPPRESS THE AL-HOUTHI
"BELIEVING YOUTH" REBELLION IN VICINITY OF SA'ADA WAS DONE ON
THE BEHALF OF THE USG, AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PART AND
PARCEL OF THE GWOT. YOU SHOULD EXPECT THE MINISTER OF
INTERIOR, AS WELL AS YCG DIRECTOR TO BE MORE FRIENDLY AND
ANXIOUS TO WORK WITH US, THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS FROM THE
MOD. YOU CAN EXPECT GOVERNOR SHUAIBI TO ASK FOR YOUR
ASSISTANCE IN BRINGING BACK U.S. MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL
SHIPPING TO ADEN, THEREBY ASSISTING IN THE REVITALIZATION OF
THE HARBOR.
--------------
PRESIDENT SALEH ON CT COOPERATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME
LATELY?
--------------


3. (C) PRESIDENT SALEH'S MODUS OPERENDI ON MILITARY, NAVAL
AND CT COOPERATION IS TO LEVERAGE SUCCESSES INTO FURTHER U.S.
MILITARY AND SECURITY COOPERATION, INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT,
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND FOOD AID. PRESIDENT SALEH'S

MINISTERS, NAVAL AND COAST GUARD COMMANDERS ARE WELL VERSED
IN THESE TACTICS. SINCE 2001 PRESIDENT SALEH HAS DETERMINED
THAT HIS INTERESTS LIE IN A PRO-U.S. STANCE IN THE GWOT. HE
AND HIS MINISTERS OFTEN CLAIM, HOWEVER, THAT THE USG DOES NOT
MATCH THE LEVEL OF COOPERATION WITH COMMENSURATE ASSISTANCE.
IN FACT, ROYG CT COOPERATION IS SPOTTY, AND IS TINGED WITH
MISTRUST, LEADING AT TIMES TO HOARDING OF INFORMATION. YOU
MAY WANT TO PRESS YOUR INTERLOCUTORS FOR THE NEED FOR BETTER
INFORMATION SHARING. USG REQUESTS FOR CT COOPERATION FROM
YEMEN NEVER FAIL TO GENERATE DEMANDS FOR LARGE SUMS OF MONEY
IN RETURN. WE CONSIDER PRESIDENT SALEH TO BE A MASTER
BALANCER OF COMPETING INTERESTS AND HE WILL WEIGH ANY
COOPERATION WITH THE USG AGAINST HIS INTERESTS IN APPEASING
DOMESTIC TRIBAL AND ISLAMIST ELEMENTS.
--------------
TRAINING AND EQUIPPING ISSUES: WE GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED,
NOT WHAT THEY WANT.
--------------


4. (S/NF) THE YEMEN NAVY (YN) DOES NOT ENGAGE WITH THE
EMBASSY, CJTF-HOA, OR NAVCENT, EITHER BY POLICY OR OUT OF
JEALOUSY FOR WHAT WE DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE YEMEN COAST
GUARD. EXCEPT FOR THE NEW 37.5 METER FRENCH PATROL BOATS
THEY RECENTLY RECEIVED (PURCHASED- NOT GRANT AID),THE YEMEN
NAVY VESSELS GENERALLY DO NOT DEPLOY EITHER BECAUSE OF LACK
OF SPARE PARTS, FUEL OR OPERATIONAL NECESSITY. THE YN DOES
SEND A FEW SAILORS TO TRAINING IN THE U.S., UNDER THE
AUSPICES OF THE INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING
PROGRAM (IMET).


5. (S/NF) YEMEN COAST GUARD. THE YEMEN COAST GUARD (YCG) IS
THE MARITIME CT SUCCESS STORY IN YEMEN. PART OF THE MINISTRY
OF THE INTERIOR, THE YCG WAS FORMED JUST THREE YEARS AGO WITH
NO EQUIPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE OR ASSIGNED PERSONNEL. THE YCG
HAS MATURED INTO A SEMI-CAPABLE ORGANIZATION THAT IS SLOWLY
EXPANDING ITS OPERATIONS AWAY FROM THE HOME-PORT CITIES OF
ADEN AND HODEIDAH. MUCH OF THE YCG SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY
ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE GUIDING EFFORTS OF THE USCG PROVIDED
MARITIME ADVISOR, CAPT BOB INNES, WHO HAS BEEN TDY IN YEMEN
FOR OVER TWO YEARS. YCG IS CAPABLE OF LIMITED MIO/LIO
OPERATIONS IN YEMENI TERRITORIAL WATER, AND HAS THE MISSION
TO BE THE MARITIME DELIVERY MEANS FOR THE CENTRAL SECURITY
FORCE-COUNTER TERRORISM UNIT (CSF-CTU). YCG IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR ALL WATERSIDE AND SOME LANDSIDE SECURITY OF OIL
INFRASTRUCTURE. THE YCG HAS BEEN THE MAJOR BENEFACTOR OF
YEMEN'S ALLOCATION OF FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING (FMF) OVER
THE LAST FOUR YEARS. THE YCG REALIZES THAT THE USCG AND USN
HAVE THE "GOLD STANDARD" FOR TRAINING AND EQUIPPING A
MARITIME FORCE, AND THEY SEEK TO HARVEST THAT CAPABILITY.


6. (S/NF) CONTROLLING SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS (SA/LW).
IN EARLY MARCH THE AMBASSADOR PRESENTED PRESIDENT SALEH WITH
EVIDENCE THAT WEAPONS OSTENSIBLY PROCURED THROUGH OFFICIAL
MOD CHANNELS WERE ENDING UP IN THE WRONG HANDS (E.G.
TERRORISTS-SPECIFICALLY, THE JEDDA CONSULATE ATTACKERS). AT
THE SAME MEETING, THE AMBASSADOR INFORMED PRESIDENT SALEH
THAT THE USG HAD JUST STOPPED ONE SHIPMENT OF ARMS FROM
SERBIA. PRESIDENT SALEH THEN PLEDGED TO STOP RELYING ON ARMS
DEALERS TO EQUIP HIS ARMED FORCES. WE NEED A SOLID
COMMITMENT FROM SALEH THAT THE ARMS TRADE WILL END. IT IS
SIMPLY TOO DANGEROUS FOR OUR DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN THE
REGION, FOR OUR TROOPS IN IRAQ, AS WELL AS FOR THE SALEH
REGIME. WE ARE WILLING TO HELP HIM MONITOR THE FLOW OF ARMS,
BUT WE EXPECT HIS POLITICAL WILL TO BE TOTALLY TRANSPARENT ON
THE ISSUE. INTERDICTION OF GRAY OR BLACK MARKET WEAPONS BY
NAVCENT OR COALITION SHIPS, ESPECIALLY IF THE WEAPONS ARE
TRACEABLE TO YEMENI MILITARY PURCHASES WILL GREATLY AID OUR
DIPLOMATIC POSITION.


7. (S/NF) PRESIDENT SALEH AND HIS MINISTERS COMPLAIN THAT
THEIR ENEMIES CONTINUE TO PORTRAY THEM AS TOOLS OF THE
AMERICANS. HE AND HIS TOP GENERALS SAY THEY ARE TAKING
INTERNAL AND REGIONAL POLITICAL RISKS BY COOPERATING CLOSELY
WITH THE U.S. SALEH COMPLAINS THAT IN RETURN, THE U.S IS
VERY SLOW TO RESPOND TO HIS NEEDS FOR MILITARY HARDWARE,
SPARE PARTS, TRAINING AND AID. EMBASSY SANA'A IS PREPARED TO
RECOMMEND A MORE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH YEMEN, TO BE
DISCUSSED WHEN SALEH VISITS WITH PRESIDENT BUSH LATER THIS
SUMMER OR EARLY FALL, BUT WE WILL ADVOCATE THAT THE ROYG
NEEDS TO MAKE SOLID AND VERIFIABLE COMMITMENTS ON COMPLETE
TRANSPARENCY IN THE SHARING OF INTEL AND STOPPING THE ARMS
TRADE. NAVCENT SUPPORT FOR THIS CARROT AND STICK APPROACH
WOULD BE HELPFUL INDEED.
Krajeski