ALIMI DISCUSSES SOMALIA, SAUDI ARABIA AND INTEL

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001836

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/03/15
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PARM PREF XW SO YM
SUBJECT: ALIMI DISCUSSES SOMALIA, SAUDI ARABIA AND INTEL

Classified By: CDA Nabeel Khoury for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. In a July 3 meeting between visiting CENTCOM
Deputy Commanding General, LTG Lance L. Smith, CDA and
Interior Minister Rashad al-Alimi, the Minister discussed the
ROYG's concern over Somalia, improving cooperation with Saudi
Arabia and the state of USG-ROYG intelligence sharing. End
Summary.

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Somalia: ROYG Actively Mediating
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2. (C) Alimi stated that President Saleh will push for an
increased USG non-military role in Somalia when he visits
President Bush in November. He revealed that Saleh will
specifically ask for USG support for the new Somali
Government and the deployment of UN or Muslim country
coalition peacekeeping forces in the country.


3. (C) Alimi also disclosed that the ROYG has been actively
mediating between newly elected Somali president, Abdullahi
Yusuf, speaker of the 275-member transitional Parliament,
Sharif Hassan Adan, and some Somali warlords in order to
secure the return of the transitional government to Mogadishu
from Nairobi. (Note: Yemen's attempts to mediate between
Yusuf and Adan on June 20 in Sanaa did not end well. End
Note). He further warned that if the USG and other nations
failed to follow Yemen's lead, Somalia could become "another
Afghanistan" with its chaos spreading throughout the Horn of
Africa. To stress his point, Alimi expressed ROYG concern
with the proliferation of Islamic schools and Sharia courts
throughout Somalia. He added that Yemen is suffering from
Somali instability, absorbing over 150,000 Somali refugees.

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Saudi Arabia: Cooperation Best It Has Ever Been
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4. (C) In a departure from previous complaints, Alimi
declared that security cooperation with Saudi Arabia is
currently, "in a good place." He noted that cooperation with
Saudi MOI, Prince Mohammed Naif, is now "personal" to the
point where they often exchange information on the phone to
avoid delays. He disclosed that during Naif's last visit to
Sanaa, they discussed common concerns over combatants
returning from Iraq and agreed to "pursue common measures."
Alimi stressed that the "significant improvement" with the
Saudi government stemmed from the February Riyadh Counter
Terrorism Conference.

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Intelligence Sharing, Again
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5. (S) Addressing LTG Smith's queries on the scope of
USG-ROYG intelligence sharing, Alimi quipped that although
the embassy "surely has an opinion, I am satisfied." (Note:
Alimi was referring to repeated concerns post has raised to
the MOI over the ROYG's reluctance to fully share passport
information that is obtained through its USG donated "PISCES"
Border Control system. On February 23, Ambassador warned
that the USG would be precluded from helping the ROYG update
the system without such cooperation, which was a condition
for providing the system. There has been no development
since. End Note).


6. (S) The Minster expressed hope that the USG would "speed
up" its cooperation with the "PISCES" system as well as a
proposed USG donated fingerprint system. Alimi noted that
this would "greatly help" his plans to form a nationwide
identification databank. Alimi estimated that to launch the
databank his ministry needed USD 40 million, which the
Ministry of Finance refuses to allocate.


7. (C) Alimi thanked the USG for its help with the Coast
Guard (CG) noting that he looked forward to the next phase of
cooperation. He added that Saudi Arabia expressed its
willingness to help him with a possible plan to combine the
CG with the border control authorities. He also echoed a
call on the USG made earlier in the day by Minster of
Defense, Ali Abdullah Alewa, to increase Yemen's aid and
treat it "more like Jordan." (Septel). "We achieve more," he
proclaimed, "so we should receive more."


8. (C) Comment: Alimi's presentation on Somalia was the
clearest post has heard from any ROYG official. The ROYG's
concern over the consequences of continued chaos in Somalia
was persuasively and graphically laid out. President Saleh's
intention to play a major role in mediating the conflict
seems sincere and persistent. Alimi's positive references to
Saudi Arabia represented a significant change in tone from
past meetings and confirmed that there has been a real
increase in cooperation between the two countries, at least
on the ministerial level. End Comment.

Khoury