PRESIDENT SALEH REQUESTS MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001868

SIPDIS

STATE, PLS PASS TO STATE MED

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2010
TAGS: MASS PINR PREL YE
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SALEH REQUESTS MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR
CHIEF OF STAFF QASSEMI

Classified By: CDA NABEEL KHOURY FOR REASONS 1.5 (b) & (d)

1.(C) President Saleh contacted CDA on July 6, and his office
has called daily since then, requesting medical treatment for
Chief of Staff General Mohammed al-Qassemi at the Bethesda
Naval Hospital. General Gassemi, 58, checked into University
of Mainz clinic in Germany in early June and was diagnosed as
having a malignant tumor in his right lung. Upon request,
ROYG supplied CDA with the German clinic's medical report,
according to which General Qassemi seems to have had a
successful surgery to remove the tumor. Follow up chemo
therapy and further tests were recommended.


2. (C) CDA has already made email and telephone contacts with
ARP at State, with DIA and with Centcom Deputy Commander,
General Smith, concerning General Qassemi's possible
admission into Bethesda Naval. State Med has also been asked
for their advice and they are working on the same issue, but
also recommended a back-up option of admission to the Harvard
Medical Center, if admission is not granted to Bethesda.


3. (C) Ideally, post recommends admission and coverage of
General Qassemi's medical costs at Bethesda Naval. Qassemi is
a key military contact with influence on key bilateral
military and military-intelligence issues. He reputedly
carries more weight than MinDef Alewa with the President and
with the military establishment in Yemen. Our second option
is admission without subsidy. As a third option, State Med
can facilitate his entry into a private medical establishment
such as Harvard. President's interpreter and key embassy
interlocutor, Mohamed Sudam, told CDA that ROYG would foot
the bill if necessary and would still appreciate our
facilitative assistance.


4. (C) Post appreciates early decision on General Qassemi,
who is currently recovering from surgery in Germany and
awaits our decision to proceed directly from Germany to the
States based on our recommendation and assistance.
Khoury