Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SANAA2123
2005-08-02 14:29:00
SECRET
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

ROYG UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RETURN OF GTMO DETAINEES

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S E C R E T SANAA 002123 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER KAWC YM DEMARCHE COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: ROYG UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RETURN OF GTMO DETAINEES
UNLESS DETERMINED NEC

REF: A. STATE 139288

B. STATE 139264

C. STATE 136270

D. STATE 92662

E. STATE 95828

F. SANAA 1570

G. SANAA 04 2946 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d.

S E C R E T SANAA 002123

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER KAWC YM DEMARCHE COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: ROYG UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RETURN OF GTMO DETAINEES
UNLESS DETERMINED NEC

REF: A. STATE 139288

B. STATE 139264

C. STATE 136270

D. STATE 92662

E. STATE 95828

F. SANAA 1570

G. SANAA 04 2946 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) DCM delivered ref A and B notifications of Yemeni GTMO
detainees scheduled to come before the Administrative Review
Board (ARB) on August 2 to Deputy Foreign Minister Mustafa
Noman, along with ref C demarche points "speaking out about
GTMO and detainees."

--------------
NECs Welcome Anytime, But...
--------------


2. (C) Noman told DCM that the ROYG was prepared to accept
the return of a Yemeni detainee determined by the ARB to be a
non-enemy combatant (NEC) as requested in ref D. As for
other potential transfers of Yemenis from GTMO, including
those listed in ref E request, the ROYG remains reluctant to
accept their return under the conditions presented (in ref E).


3. (S) Noman said that he had consulted with the security
authorities that would be responsible for detention and
investigation of these individuals "to determine whether or
not they continued to pose a threat to the U.S. or its
allies" (ref E). Security officials share the same concerns
of the MFA (ref F). If detention and investigation of these
returnees reveal that they have not violated Yemeni law, it
will cause a bilateral problem when we release them,
explained the DFM. This is a situation the ROYG prefers to
avoid.


4. (S) ROYG release of security detainees over strong U.S.
objections has been an issue of contention between Yemen and
the U.S. in the past, so much so that senior USG officials
have intervened directly with President Saleh with mixed
results.

--------------
ROYG Wants USG Assurances
--------------


5. (S) Pointing to the issues that arose over Ramadan 2004
releasees (ref G),Noman asked if it was possible for the USG
to provide assurance to the ROYG that it will not object
should GTMO returnees be released following initial detention
and investigation. The DFM implied that resolution of this
issue without such assurances was unlikely.
Krajeski