(S) MOI ALIMI SAYS MORE INFO ON SABAWI FORTHCOMING

S E C R E T SANAA 003046 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015 TAGS: PREL PTER KDEM IZ YM COUNTER TERRORISM TERFIN SUBJECT: (S) MOI ALIMI SAYS MORE INFO ON SABAWI FORTHCOMING REF: A. STATE 174132 ¶B. SANAA 2803 Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND ( D). ¶1. (S) Following up on an earlier demarche urging the detention and transfer to the Iraqi Transitional Government of Iraqi Former Regime Element High Value Individual Umar Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Ambassador asked Minister of Interior Rashad al-Alimi on October 17 if the ROYG had made any progress in carrying out the USG's request. Alimi responded that he had certain information about Sabawi's plans to travel outside of Yemen, and would pass this to post as soon as possible. Alimi also said he had asked the MFA to provide the Ambassador with a "file" on Sabawi's activities in Yemen, but gave no indication as to when this might happen. ¶2. (S) COMMENT: Deputy Foreign Minister Mohiedeen al-Dhabbi's September 21 commitment to provide more information on Sabawi's movements was fulfilled, and Alimi's comments indicate that this cooperation will continue. We suspect that the ROYG is not averse to Sabawi's eventual extradition to Iraq, and will provide us information useful for facilitating his detention in another country, but Yemeni officials have made it clear that they will not permit his apprehension in Yemeni territory. Krajeski