DCM PRESSES MFA ON GTMO DETAINEE TRANSFER AND

S E C R E T SANAA 003442 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/WCI E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2015 TAGS: PREL PTER KAWC YM COUNTER TERRORISM SUBJECT: DCM PRESSES MFA ON GTMO DETAINEE TRANSFER AND SABAWI REF: A. SANAA 3232 ¶B. STATE 221825 Classified By: DCM NABEEL KHOURY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) DCM called on Deputy FonMin Mohy al-Din al-Dhabi on December 10 to press for an answer to Embassy's November 21 diplomatic note proposing the transfer of 13 Yemenis from Guantanamo Bay to Yemen (ref A). Al-Dhabi reiterated FonMin Qirbi's assurance to DAS Gordon Gray on December 3 that the ministry was "working on a response," but said he did not expect an answer during the coming week, since the ruling party will be holding its annual conference in Aden. He mentioned that several ROYG agencies were engaged in "examining the legal issues" surrounding the transfer. ¶2. (S) DCM also pressed al-Dhabi for an update on Embassy's November 21 request to freeze the assets of Former Iraqi Regime Element Umar al-Sabawi and to prevent his sending and receiving funds in Yemen (ref B). Al-Dhabi said the ROYG had "checked on his assets" and estimated that he had "about USD 10,000 in cash" in Yemen. With regard to stopping his ability to transfer and receive money, he said "other agencies" were working on the issue. ¶3. (S) DCM also asked if the Iraqi Government had formally requested Sabawi's extradition, to which al-Dhabi responded in the negative, adding that the Iraqi ambassador, with whom he had recently met, "did not even raise Sabawi." Krajeski