Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SANAA3560
2005-12-21 12:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

AL-HETAR OFFERS CANDID ASSESSMENT OF EXTREMIST

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003560 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2015
TAGS: PTER PREL KMPI PGOV PHUM YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: AL-HETAR OFFERS CANDID ASSESSMENT OF EXTREMIST
"DE-PROGRAMMING" PROCESS

REF: 03 SANAA 2454

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003560

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2015
TAGS: PTER PREL KMPI PGOV PHUM YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: AL-HETAR OFFERS CANDID ASSESSMENT OF EXTREMIST
"DE-PROGRAMMING" PROCESS

REF: 03 SANAA 2454

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


1. (C) Summary: At a meeting with pdoff and poloff, Judge
Hamoud Al-Hetar provided a more candid and straightforward
assessment of the efficacy of his rehabilitation program than
previously heard. While defending the overall merits of his
attempts to convince young radicals of the error of their
ways, Al-Hetar acknowledged frankly that there may well be
occasional participants merely saying what he wants to hear.
He admitted, moreover, that program 'alumni' may have (as
post has heard reports) slipped into Iraq to join the
insurgency. Nevertheless, Al-Hetar stressed that "even if we
are only 90 percent effective, then the program is successful
and we should continue doing it." End summary.

--------------
A Fruitful Visit
--------------


2. (U) On December 19, pdoff and poloff went to the home of
Judge Hamoud Al-Hetar at his request to hear the Judge's
impressions of his recent visit to the United States under
the auspices of a regional International Visitor program on
"Promoting Interfaith Dialogue." Al-Hetar described his
experience in very positive terms, saying that he was happy
to have had the chance to discuss issues of religious
diversity and dialogue with so many counterparts from the
region and the United States. He described the United States
as a model of religious diversity and harmony, and expressed
his surprise (and that of his colleagues on the program) at
the religion-friendly nature of American secularism: that it
provides a neutral space for freedom to worship, rather than
manifesting hostility towards religion. Al-Hetar placed
repeated emphasis on the need for similar such programs in
both directions (i.e., not only visitors to the United
States, but also American visitors to the region),and
stressed the need for open and honest conversation without
acrimony between the United States and the Arab and Muslim
worlds. He said that he decided while on his trip to launch
a center for interfaith dialogue in Yemen, and has already

issued a press release announcing his plans. He is hopeful
that he will be able to develop a fruitful partnership on
this and other related projects with the U.S. counterparts he
met while on the IV program. Overall, Al-Hetar was
appreciative of the opportunity, and post is very pleased
that he already has begun to leverage his experience in the
United States to bring positive benefits to Yemen.

--------------
I Debated The Judge And The Judge Won
--------------


3. (C) Al-Hetar then discussed the relative success of his
rehabilitation program for security detainees (see reftel).
The Committee for Theological Dialogue With Extremists
rehabilitation program, which debuted on September 5, 2002,
has now 'graduated' approximately 420 detainees through a
program in which Judge Al-Hetar and others engage in open
debate with detainees on their respective Islamic viewpoints.
Using the Koran as a basis, Al-Hetar attempts to convince
the detainee of a moderate interpretation of Islam regarding
terrorism and jihad, while the detainee is free to try and
convince Al-Hetar the opposite. In principle, at least, the
detainee eventually is shown the error of his ways through
this frank and open discussion. As he therefore no longer
poses a threat, he may be released from detention as long as
a) no criminal charges are pending against him, b) he
receives an official release order from President Saleh, and
c) he signs a statement pledging not to support terrorism
again - a pledge that is kept on file with the Political
Security Organization.


4. (C) Whether the results of this dialogue manifest
themselves as loftily as the principle is a matter of some
debate. Poloff asked Al-Hetar whether it was true, as
reported, that 'graduates' of his program have slipped out of
Yemen to join the Iraq insurgency. Al-Hetar noted that these
press reports surfaced while he was in the United States. In
view of the vociferous opposition to his moderate program by
certain religious conservatives, he said, these reports --
together with others alleging that his program soon would be
shut down -- probably were planted as a way of attacking him
personally. He acknowledged, however, the possibility that
the reports are true, simply saying that he has heard no
information to substantiate them. Al-Hetar emphasized that
the issue of Iraq never has been one of the subjects
discussed with detainees in the rehabilitation program, and
that therefore even if the reports were true, they would not
represent a failure of the program. He conceded, though,
that in view of the ongoing insurgency, the Committee should
incorporate a discussion of Iraq into their agenda with
detainees. He concluded by noting that the Committee could
not observe all of its past participants all the time, but
that in the aggregate, the program still represents a
substantial success in teaching detainees the true meaning of
Islam.


5. (C) Al-Hetar responded similarly to the question of
whether the participants in his program were simply telling
him what he wanted to hear in order to secure their release
from prison. He reiterated that his project is designed not
merely to convince detainees of an interpretation of Islam,
but also to rehabilitate and reabsorb these young men into
productive society. He said that the percentage rate of
success in this regard is very high: by and large, his
'graduates' now are healthy, productive, working members of
society, instead of remaining on the radical margins. At the
same time, he acknowledged that his program undoubtedly is
imperfect, and that there may well be occasional deception on
the part of participants eager for an alternative to prison
and willing to lie to him about their supposed new-found
moderation. In the end, he said, even if the program is
"only 90 percent successful," it is still a great success,
repeating that he personally knew of no recidivists.


6. (C) Comment: Al-Hetar's rehabilitation program undoubtedly
is imperfect. The benefit of this conversation was
Al-Hetar's candid admission of that fact. His candor in this
regard, as well as his openness to new tactics such as
discussion specifically devoted to Iraq, may expand his
outreach beyond the strictly local al-Houthi supporters to
those with a broader Islamist agenda.


7. (C) Comment continued: In addition to pragmatic concerns
as to whether the program really works, post has lingering
due process and criminal justice concerns regarding whether
the movement of security detainees through this
extra-judicial rehabilitation process is legal and
appropriate. Overall, however, it is encouraging that a
prominent ROYG official -- who has recently had a positive
experience in the United States -- is still willing to stand
up both publicly and privately to the warped interpretation
of Islam that al-Qaida and its supporters pedal in order to
gain influence and recruits. End comment.
Khoury