DFM ON SA/LW, SYRIA AND IMPRISONED JOURNALIST

S E C R E T SANAA 000652 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2015 TAGS: ASEC PTER PREL PHUM SY LE IR IZ DEMARCHE SUBJECT: DFM ON SA/LW, SYRIA AND IMPRISONED JOURNALIST KHAIWANI REF: A. SECSTATE 45505 ¶B. SECSTATE 44486 ¶C. SECSTATE 41957 ¶D. SANAA 564 Classified By: CDA Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 (b. and d.) ¶1. (S) Summary: On March 16, DCM delivered refs A-C demarches to Deputy Foreign Minister Mustapha Noman and held a wide-ranging conversation on recent U.S.-ROYG discussions on SA/LW, Syria, and imprisoned journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani. Suggesting continued follow-up on the SA/LW issue, Noman told DCM that the USG has gotten Saleh's attention and should inform Saleh when it demarches European capitals on this issue. Noman offered no substantive comment on refs B and C, but said that Saleh strongly urged President Asad to leave Syria quickly in his March 3 telephone call. Noman recommended the USG to refrain from taking any further action on Khaiwani until the results of his appeal are announced on March 24. End summary. -------------- SA/LW: Tell Saleh When You Demarche the Euros -------------- ¶2. (S) After reviewing the March 10 Ambassador/Saleh conversation on SA/LW ref D, Noman asked DCM to consider informing Saleh when the USG demarched European capitals to stop selling weapons to unofficial ROYG representatives. Repeating, "when it happens, he should know," Noman explained the need to maintain momentum and expressed his personal concern that in six months the joint political will could diminish. Noman (please protect) asked why the arms dealer in question, Faris al-Mana'a, was not on any U.S. terrorist financing watch list? He posited, again, very privately and off the record, that if the USG took such an action, it would send a strong signal to other arms merchants (and the ROYG) that we are taking this issue seriously. -------------- Syria: Nasrallah Made a Mistake -------------- ¶3. (C) In response to Ref A demarche, Noman said several people he knew who had supported Hizbollah and Nasrallah before, have now decided he was a Syrian stooge. Noman said Nasrallah miscalculated in his speech to the pro-Syrian demonstration in Beirut. Noman confided that President Saleh, in his March 3 conversation with President Asad, suggested that Asad should fulfill the terms of withdrawal "in two weeks, instead of four." Noman relayed that he asked Saleh if he believed that Asad was really in charge. Saleh reportedly replied, "no." -------------- Khaiwani: Let Us Wait Until March 24 -------------- ¶4. (C) DCM raised the status of imprisoned journalist Abdulkarim Khaiwani and underscored USG concerns over press freedom in Yemen. Noman replied that he might raise the issue directly with the president, but repeated several times that he thought all concerned parties should wait until the appellate court verdict is issued on March 24. DCM suggested that if Khaiwani does not win his appeal, a Presidential pardon should be issued. DCM added that if he is not pardoned, the ROYG may see increased USG pressure to release Khaiwani. Noman took the idea onboard, commenting that perhaps a direct message to the President is needed. Noman relayed that Presidential Advisor Abdul Karim al-Iryani spoke to the appellate judge on the Khaiwani case, but said that Iryani told Noman he was frustrated because the judge was "PSO" and very rigid. Noman closed by relating that he recently gave an interview to the Dubai-based newspaper, al-Bayan, to be published shortly, in which he admitted that Khaiwani's imprisonment was a mistake, but stuck to the ROYG party line and said that Khaiwani violated the law. "The journalists should focus on changing the law," closed Noman. Krajeski