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.

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SA/LW: Tell Saleh When You Demarche the Euros
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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.


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Syria: Nasrallah Made a Mistake
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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."

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Khaiwani: Let Us Wait Until March 24
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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