SANAA EAC MEETING - 30 MARCH 2005

S E C R E T SANAA 000836 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, S/CT, CA, DS/DSS, DS/IP/NEA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, DS/OPO/FPD, CENTCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2015 TAGS: ASEC AMGT PREL PTER EAC SUBJECT: SANAA EAC MEETING - 30 MARCH 2005 Classified By: RSO Tim Laas for reasons 1.4 (b),(c) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: CDA Nabeel Khoury, convened an EAC meeting on March 30, 2005 to discuss recent security concerns including a grenade attack against unidentified ROYG officials in a busy downtown shopping area, threats from Yemen citizens who have lost family members in Iraq, and resurgence of fighting in the Saddah area between ROYG military and Al-Houthi supporters. The EAC was held in conjunction with a stress management training visit to post by the regional compliment psychiatrist. EAC meeting included key offices and country team personnel. End Summary. ¶2. (S/NF) CDA informed EAC of a reported attack on a local ROYG police vehicle, 3/29, in which a grenade was used against a police car in the Bab-al-Yemen shopping district. The motive remained unknown at the time of the meeting despite discussions with MOI and other post contacts. EAC members agreed that sending a warden message would be prudent, advising American Citizens to exercise caution in the area until more information is availabe from ROYG. (RSO Note: RSO met with MOI chief of staff, who had been briefed by the Minister of Interior, indicating that the attack was criminal in nature, isolated, and the security situation was back to normal in the area. MOI officials also indicated to RSO that the purpetrator had already been arrested. CDA, on the other hand, was told by another ROYG official that the incident was related to the violence in Saddah and that the purpetrator was probably an Al-Houthi supporter). ¶3. (S/NF) CDA also discussed the issue of renewed fighting between government forces and followers of the slain rebel cleric Hussein al-Houthi in Saddah. CDA noted that the situation would be monitored closely as to the level of conflict and potential danger for westerners in Sana'a as a result of the violence. ¶4. Visiting regional compliment psychiatrist attended the EAC and used the discussion to launch a group session on stress management, using the EAC related incidents as examples of stress causes for officers living and working in Yemen. Khoury