BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN: MOD CHIEF OF STAFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000167 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2015 TAGS: PREL PTER MASS YM COUNTER TERRORISM SUBJECT: BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN: MOD CHIEF OF STAFF RETURNS REF: A. 2005 SANAA 1868 ¶B. 2005 SANAA 2487 ¶C. 2005 SANAA 3349 ¶D. 2005 SANAA 3378 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY DCM NABEEL KHOURY FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a January 18 meeting with OMC Chief, MG Mohammed Ali Al-Qassimi, Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces, expressed his appreciation to the USG for granting him access to Bethesda Naval Hospital (ref A). Qassimi, who returned to Yemen in December after six months of cancer treatment, seemed to be in good health and spirits. He accepted an invitation to attend a DOD-sponsored conference in February, hoping to combine the trip with a required medical check-up at Bethesda. While he offered his conditional approval for monthly meetings between Embassy and MOD officials that began during his absence (ref B),Qassimi appeared eager to re-assert his authority over day-to-day Ministry activity by discussing the proposed weapons inventory control system (ref C) and border security assistance. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Mil-Mil Cooperation: Working Group Can Continue, For Now -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Qassimi expressed his conditional support for continuing the monthly working group meetings between OMC and MOD officials. He credited the meetings for improving military-to-military cooperation and planned to attend the next meeting. He also agreed with the priorities put forward in the MOD 3 - 5 Year Counter Terrorist and Border Security Plan (ref B),recognizing the plan and the working group as a means to focus limited USG assistance on areas of mutual concern. ¶3. (C) Qassimi singled out assistance for developing counter terrorism units, perhaps within the Yemeni Special Operations Force (YSOF),and creating a new border security force as MOD's top priorities. He mentioned that the Jordanian Armed Services Chief of Staff would provide a briefing on electronic border surveillance techniques during a January 23 visit to Yemen. Qassimi encouraged the USG to convince Yemen's wealthier neighbors to commit more resources to help the ROYG strengthen border security, adding that he would soon the discuss the same issue with the Saudis. ¶4. (C) Pending President Saleh's approval, Qassimi accepted an invitation to attend the February Army Central Command Land Forces Symposium in Atlanta. During the visit, Qassimi hoped to meet with officials at CENTCOM, DSCA, and the Pentagon, in addition to returning to Bethesda Naval Hospital for a required check-up. He also assigned officers to attend two upcoming regional conferences sponsored by the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa and the Joint Staff. (Comment: This is a step forward for MOD, whose past participation in such regional fora had been lacking. End Comment). -------------- Weapons Inventory Control System: We Agreed? -------------- ¶5. (C) OMC Chief stated that he hoped to soon receive a formal Letter of Request (LOR) from MOD for USG assistance implementing a weapons control inventory system. Seemingly unaware of previous meetings on the issue, Qassimi asked if President Saleh had approved the USG proposal. OMC Chief replied that Saleh approved USG support for an inventory system during the November 2005 visit of CENTCOM Commander General John Abizaid (ref D). -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) Comment. During Qassimi,s absence, post established a close and routine working relationship with MOD officials. Prior to his departure, coordination with MOD was sporadic and limited in scope. All major decisions in the last six months went through the Minister of Defense instead, who permitted military officials to meet with OMC on a regular basis, resulting in a more comprehensive military-military relationship. It remains to be seen how Qassimi's efforts to re-assert himself will affect regular contacts with, and cooperation from, MOD officials. End comment. Krajeski