(C) LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH SALEH TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000414

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP DESK OFFICER NATASHA FRANCESCHI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2017
TAGS: OPDC PREL YM
SUBJECT: (C) LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH SALEH TO
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH REGARDING THE SAADA CONFLICT

REF: SANAA 406

Classified By: Charg d'Affaires Nabeel Khoury
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 2.


2. (C) Charg received a letter from President Ali Abdullah
Saleh during a meeting held on March 17, 2007 (reftel). The
letter is addressed to President Bush. The signed Arabic
original will follow. Please forward the following informal
English translation of the text to the appropriate
individual(s):

Dear Friend, Your Excellency President George Bush President
of the United States of America

May Peace, Mercy and Blessings of God Be Upon You

It is my pleasure to send this letter, wishing you good
health, happiness, and continuous prosperity and progress for
the friendly American people. I would like to express our
deep satisfaction with the continuous development of our
relations of friendship and cooperation that define our joint
aspirations for the enhancement of the existing cooperation
and partnership between the Republic of Yemen and the United
States of America in all areas.

Dear friend, you are fully aware of the efforts exerted by
our country before and after the 11th of September 2000 (sic)
in combating terrorism and supporting the US and
international community,s efforts in this field. We have
achieved tangible successes in combating terror.

Yemen has set a good example of being an effective partner
with your friendly country in confronting this dangerous
plague from which we all suffer and which threatens the
foundations of security, stability and peace in the region
and the world. There is no doubt that Yemen,s strong
commitment with the United States of America towards
combating terror resulted in Yemen being targeted by our
mutual enemies, whether they were states, individuals, or
charitable associations. This created many troubles and led
to great economic and development losses that forced us to
use billions of dollars allocated for development on
combating terrorism and confronting terrorist elements. We
have been facing the most recent of these confrontations
since the year 2004 from the extremist and terrorist elements
that repeat the motto "Death to America; Death to Israel."
These elements are supported by the extremist anti-US forces,
especially those who belong to the "Ethna Asheria"
("Twelvers") religious sect, which seeks to settle old scores
with the United States of America, either in Iraq, South
Lebanon, or Yemen - and in all regions in which they create
problems and seditions in order to damage US interests and
national security.

The confrontations with the terrorist element, with whom
Yemen has no problem except in their animosity for the United
States of America and their endeavors to harm US interests
and Yemeni-American relations, have increased burdens on our
country, which suffers from limited economic resources.

Based on the solid and developed relations of friendship and
partnership, and as a result of our difficult economic
circumstances, we look forward to your assistance, either
directly from the United States of America or by convincing
its friends, especially wealthier states of the neighboring
Gulf Cooperation Council - namely Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates, and Qatar. We urgently need 600 armored
vehicles, 200 tanks, and other weapons and military hardware
that cost approximately one billion US dollars. Some of the
weapons and equipment could be offered from the available
stocks of neighboring friendly countries, considering that
the impact of the acts of terror against Yemen are reflected
on the region,s states. This, in addition to the fact that
Yemen,s security is an integral part of the security of the
region, the United States of America, and the world.

Dear friend, we in the Republic of Yemen are partners with
your friendly country and will continue to be committed in
working together in one front confronting terrorist and
extremist elements that target our common interests. The
Yemeni people, who paid a high price for their commitment to
the policies of freedom, democracy and reform, and who
confront acts of terror and extremism, are looking forward
with great hope for assistance and support from their friends
in the United States of America during these critical
circumstances. This support could be provided either
directly by the United States or through its friends in the

region in order to overcome challenges in the field of
development and the relentless war against terrorists. This
policy concerns not only Yemen, but the United States of
America, the countries of the region, and the world, for the
love of security, stability, peace, freedom, development, and
prosperity.

Please Accept My Best Greetings and Wishes


ALI ABDULLAH SALEH

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN
Sanaa March 17, 2007


3. (U) Post appreciates your assistance with the delivery of
this message.
KHOURY