Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SANAA100
2008-01-21 14:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

AL-QIRBI BEMOANS GAZA VIOLENCE

Tags:  PREL PGOV YM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #0100 0211405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 211405Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8796
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0086
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0107
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000100 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV YM
SUBJECT: AL-QIRBI BEMOANS GAZA VIOLENCE

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000100

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV YM
SUBJECT: AL-QIRBI BEMOANS GAZA VIOLENCE

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) In a January 21 meeting with the Ambassadors of the
United States and Germany and the Japanese DCM, Foreign
Minister AbuBakr al-Qirbi broached the subject of the Israeli
blockade of the Gaza strip. Diverging from the topic of the
meeting, the 2007 Forum for the Future (septel),the Foreign
Minster asked his guests if they had been following the news
coming out of Gaza and expressed his dismay at recent Israeli
actions. "The punishing of the entire population of Gaza is
unacceptable," he said. He added that Israeli actions were
"providing fuel for extremists." He went on to express fears
about the impact of the event on the Annapolis peace process.
"This situation will give those who oppose the peace process
ammunition when they argue that the process was just talk,"
he said.


2. (C) The Ambassador noted the Palestinian missile attacks
that instigated the recent Israeli action and said "the
return to tit-for-tat attacks is the last thing the Annapolis
Process needs." The German Ambassador concurred, saying that
such violence could "destroy the peace process."

COMMENT
--------------

3. (C) Foreign Minister al-Qirbi is normally well-focused and
doesn't often indulge in unrelated asides in meetings. While
his comments appeared to genuinely reflect his views on the
issue, post suspects they were motivated as much by a desire
to change the subject in a somewhat confrontational meeting
as by a sudden desire to lobby for the Palestinian cause.
End Comment.
SECHE