ROYG AGREES TO EMBASSY SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001551

FOR DS/IP/NEA AND NEA/ARP:AMACDONALD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV YM
SUBJECT: ROYG AGREES TO EMBASSY SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

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


1. (C) In the wake of the September 17 terrorist attack on
the embassy, the Ambassador met with Deputy Prime Minster
Rashad al-Alimi, Interior Minister Motahar al-Masri, National
Security Bureau Director Ali al-Anisi, and Political Security
Organization Chief Ghalib Qamish. The Ambassador advised
that the embassy's immediate security requirements include:
the immediate and permanent closure of the road in front of
the embassy; an immediate start to planned security
improvements in the area between the embassy's main gate and
the road; increased security coverage for embassy residences;
cooperation with investigative teams en route from the United
States including an FBI crime scene team; and the maintenance
for the near future of the ROYG's "concentric rings" of
security cordon around the embassy. The Yemenis agreed to
all of these requests without hesitation.


2. (C) Alimi informed the Ambassador that President Saleh
had ordered that the Central Security Forces guarding the
embassy be augmented with troops from the Yemen Special
Operations Force, the Republican Guard and the Central
Security Forces Counterterrorism Unit.


3. (C) Comment. The lack of hesitation in agreeing to each
of our requests points to the ROYG's desire not/not to permit
the events of today to derail the positive engagement on CT
issues that has been evident in recent months. It seems
clear that the ROYG believes that it can successfully
confront AQY only if it can depend on robust support from the
USG, in the form of continued training and modernization of
its aging equipment. End Comment.


SECHE