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