DEMARCHE: ENHANCING EFFORTS TO COMBAT PIRACY

UNCLAS SANAA 001924 FOR PM/PPA:DGLANCY, PM/ISO:JFREDERICK, AND NEA/ARP:AMACDONALD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER YM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: ENHANCING EFFORTS TO COMBAT PIRACY REF: STATE 125514 ¶1. Post maintains an ongoing discussion with the ROYG on deepening cooperation with the international community to fight Somali piracy. During our discussions, emboffs have raised all of the points outlined in para 4 of reftel. Yemeni military sources assert that, to be effective, the international community should concentrate on taking a "supporting nations" approach that includes support for and information sharing with nations in the region including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman, Yemen, Puntland and Somaliland. Embassy contacts in general consider regional meetings like the November 20 conference held in Cairo to be the best fora for addressing the issue. ¶2. Yemen is willing to contribute (in fact is already contributing) to the vehicle boarding search and seizure (VBSS) capability of the Yemeni Coast Guard (YCG) to the effort. The YCG is trained but its contribution is limited primarily by its lack of deep-water capability. (Note: Post's Office of Military Cooperation hopes to provide the YCG with protector class patrol boats in FY 11 that will address this lack. End Note.) This means that it can most effectively support the detention of captured pirates by receiving those turned over by international forces. The ROYG is willing to try pirates in Yemeni courts, a fact that was recently reasserted by President Saleh to CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus (septel). ¶3. Civilian and military sources both note that the international community can best improve its response to Somali piracy by focusing on its root cause -- the unsettled situation in Somalia. Somali piracy, they believe, will never be defeated as long as Somalia remains a failed state without a functioning economy. Pirates represent a badly-needed source of income and the monies they extort have a positive trickle-down effect among Somalis, who use such funds to purchase goods and services in Somalia. SECHE