SAUDI AMBASSADOR PROVIDES INFORMATION ON YEMENI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001973 FOR INR AND NEA/ARP:AMACDONALD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2018 TAGS: PINR PARM PTER PGOV YM SUBJECT: SAUDI AMBASSADOR PROVIDES INFORMATION ON YEMENI ARMS DEALER FARIS MANA'A REF: 07 SANAA 1989 Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On December 6, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Ali al-Hamdan passed to the Ambassador information on Faris Mana'a. Mana'a, one of Yemen's most successful weapons smugglers, has long been known to have a curiously close relationship with President Saleh, who once brought him into a meeting with former Presidential Counterterrorism Advisor Frances Townsend (reftel). Al-Hamdan's information notes that Mana'a's son is married to Saleh's niece, and that he provided a large amount of funds to the ROYG during the 1994 war, perhaps explaining his ties to the regime. The information also notes that Mana'a works as Director General of Procurement for the Presidency and links him to former Minister of Defense Abdelmalek al-Sayyani. Not noted in al-Hamdan's information is the fact that Mana'a is the brother of the current governor of Sa'ada and that he was one of the main negotiators of the July ceasefire between the ROYG and the al-Houthi rebels there. Comment: Al-Hamdan is a good contact of the embassy and is well-disposed toward the United States. While we can not vouch for the accuracy of all of this information, it is not inconsistent with what we know and believe to be true about Mana'a. End Comment. ¶2. (U) Begin Text of Information on Faris Mana'a Name: Faris Mohammed Hasan Mana'a Nationality: Yemeni Passport number: 4722 Born in 1970 in Al-Talb (Sumar Ahmar village),in the Sa'ada Governorate. - Above mentioned is considered one of the most famous weapons and explosives merchants in Yemen. His trade has expanded to include the counterfeiting of both Saudi and U.S. currencies. - The above mentioned plays intermediary roles in some weapons deals which the Yemeni government makes, and makes use of that aspect to import weapons and explosives for himself. - The above mentioned carries an honorary rank of a Colonel, and works as the Director General of Procurement for the Presidency of the Republic of Yemen. - There is a strong relationship between Al Fares (Fares, family),and Al-Jarman (Jarman family),the second family in drug trade. This relationship evolved into a commercial partnership. - Information indicates that the former Minister of Defense, Abdulmalek Al-Sayyani, facilitated the import of weapons for the above mentioned officially under the name of Yemeni Ministry of Defense, transporting them by special aircraft from the Republic of the Ukraine and offloading them at the Air Base in Sana'a. He would then transport them to Sa'ada Governorate under the pretext of supporting the military camps in the region on the Saudi border, and smuggle them from there into the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia). - The mentioned has strong relationship with members of the Yemeni government since he supported it in its 1994 war with large amounts of money. - He married one of his sons to the daughter of Major General Mohammed bin Abdullah Saleh, former Commander of Central Security Forces "full brother" of the President, which provides him with a social prominence, and strong influence in Yemen through which he was able to withdraw all orders of arrest issued against him and his partners by Yemeni and International Police (INTERPOL). - The latest available information about him indicates that he has a huge machine in his house in the Yemeni Sa'ada Governorate for counterfeiting the new Saudi currency. He created a new market to sell weapons in Jabal Jum,at Bani Fadhil in the Directorate of Heidan in Sa'ada Governorate. - The above mentioned has suspicious connections with the Libyan Regime as information indicates that he traveled to Libya, and received sums of money for the purpose of arming Yemeni tribes, including the Houthis, who live on the border with Saudi Arabia. - The mentioned enjoys an official Yemeni cover proved by his Yemeni diplomatic passport. End Text SECHE