APPROACH TO AIRLINES ON FOREIGN FIGHTERS - YEMENIA

S E C R E T SANAA 000208 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, ARP, S/CT AND EEB/TRA/OTP JOHN EMERY AND WIN DAYTON NSC FOR MATT DIASCRO E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2018 TAGS: EAIR ECON PTER YM SUBJECT: APPROACH TO AIRLINES ON FOREIGN FIGHTERS - YEMENIA RESPONSE REF: STATE 04900 Classified By: DCM Angie Bryan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) PolOff presented reftel PowerPoint to Capt. Abdul Kalek Al-kadi, chairman of Yemenia Airways, on February 2. The captain assured PolOff of all cooperation possible in this area. ¶2. (S) Al-kadi prefaced the meeting by saying that the ROYG and Yemenia Airways were already taking steps to deal with this issue. Specifically, he mentioned that all flights to Damascus are scrutinized and if a passnger (especially young males traveling alone or n small groups) is found to be traveling to Damacus without sufficient reason, he is denied travl. Post can not independently verify this. ¶3. (S After the presentation, Al-kadi once again stressd the measures already being taken by the ROYG ad Yemenia and assured PolOff of Yemenia's willinness to cooperate further. When asked about shaing of API/PNR data, the captain said that Yemeni already provides this type of information to the ROYG and indicated that Yemenia would be willing o cooperate with the US as long as we coordinatethrough the ROYG. SECHE