DESPERATE ROYG SPINS 'TALE OF TWO PRESIDENTS'

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000747

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP FOR FULLER/ROEBUCK
NEA/PPD FOR FOLEY/DOUGLAS/BENZE/AGNEW

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2018
TAGS: KPAO PGOV PREL YM
SUBJECT: DESPERATE ROYG SPINS 'TALE OF TWO PRESIDENTS'

REF: SANAA 585

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


1. (U) ROYG-sponsored official media widely covered the April
25 telephone call between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh
and U.S. President George Bush. All four major Yemeni
government daily newspapers, as well as several international
pan-Arab outlets, front-paged reports of the conversation,
highlighting President Bush's "support for Yemen and its
unity." Based on a press release distributed from President
Saleh's press office, the conversation focused on issues of
mutual cooperation, mainly counterterrorism.


2. (U) According to the report, President Bush affirmed USG
keenness to promote the bilateral relationship with Yemen,
while praising Yemen's democratic reforms. President Bush
condemned recent terror attacks in Yemen and hailed the ROYG
as a "key partner in the U.S. war on terror." President Bush
was quoted as saying that "the U.S. stands by the stability
and security of Yemen" and reiterating "U.S. support for
Yemen's efforts in development, democracy and
counterterrorism." President Bush was also quoted as
supporting Yemen's its recent decision to hold gubernatorial
elections. For his part, Saleh expressed his satisfaction in
the growing Yemen-U.S. bilateral relationship, praising USG
support for Yemen's efforts towards development, democratic
reform, and fighting terrorism.


3. (U) The opposition media had its own take on the
Saleh-POTUS conversation. The London-based website "Aden
Press" quoted political sources as saying that President Bush
did not condemn the recent terrorist attacks in Sana'a
targeting American interests. Rather he criticized the
ROYG's security failures, despite the financial and security
support Washington had given Yemen for counterterrorism over
the past seven years. The source said that President Bush's
alleged statement of support for the ROYG's plan for the
election of governors was "a fabrication of the government
printing presses, meant to mislead the people."

COMMENT
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2. (C) Albeit it more ambitious than usual, this ROYG effort
to spin the Presidential phone call to its advantage is
simply the latest example of what has become standard media
treatment of any Saleh meeting or conversation with another
head of state/government (reftel). In this particular case,
we believe the effort to portray POTUS as fully supportive of
Yemen's unity reflects the deep concern at senior ROYG levels
over the direction events in the south are heading, and the
need to shore up its pro-unity position with positive
comments from the party most likely to influence domestic
public opinion. As offended as we might be by this exercise,
we caution that any public disavowal of POTUS' ostensible
comments would create fresh problems, calling into question
our support for Yemen's unity and democracy and encouraging
secessionist elements, further eroding Saleh's already
weakened position. End comment.
SECHE