DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ELICITING YEMENI COOPERATION

S E C R E T SANAA 001246

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2019
TAGS: PARM MTCRE PREL TW YM
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ELICITING YEMENI COOPERATION
FOR ARMS SMUGGLING INTERDICTION EFFORTS

REF: STATE 72112

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


1. (S) The Ambassador delivered reftel talking points to
Foreign Minister Abu Baker al-Qirbi during a July 11 meeting.
The Ambassador prefaced his delivery of the points by noting
that, when the subject of CENTCOM overflights of Yemeni
territorial waters had first come up, the Foreign Minister
had requested that we share with him the information that was
the basis for our concern regarding arms smuggling from
Yemen. Qirbi listened carefully as the Ambassador described
weapons-smuggling networks operating from Yemen, asking for
clarification of several points.


2. (S) The Ambassador concluded his presentation by noting
the importance of identifying suspicious vessels before they
sailed away from Yemen,s coast and fanned out across
international waters, be it the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea,
where they became more difficult to locate. The Foreign
Minister's response focused on the need for continued
international support for the Transitional Federal Government
(TFG),including measures to interdict arms shipments to
insurgent groups such as al-Shabab. He noted that the ROYG
has agreed to provide uniforms and equipment to the TFG
police force, and commended the USG for its support for the
government of Sheikh Sharief.


3. (S) Qirbi requested, and the Ambassador provided,
clarification that our request at this time was for the ROYG
to accept an inter-agency delegation to discuss the nature of
the weapons-smuggling problem and means to combat it. The
Ambassador added that we would be prepared to discuss ways to
build the capacity of relevant ROYG security services as part
of our cooperation on this issue. Qirbi promised to pass the
request to the Minister of Defense for his consideration.


4. (S) COMMENT. Throughout the discussion, the Foreign
Minister focused his remarks exclusively on Somalia, very
pointedly avoiding any mention of arms flowing across the Red
Sea to Sudan. This almost certainly reflects ROYG unease
with the prospect of participating in interdiction efforts
aimed at choking off the flow of weapons to Hamas and the
Palestinian "resistance" in Gaza. It likely also points to a
significant level of ROYG discomfort with the image of US
military aircraft patrolling every inch of Yemen's
territorial waters. Should the ROYG prove reluctant to agree
to the CENTCOM initiative as it is now configured, we may
need to consider narrowing the scope of the request in order
to encourage a more positive response. END COMMENT.
SECHE