SALEH INSISTS ON RECEIVING GTMO DETAINEES, ASSURES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000307 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP:AMACDONALD E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2019 TAGS: PREL KDRG KISL YM SUBJECT: SALEH INSISTS ON RECEIVING GTMO DETAINEES, ASSURES AMBASSADOR NO AL-QAEDA SUSPECTS WERE RELEASED Classified By: Ambassaor Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador told President Saleh that there are profound doubts in Washington about Yemen's ability to receive and properly manage detainees returned from Guantanamo. The Ambassador urged the President, in a February 18 meeting, to reconsider his objection to the possibility of sending the Yemeni detainees to Saudi Arabia at least until Yemen had a demonstrated capacity to accept them. Saleh refused outright, saying "no, no, we will accept the Yemeni citizens." The Ambassador then urged him to at least consider sending those who wish to go to Saudi Arabia. Again the President refused. "I am not saying to send them now, but in two to three months our center will be ready," he insisted. "Keep them in Guantanamo until then." ¶2. (C) The Ambassador explained to the President that the USG can not wait indefinitely for a program and a center to be established in Yemen, noting that the USG is exploring other alternatives. The President repeated that Yemen will receive its citizens in its own facility, although he also acknowledged that construction awaits USG or KSA financing. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador noted that recent developments, like reports of the release of 108 al-Qaeda suspects, have done little to encourage confidence in Yemen's ability to receive the detainees. Saleh assured the Ambassador that those who were released had only been brought in for questioning and no evidence links them to al-Qaeda. He added that the ROYG has another 200 suspects ready for release but they are still in custody in order to avoid any misunderstanding by the USG. The Ambassador reiterated the request he made to Interior Minister Mutaher al-Masri on February 16 to provide the names of the 108 released suspects. The President directed former Deputy Prime Minister Rashad al-Alimi (who was present at the meeting) to do so and also to include the names of the additional 200 prisoners the ROYG intends to release. Comment -------------- ¶4. (C) Saleh's intransigence on this issue suggests that he is still persuaded he holds all the cards, i.e., Saudi Arabia is the only viable alternative to returning GTMO detainees to Yemen, and it will not/not take any of the Yemenis without his assent. For the moment, we are at an impasse, unwilling to finance construction of the rehab facility here, and reluctant to encourage the Saudis to do so, even as Saleh insists that, absent that support, there will be no facility into which Yemeni detainees can be placed. Continued coordination with Saudi Arabia on this issue will be important as we go forward, since Riyadh has the ROYG's full attention at present regarding the need to mitigate the threat to its security emanating from Yemen, which certainly would include returned GTMO detainees who ended up on the loose. End Comment. SECHE