EMBASSY LISBON REPORT ON POTENTIAL YEMENI

S E C R E T LISBON 000009 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT, NEA, INR, DS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/07/2020 TAGS: PTER PREL PINR YM PO SUBJECT: EMBASSY LISBON REPORT ON POTENTIAL YEMENI TERRORIST THREAT Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR RICHARD REITER, FOR 1.4 B, D. ¶1. (S) Embassy Lisbon's Marine Security Guard (MSG) Gunnery Sergeant Russell Boley's previous posting was to the MSG at Embassy Sanaa, Yemen. On 04 January 2010, GySgt Boley received the following email in Lisbon: Begin Text: From: Ralph McDonald (lostcreekflyer@gmail.com) Sent: Monday, January 4, 2010, 6:03 am To: Boley, Russell D Subject: Sana'a expatriot Dear Sir My name is Ralph McDonald, a U.S. citizen living in Tourist City working as a contract Captain for Felix Airways. Passport number 422107145. Your business card was given to me by Mike Shumway who worked here until December. I am concerned that one of the Yemeni First Officers may be a potential security risk. He received initial pilot training in the U.S. and has family there. He is a young, well off, low time inexperienced pilot that does not seem interested in continuing to learn more than he currently knows which is not much. His behavior is not consistent with a professional pilot and last week he made a direct threat to me while airborne. He was upset because I was correcting him on his shortcomings which is part of my job. The threat was not specific but it was certain and was witnessed by another pilot in training who was sitting in the observers seat. I have taken it seriously and reported it to the airline management and have refused to fly with him anymore. The airline has not disciplined him. In the U.S. he would be fired or suspended and subjected to psychological tests and retrained. He does travel to the U.S. periodically to visit his family. As a pilot with a commercial airline he has the necessary credentials and accouterments to request access to the cockpit of a transatlantic flight for the purpose of free passage. Most U.S. carriers have a very limited and specific list of who can exercise this privilege but many foreign carriers do not. Kindly advise if this information is useful and to whom it should be directed. Thank you Ralph McDonald End Text. ¶2. (S) GySgt Boley, in consultation with Embassy Lisbon elements, requested that Mr. McDonald provide further details on the subject and contact information for himself in case Embassy Sanaa wished to contact him. Mr. McDonald responded with the following email: Begin Text: From: Ralph McDonald (lostcreekflyer@gmail.com) Sent: Monday, January 4, 2010, 8:52 pm To: Boley, Russell D Subject: Re: Sana'a expatriot Dear Sir The individuals name is Ahmed Mohammed A Mubarez. He is about 23 years of age, about 5 foot 8 inches tall, quite slim, weight about 155 pounds, soft spoken with narrow facial features. I think I may have a photo of him. I will try and find out more information and locate the photo and send another email as soon as I have something. I know he lives near the embassy in a large house. He is apparently quite computer savvy. Thank you Ralph McDonald. End Text. ¶3. (S) The next day, Mr. McDonald sent the following email: Begin Text: From: Ralph McDonald (lostcreekflyer@gmail.com) Sent: Monday, January 5, 2010, 6:59 pm To: Boley, Russell D Subject: Re: Sana'a expatriot Hi Russell My local cell number in Sana'a is 734 777 532. The number at my apartment in Sana'a is 302 770 1372. I am off work Wednesday and Thursday. Thanks Ralph End Text. ¶4. (S) Mr. McDonald also emailed to GySgt Boley two photos of subject Mubaraz. We have passed those photos to State Dept INR Bureau and to State Dept Diplomatic Security. Unless requested by Washington, Embassy Lisbon and GySgt Boley will take no further action. For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, please see our Intelink site: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal SWEENEY