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