DEMARCHE RESPONSE: USG YEMEN POLICY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000106 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA/ARP ANDREW MACDONALD; LONDON FOR GREG BERRY E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2020 TAGS: PREL PGOV SA YM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: USG YEMEN POLICY REF: SECSTATE 06928 Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) DCM met with Dr. Raed Krimly, MFA Director of Western Affairs, on January 25 to discuss U.S. goals for the January 27 Yemen ministerial in London, per reftel. Econ Counselor discussed reftel points with Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Affairs Sulaiman Al-Turki in a separate meeting the same day. Both expressed broad SAG support for U.S. Yemen policy in principle, with some differences of opinion regarding the nature and solution to the Houthi conflict. END SUMMARY. YEMENIS "REASSURED" AFTER WASHINGTON MEETINGS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Krimly confirmed that he would accompany FM Prince Saud Al-Faisal to the London meeting. They would fly to Paris on the evening of the 25th, and continue on to London on the morning of the 27th. They were scheduled to meet with the Yemeni Prime Minister on the morning of the 27th, prior to the GCC lunch and larger ministerial meeting. ¶3. (C) Krimly noted the Saudis' appreciation for how the U.S. had paid attention to Yemeni sensitivities in formulating its current Yemen policy. The Yemeni FM had been "reassured" by his meetings in Washington, Krimly continued, and the ROYG was moving into the meeting "more relaxed." Krimly agreed that the four-party meeting January 19 between the U.S., UK, Saudi Arabia and UAE had been productive, and said we could expect to see the Saudis welcome the U.S. proposals and voice their support for President Saleh and the fight against Al-Qaeda at the Yemen ministerial. The Saudis also supported the idea of a follow-on meeting in a GCC capital, provided that Yemen, too, was on board with the idea. He mentioned that they had already discussed the possibility of the UAE hosting such a meeting in the future. HOUTHIS ANOTHER HEZBOLLAH? -------------- ¶4. (C) With respect to the Houthi issue, Krimly said the SAG agreed it was time for the conflict to end. They hoped that once the Houthis had determined they could no longer advance their goals through fighting, they could be encouraged to accept Saleh's five-point plan. However, the Houthi problem was complex, and the demands they were making of the Yemeni government--to be left alone, still armed, according to his understanding--were a "recipe for disaster." "The Hezbollah experience will be reproduced," he explained, and repeated the SAG's firmly-held belief that Iran was involved in arming, training, and otherwise supporting the Houthis. Yemen's problems had to be dealt with in stages, and support for President Saleh now was essential to combating other problems, such as corruption, in the future. DEPUTY FINANCE MINISTER: SAUDI INTEREST IN YEMEN "ON RECORD" -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In a related meeting, Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Affairs Sulaiman Al-Turki told Econ Counselor that the SAG will be represented in London by the Saudi Fund for Development (Post comment: Presumably SFD Managing Director Yousef Al-Bassam. End comment.). He further said Saudi interest in Yemen was "on record" and welcomed increased interest on the part of the international community. He said the Ministry of Finance is in continuous contact with the Yemeni government via the Saudi - Yemen Joint Commission. SMITH