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
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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
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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?
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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"
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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