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DE RUEHYN #0297/01 0570651
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FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6423
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0042
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0012
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT
RHMFISS/COMUSCENTAF SHAW AFB SC
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0075

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000297 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2017 
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS MASS SO YE
SUBJECT: (C) YEMENIS ASK CODEL FOR HELP IN SAADA; PRESENT 
WEAK EVIDENCE OF IRANIAN LINKS 
 
SANAA 00000297  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR THOMAS C. KRAJESKI, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND ( 
D). 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY:  President Saleh asked CODEL Reyes on 
February 19 to support on an urgent basis the Yemeni 
Government's military campaign against insurrectionists in 
Saada with intelligence, equipment and armored vehicles. 
Interior Minister Rashad al-Alimi warned that anti-government 
fighters in Saada are also planning to hit Saudi oil 
facilities, so the USG and Yemen must "act now" to stop them. 
 The Minister handed the CODEL a file that he said 
substantiated the Government's claims of Iranian involvement 
in the conflict.  Embassy reviewed the file and did not find 
any evidence to support allegations of links between the 
insurrectionists and Iran.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (C)  During an unusually lengthy meeting with visiting 
CODEL Reyes that covered a number of other topics (septel), 
President Saleh reiterated his request to Ambassador the 
previous day for USG support to the Yemeni Government for its 
military campaign in Saada.  Saleh said that 50 government 
soldiers had been killed and 250 injured in just one week of 
fighting, and the Government urgently needs intelligence, 
equipment and armored vehicles in order to counter fighters 
loyal to Abdulmalik al-Houthi.  Saleh said the USG should 
consider bringing the vehicles from a nearby location, such 
as Jordan, Oman or Turkey, as this is a time-sensitive 
request. 
 
¶3. (C)  In a separate meeting hosted by Foreign Minister Abu 
Bakr al-Qirbi and Minister Alimi, Political Security 
Organization Director Ali al-Qamish explained, "We believe 
the al-Houthi problem comes directly from Iran."  The Iranian 
regime wants influence in the region by working through 
groups that are ideologically sympathetic, he said, in 
Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.  Iran began culturally preparing 
Yemenis in Saada in the 1990s, and are now hoping to replace 
the Government in Saada, and perhaps all of Yemen.  The 
al-Houthis were responsible for planning to attack the 
Embassy with rockets and assassinate the Ambassador in 2005. 
They take advantage of "emotions on the street" by adopting 
the slogan, "Death to America, Death to Israel," Qamish 
explained. 
 
¶4. (C)  The al-Houthis, Qamish continued, depend on Iran as 
their "main funding source," as well as individuals from 
Bahrain, Qatar and elsewhere who "share their belief in 
twelver Islam."  Because of the tension between Libya and 
Saudi Arabia, the Libyan President also provides funding to 
the al-Houthis, in order to "settle scores with the Saudis." 
The Government tried to solve the Saada conflict through 
dialogue, but the al-Houthis insist on carrying weapons 
against the state, Qamish explained.  National Security 
Bureau Deputy Director Ammar Saleh, who was also in the 
meeting, added that Yemen needs U.S. support to counter the 
spread of Iranian influence and for "fighting these 
terrorists just like we do al-Qaida."  (NOTE:  Neither Qamish 
nor Ammar Saleh provided any intelligence to support their 
claims.  END NOTE) 
 
¶5. (C)  Minister Alimi asserted that the al-Houthis "have 
plans to hit Saudi oil facilities," according to informants 
among the Shia community in Saudi Arabia, information that 
Alimi said has been passed to the Saudi intelligence 
services.  "We warned you two and a half years ago that a 
Taliban-like regime was forming in Somalia, but you did not 
listen to us," Alimi stated.  "We are warning you again about 
the al-Houthis, and you must act."  The Minister then handed 
Congressman Reyes a file that he said substantiated Yemen's 
allegations of Iranian involvement. 
 
¶6. (C)  Embassy's review of the file revealed letters from an 
unclear source requesting equipment and training from someone 
in Iran, claiming that the northern tribes of Yemen were 
"ready for an Islamic revolution."  The file also contained a 
number of documents related to the trial and sentencing of 
Judge Yahya Hussein al-Dailami and cleric Mohamed al-Muftah, 
 
SANAA 00000297  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
who were convicted of being agents of Iran.  (NOTE:  Both men 
were pardoned and released from prison in May 2005.  END 
NOTE)  Also in the file were documents related to the alleged 
plans in 2005 for a rocket attack against the Embassy and 
assassination of the Ambassador.  The file also included a 
threatening letter from a man claiming to be associated with 
the al-Houthis to the Jewish community in Saada. 
 
¶7. (C)  COMMENT:  For President Saleh and his senior security 
team, the al-Houthis' educational and religious links to Iran 
and Tehran's meddling in other countries in the region appear 
to be enough to convince them that an Iranian hand is behind 
the current phase of the al-Houthi insurrection, which has 
been going on for the past three years.  Based on the 
information the Yemenis have provided thus far, however, 
Embassy is not ready to make that leap of faith.  The same 
holds true for the Yemenis' allegations regarding the 
Libyans.  Embassy is aggressively following up with Yemeni 
officials to track down information on any such foreign 
links, and will report any developments in that regard. 
 
¶8. (C)  We will report our thoughts on Saleh's request for 
equipment and vehicles septel. 
 
¶9. (U)  CODEL Reyes did not have an opportunity to clear this 
cable. 
KRAJESKI