O 201009Z OCT 02
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3263
INFO DIRFBI WASHDC PRIORITY
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003591 
 
STATE FOR U/S GROSSMAN S/CT FOR TAYLOR/POPE, NEA FOR CROCKER 
D FOR MCNAMARA 
FBI FOR DIRECTOR MUELLER 
JUSTICE FOR JIM REYNOLDS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2017 
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PINS YM US
SUBJECT: USS COLE: INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMB: EJHULL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (C), AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (S/NOFORN) BEGIN SUMMARY:  THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT IS 
MOVING TOWARDS KEY DECISIONS REGARDING THE USS COLE 
INVESTIGATION, AND THE SUSPECTS IT HOLDS FALL INTO FOUR 
CATEGORIES: A) THOSE WHO WILL FACE TRIAL SOON; B) THOSE WHOSE 
TRIAL WILL CONTINUE TO BE HELD IN ABEYANCE AT U.S. REQUEST; 
C) THOSE WHO WILL BE RELEASED; AND D) THOSE THE YEMENI 
GOVERNMENT IS UNLIKELY TO PROSECUTE, BUT WHOM WE SHOULD 
PURSUE IN OTHER WAYS.  AMBASSADOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE: 
PROVIDING LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO YEMEN FOR CATEGORY (A) AND 
PURSUING SEALED INDICTMENTS FOR CATEGORY (D).  SEE FULL 
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (S/NOFORN) DURING GENERAL FRANKS'S VISIT OCTOBER 17, 
AMBASSADOR RAISED WITH PRESIDENT SALEH PROSECUTION OF USS 
COLE DEFENDANTS.  NOTING THE RECENT ATTACK ON THE FRENCH 
TANKER, AMBASSADOR ARGUED THAT A VIGOROUS PROSECUTION OF 
TERRORISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USS COLE ATTACK WAS A 
NECESSARY SIGNAL FOR TERRORISTS PLANNING OTHER ATTACKS. 
SALEH INITIALLY COMMENTED THAT THE CASE WAS "SUB JUDICE" AND 
NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.  HE QUICKLY ADDED THAT YEMENI JUSTICE 
WOULD BE TOUGH AND INCLUDE LONG SENTENCES AND EVEN 
EXECUTIONS.  TO FOLLOW UP AMBASSADOR'S MARKER, EMBASSY 
PROPOSES FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ON THIS CASE. 
 
¶3.   (S/NOFORN) THE FBI/NCIS TEAM THAT IS WORKING HERE ON THE 
USS COLE INVESTIGATION IS DOING A SUPERB JOB WITH THE 
YEMENIS, AND IN THEIR UPDATES FOR AMBASSADOR IT IS BECOMING 
CLEAR THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES FOR WASHINGTON TO 
CONSIDER.  THE GOVERNMENT HERE IS IN THE PROCESS OF DECIDING 
FINALLY WHICH SUSPECTS TO PROSECUTE AND PUT ON TRIAL, WHAT 
KIND OF CASES TO PRESENT, AND WHAT DISPOSITION TO MAKE OF 
REMAINING SUSPECTS.  THE KEY U.S. OBJECTIVE IN THIS IS TO SEE 
THAT THE GUILTY ARE CONVICTED AND PUNISHED, BUT THIS GOAL IS 
LIKELY TO BE SATISFIED ONLY PARTIALLY BY YEMEN'S DECISIONS. 
IN ADDITION, IT APPEARS THAT BECAUSE OF SHORTCOMINGS IN PSO'S 
ABILITY TO PREPARE A CASE FOR THE PROSECUTORIAL ARM OF THE 
YEMENI GOVERNMENT, THERE IS A NEED FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE FROM 
THE U.S. PROSECUTION SIDE. 
 
¶4.  (S/NOFORN). FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY, HERE ARE FOUR 
DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF YEMENI-HELD SUSPECTS IN THE COLE 
CASE, AND AMBASSADOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH. 
 
¶5.  (S/NOFORN) THE FIRST CATEGORY CONTAINS EIGHT AND POSSIBLY 
NINE INDIVIDUALS.  THESE WE UNDERSTAND THE PSO CONSIDERS THAT 
IT HAS EVIDENCE AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS THE 
INTENTION TO PROSECUTE, CONVICT, AND PUNISH.  THOSE EIGHT 
INDIVIDUALS ARE: 
 
-- MURAD AL-SURURI 
-- ALI AL-MURAKAB 
-- AHMAD AL-SHINI 
-- YASSER AL-IZZANI 
-- YASSER AHMAD QASSIM 
-- ABDULLAH AL-HAKEEM 
-- MUHAMMED DARAMAH 
-- NABIL SALUH 
 
THE NINTH INDIVIDUAL, WAHIB AL-KHODR, THE PSO CONSIDERS IN 
THE SAME CATEGORY AS THE OTHER EIGHT, BUT IS LESS SURE OF ITS 
EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM. 
 
FOR THIS GROUP, AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDS THAT UNLESS THE USG HAS 
EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, EXONERATING OR MITIGATING THESE 
INDIVIDUALS, THAT WE OFFER TO ASSIST THE YEMENI PROSECUTION 
IN THESE CASES.  OUR FBI/NCIS TEAM HERE ADVISES THAT WHILE 
PSO MAY HAVE EVIDENCE THAT IT CONSIDERS TO BE COMPELLING, 
FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, THE CASES MAY NOT BE EQUALLY 
STRONG.  IN PARTICULAR, THEN, LEGAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE U.S. 
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK COULD 
BE INVALUABLE TO THE YEMENI ATTORNEY GENERAL'S TEAM AS IT 
SEEKS TO SHAPE THESE PROSECUTIONS, USING WHATEVER EVIDENCE 
MAY ALREADY BE IN THE FILE CASES PROVIDED BY THE PSO AND, 
ALSO, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THE USG MAY BE ABLE TO 
DEVELOP FROM OTHER SOURCES.  SUCH ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE 
PROVIDED ASAP, AS YEMENI OFFICIALS ARE ON PUBLIC RECORD 
STATING THAT COLE PROSECUTIONS WILL BEGIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 
A STRONG PROSECUTION CASE OBVIOUSLY SERVES BOTH U.S. AND 
YEMENI INTERESTS, AND WE SHOULD ASSIST IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. 
 
¶6.  (S/NOFORN) THE SECOND CATEGORY CONTAINS THREE 
INDIVIDUALS.  THESE WERE IDENTIFIED IN FBI DIRECTOR'S LETTER 
PRESENTED TO PRESIDENT SALEH ON SEPTEMBER 25 - INDIVIDUALS 
WHOM THE U.S. WOULD LIKE TO BE HELD BUT NOT SENT TO TRIAL 
UNTIL THE U.S. COMPLETES INDICTMENTS AGAINST ABD AL-RAHIM 
NASHIRI, TAWFIQ BIN ATTASH, AND AHMAD AMIN.  THESE THREE 
INDIVIDUALS ARE: 
 
-- FAHD AL-QUSO'A 
-- JAMAL AL-BADAWI 
-- AHMAD AHMAD HASAN AMIN (ABU JAFAR AL-TAYYAR) 
 
WE EXPECT THE YEMENI GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ACCEDE TO 
THE U.S. REQUEST TO HOLD IN ABEYANCE GOING TO TRIAL FOR THESE 
THREE.  ACCORDINGLY, AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDS THAT U.S. 
INDICTMENTS AGAINST NASHIR, ATTASH, AND AMIN BE COMPLETED AS 
SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT FURTHER DELAY IS AVOIDED.  SUCH A 
STEP WILL HELP THE YEMENIS SEE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH THE 
COLE INVESTIGATION IN ITS ENTIRETY, AS PART OF OUR 
COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS AGAINST AL-QAEDA.  INDEFINITE DELAY 
COULD HAVE UNFORESEEABLE COSTS. 
 
¶7.  (S/NOFORN) THE THIRD CATEGORY CONTAINS FOUR INDIVIDUALS. 
THESE FOUR THE YEMENIS HAVE DETERMINED THEY DO NOT HAVE 
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PROSECUTE, AND ACCORDINGLY WOULD 
RELEASE.  THESE FOUR ARE: 
 
-- ABD AL-SALAM AL-FAQIR 
-- ABD AL-HAMID MUTHANA 
-- ABD AL-KARIM AL-RIMI 
-- SA'EED AL-WAHSH 
 
FBI/NCIS INVESTIGATORS IN SANAA AGREE THAT THERE IS LITTLE OR 
NO EVIDENCE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. 
UNLESS THE U.S. HAS EVIDENCE ELSEWHERE IMPLICATING THESE FOUR 
WHICH WOULD STRENGTHEN A YEMENI PROSECUTION OF THEM, 
AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDS THAT WE INFORM YEMEN OF NO OBJECTION TO 
THEIR RELEASE. 
 
¶8.  (S/NOFORN) THE FOURTH CATEGORY CONTAINS TWO INDIVIDUALS. 
THESE HAVE PRIOR ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE PSO AND THEREFORE WE 
CANNOT EXPECT YEMEN WILL PROSECUTE THEM.  THESE TWO ARE: 
 
-- BASHIR AL-SHADADI 
-- AHMAD AMIN (ALSO INCLUDED IN SECOND CATEGORY.) 
 
WE UNDERSTAND THAT U.S. EVIDENCE LEAVES NO DOUBT OF THE 
INVOLVEMENT OF THESE TWO IN THE COLE ATTACK.  ACCORDINGLY, 
AMBASSADOR RECOMMENDS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEK A 
SEALED INDICTMENT FOR THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS, AND IN THE EVENT 
THEY TRAVEL OUTSIDE YEMEN, THE U.S. MAY BE ABLE TO SECURE THE 
COOPERATION OF A FRIENDLY GOVERNMENT TO ARREST AND HAND THEM 
OVER TO U.S. AUTHORITIES FOR U.S. PROSECUTION. 
 
 
HULL