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Viewing cable 07SANAA446, RIOT IN SHABWA AFTER QUR'AN DESECRATED BY FRENCH

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07SANAA446 2007-03-26 12:21 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Sanaa
VZCZCXYZ0129
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #0446 0851221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261221Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6597
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0177
UNCLAS SANAA 000446 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL YM
SUBJECT: RIOT IN SHABWA AFTER QUR'AN DESECRATED BY FRENCH 
LNG EMPLOYEE 
 
1. (U) On the afternoon of March 25, a French Total employee 
of The Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Balhaf in 
the Shabwa governorate reportedly desecrated a Qur'an during 
an argument with a Yemeni employee regarding contracts. The 
Frenchman allegedly tore out pages of the Qur'an, threw it 
down to the floor, and according to some accounts, stepped on 
it.  The French Ambassador confirmed to Charge, and Yemen LNG 
stated in a press release, that a French employee had enraged 
a local, but did not elaborate on the origin of the clash. 
 
2. (U) A riot resulted that eventually spread to a crowd of 
400.  At least four Yemenis and the French employee were 
injured, a helicopter and automobiles were set ablaze, and a 
gas export terminal under construction was damaged.  Yemeni 
security forces from Ataq eventually put down the riot. 
According to American citizens on the ground, the situation 
was calm as of 2100 local time, and remained calm today, 
March 26.  The seven American citizens in Balhaf were not 
harmed and are in contact with the Embassy's American Citizen 
Services officer. 
 
3. (U) NOTE: The Yemen LNG project is a joint venture between 
Total and the Yemeni Government.  Total, which employs a 
number of foreigners, provides most of the management staff, 
while Yemenis comprise the remainder of the project's 
personnel.  END NOTE 
KHOURY