R 061307Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0738

UNCLAS SANAA 001949 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER KPAO YM
SUBJECT: SALEH'S CHARM OFFENSIVE: YEMENI PRESIDENT ATTEMPTS TO WOO 
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES THROUGH RECENT INTERVIEWS 
 
¶1.  (Summary) During the week of November 24, 2008, President Ali 
Abdullah Saleh conducted two high-profile, on-the-record interviews 
with international media outlets in France and Russia.  In the 
context of these interviews, Saleh outlined his government's views 
on counter-terrorism strategy in Yemen, American foreign policy, the 
issue of Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo, the upcoming parliamentary 
elections and the issue of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.  In what some 
observers have called a "charm offensive," Saleh took the 
opportunity to take his message directly to two important European 
audiences for Yemen.  While most of Saleh's remarks were 
predictable, his comments on Israel - whereby he admits to "believe 
in its existence" - would seem to be a break with previous public 
statements by the ROYG.  (End Summary). 
 
COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN YEMEN 
---------------------------------- 
¶2.  As expected, the bulk of Saleh's recent interviews were 
dedicated to the issue of counter-terrorism.  On "Russia Today", a 
daily Russian news program, Saleh outlined what he sees as Yemen's 
role in combating terrorism, claiming the ROYG to be in the "first 
tier" of governments in addressing this issue.  Saleh described CT 
cooperation with external powers like the US and the EU as an 
"exchange of information" as part of an international CT strategy. 
Saleh described Yemeni terrorists as "ignorant and think that they 
will settle their accounts with the outside world through these 
[terrorist] acts.  This is a misapprehension.  The only thing that 
suffers is the country itself....In reality, they are committing 
destructive terrorist actions which harm their own country." 
 
¶3.  On French TV, Saleh focused on recent successes by ROYG security 
in rolling up suspected terrorists.  In the period after the 
September 17 attack on the US Embassy in Sana'a, Saleh makes the 
claim that, "the government has strengthened its arrangements to 
deal with terrorist operations and increased its efforts to pursue 
and to catch terrorist elements.  Those who have been arrested are 
now in prison to allow for the investigation of them to be 
completed.  The security forces are pursuing the rest of the 
Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist cells in preparation to arrest them 
and bring them to justice." 
 
SALEH 'BELIEVES IN' ISRAEL 
-------------------------- 
¶4.  Saleh predicted that US foreign policy in the Middle East would 
not change much under the Obama administration, opining to French 
television that, "American foreign policy is agreed upon between the 
Republicans and Democrats and does not change when the president 
changes."  However, with the Russians, Saleh offered his analysis of 
the American historical role in the Middle East peace process. 
Going back to President Reagan and continuing on to the election of 
President-elect Obama, Saleh went on to recount the seemingly 
unchanging nature of US foreign policy towards Israel.  From Saleh's 
perspective, "there has been no substantial change, especially in 
its prevailing bias towards Israel....Obama comes and someone else 
goes and we do not expect anything new from the American position 
towards Israel unless there is a unified, public position on the 
establishment of the Palestinian State amongst the Democrats or 
Republicans, and the removal of Israel from occupied Arab lands - 
first and foremost Palestinian lands." 
 
¶5.  Saleh goes on to explain his view of the Arab position on the 
Israel-Palestine conflict.  Saleh, appearing to ad lib, said, "We 
are not saying to them to throw Israel into the sea.  We believe in 
the existence of Israel.  It exists in the region and we live with 
it....If a Palestinian state is founded, security will come to the 
Israelis....Even in the shadow of American support for them, they 
will not be able to establish the stability of Israel without the 
establishment of the Palestinian state and the withdrawal from 
occupied lands." 
 
YEMENIS IN GUANTANAMO 
--------------------- 
¶6.  President Saleh predicted that there would soon be a resolution 
to the issue of the remaining Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo.  Saleh 
reiterated his government's position that the USG provide evidence 
of their crimes if the ROYG was to be asked to incarcerate them 
after their return to Yemen.  Saleh said that the ROYG "will receive 
[the GTMO detainees] and rehabilitate them so that they are 
positive, productive members of society, they distance themselves 
from extremism, radicalism and terrorism....We expect the new 
American administration to release our prisoners and send them to 
Yemen to serve out the rest of their sentences....It is incumbent 
upon the Americans to present their files to the Yemen judiciary. 
They will be tried in a Yemeni court based on the information that 
the Americans present." 
 
YEMENI ELECTIONS 
---------------- 
¶7.  On the topic of Yemen's upcoming parliamentary elections, 
scheduled for April 2009, Saleh was quick to deny any potential 
delays in the voting time-table.  Saleh expressed to French TV that 
the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) would fully participate 
in the election, promising that the ROYG, "would not take any unfair 
action in fulfilling its responsibility to protect the peace and 
tranquility in a general sense and to apply the Constitution and the 
Law."  On Russian TV, Saleh offered a warning to the JMP, saying 
that, "We are not against one party standing alone in power."  Saleh 
went on to criticize elements of the JMP who he characterized as 
seeking to "rule and oppose at the same time." 
 
"I WARNED THE WORLD 18 YEARS AGO ABOUT PIRATES" 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶8.  Saleh criticized the international community for ignoring what 
he sees as the underlying issue of the piracy crisis, the lack of a 
central government in Somalia.  Speaking to Russian TV, Saleh 
criticized the US and the EU for ignoring the issue of Somalia. "We 
have discussed this issue with the United States and the European 
Union over the past eighteen years....It was necessary for us to 
work to re-build the Somali state and its institutions because the 
collapse of this country will cause damage to international safety 
and security.  Unfortunately these countries did not respond 
positively to this request."  Saleh posited that a coordinated 
international effort, centered in Yemen, would be the only way to 
effectively combat piracy. On French TV, Saleh called for the 
establishment of an anti-piracy center in Yemen, saying that, "We 
are ready to set up this center in Yemen in order to gather together 
the international efforts to combat sea piracy be they from the 
Somalis or others." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶9.  Saleh's on-the-record press availabilities with Russia Today and 
TV France are extremely rare examples of Saleh's direct foreign 
media engagement, preferring to deliver most of his messages through 
his own government-controlled media mouthpieces.  Several Yemeni 
journalists have opined to Emboff that Saleh's decision to appear on 
French and Russian television can be seen as a calculated effort by 
the ROYG to wage a "charm offensive" on two key trade partners for 
Yemen.  The Russian interview also can be viewed in the context of 
his long-anticipated official visit to Moscow, now expected to take 
place this month.  End Comment.