VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #1688/01 2621305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191305Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2785

UNCLAS SANAA 001688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER KPAO YM
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SANA'A COMMEMORATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF 
SEPTEMBER 17 ATTACK 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: On September 16, post held a ceremony 
commemorating the first anniversary of the September 17, 2008 
attack on the Embassy compound.  Visiting DAS Janet Sanderson 
 conveyed regards from State Department colleagues in 
Washington and commended Embassy personnel for their 
perseverance in the face of danger and hardship.  Ambassador 
Seche delivered remarks recalling the day of the attack, 
honoring the sacrifices of the fallen, and voicing the 
renewed commitment of the Embassy community to its mission in 
Yemen.  The ceremony also included the dedication of two 
plaques honoring the security personnel killed during the 
attack and the bravery of all Embassy personnel. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. On September 16, post held a ceremony commemorating the 
first anniversary of the September 17, 2008 attack on the 
Embassy compound.  The ceremony was held in front of the 
Chancery entrance and was attended by American and locally 
employed staff, as well as the family of Mukhtar Ahmad Ahmad 
al-Faqih, the Local Guard Force (LGF) employee who was killed 
during the attack. 
 
¶3. The ceremony began with remarks by visiting DAS for 
Maghreb and Gulf Affairs Janet Sanderson.  She conveyed to 
the Embassy staff "the regards and best wishes of your 
colleagues in Washington ... (who) salute your courage, your 
determination, and your endurance in the face of much 
difficulty to continue to do the important work before you. 
That you are willing to stand up to terrorism, that you 
continue to work hard and selflessly for better relations 
between our two peoples, despite grave challenges and great 
loss, is a tribute to your personal and professional 
commitment and your respect for those who have served here 
before." 
 
¶4. Ambassador Seche then delivered remarks, recalling a day 
one year ago "that started out pretty much like any other: we 
awoke to a blue sky, another sleepy Ramadan morning.  We came 
to work.  Everything changed at 9:13 that morning, however." 
He recounted the 26-minute assault, the smoke and gunfire 
that enveloped the Embassy compound, and in the aftermath of 
the attack "being stunned by the extent of the damage, and 
the number of people who had died."  He honored those who 
fell defending the compound that day.  LGF employee Faqih 
"was the first to die that morning, as he refused to let the 
terrorists' vehicle onto the compound.  Six members of the 
Central Security Force were gunned down in the minutes that 
followed.  We gather to remember, and to show our respect for 
these individuals, who made the ultimate sacrifice on our 
behalf." 
 
¶5.  Ambassador Seche then spoke to the perseverance of the 
Embassy community and the importance of its mission. "We 
gather today to re-commit ourselves to our mission here in 
Yemen.  This is a difficult environment in which to work. 
The challenges are many and they can be daunting ... This may 
frustrate us, but it should not diminish our resolve.  In 
fact, it is the enormity of the challenges in this country 
that demands the very best from each of us."  He reflected 
that the mission's success will be measured "by the 
difference our efforts make in the lives of the people of 
this country ... In our success lies the greatest tribute 
that we can pay to those who died here one year ago, and the 
most resounding rejection of the message of intolerance and 
violence carried by those responsible for their murders." 
 
¶6. Ambassador Seche then dedicated a plaque to be placed 
inside the Chancery, which reads in English and Arabic: 
"Dedicated to the brave men and women of U.S. Embassy Sana'a. 
 Your bravery and sacrifice on September 17, 2008 when the 
Embassy compound came under attack from armed assailants and 
vehicle-borne explosive devices will not be forgotten.  Your 
continued perseverance and dedication to America's security 
and the cause of freedom are an inspiration to colleagues 
around the world." 
 
¶7. Following the observation of a minute of silence, 
Ambassador Seche, joined by Mukhtar al-Faqih's father, led a 
procession outside the Embassy to place flowers on a plaque 
remembering those who were killed.  The plaque, to be placed 
near the pedestrian entrance to the Embassy where it will be 
visible to all visitors, reads in English and Arabic: 
"In lasting tribute to those brave individuals who made the 
ultimate sacrifice on September 17, 2008, defending the 
American Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen against a terrorist attack. 
Mukhtar Ahmad Ahmad al-Faqih - U.S. Embassy LGF 
Yahya Thabet Ahmed Mohammed al-Samwai - CSO 
Zayd Yahya al-Samawi - CSO 
Nu'man Ahmad al-Hamili - CSO 
Isma'il Ali al-Anisi - CSO 
Mansur Hassan al-Hamudi - CSO 
Ali Saleh Murshed al-Jawfi - CSO" 
With the dedication of the second plaque, the ceremony 
concluded. 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶8. One year after the attack, the Embassy commuity continues 
to mourn the loss of Mukhtar al-Faih and the others who died 
defending the compound.  The attack remains a painful memory, 
and the scurity environment is as daunting as ever.  But 
hrough this ceremony, the Embassy community drew srength 
from its shared sacrifices, and from the aith that, in its 
mission to improve the lives of the people of Yemen, it will 
triumph over the idology of hatred that spawned the attack. 
END COMENT. 
SECHE