VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #0090/01 0191008
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 191008Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3562
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0005
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0001
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SANAA 000090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD AND DS/ATA JNASON 
NSC FOR DPNSA JOHN BRENNAN AND AJOST 
DHS FOR CBP/OIOC EWALKER AND CPB/PLT GDEWEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV ASEC EAIR YM
SUBJECT: ROYG CAUTIOUSLY RECEPTIVE TO ENHANCED COOPERATION 
ON MONITORING OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (S) SUMMARY. In a January 18 meeting with Deputy Prime 
Minister for Defense and Security Rashad al-Alimi, the 
Ambassador conveyed strong USG interest in enhanced 
cooperation on airport security, sharing of passenger 
manifests for international flights to Yemen, and access to 
information on foreigners pursuing language and religious 
studies in Yemen.  Alimi was cautiously receptive to this 
enhanced cooperation and said that the ROYG had already taken 
steps to improve monitoring of international travelers to 
Yemen, including a stop to visa issuance at Sana'a 
International Airport.  The USG should act quickly to 
capitalize on the ROYG's current receptivity to our support, 
especially with regard to improved passenger screening at 
Sana'a International Airport, by expediting the arrival of an 
ATA assessment team.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (S) On January 18, the Ambassador conveyed to Deputy Prime 
Minister for Defense and Security Rashad al-Alimi the 
substance of a recent conversation with DPNSA John Brennan 
regarding enhanced U.S.-Yemeni CT cooperation.  The 
conversation focused on three areas: airport security, 
sharing of passenger manifests for international flights into 
Yemen, and access to information on foreigners pursuing 
language and religious studies in Yemen. 
 
¶3. (S) In the area of airport security, the Ambassador 
explained plans for an assessment team to visit Sana'a 
International Airport to identify ways to enhance the 
airport's security measures.  He emphasized that the U.S. 
would like the ROYG to begin secondary screening for every 
passenger at the airport, and was prepared to provide 
assistance to help the airport institute these measures. 
Alimi welcomed the assessment team, adding that Sana'a 
International Airport receives periodic inspections from the 
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and, 
according to the Ministry of Transportation, is in compliance 
with ICAO standards.  (Note: Post is attempting to locate the 
last ICAO report on Sana'a International Airport. End Note.) 
 
¶4. (S) The Ambassador also requested that the ROYG share 
passenger manifests for all international flights to Yemen so 
that the information could be passed through USG databases to 
identify known extremists entering the country.  He noted a 
desire to have Yemen's Embassy in Washington share names of 
Americans applying for visas and requested that the ROYG 
cease issuing visas at Sana'a International Airport.  Alimi 
said the ROYG had already decided to stop issuing visas at 
the airport for a period of at least six months.  (Note: MFA 
has not yet notified the Embassy of any change in visa 
issuance at the airport and a passport official at the 
airport denied that there was any change.  End Note.)  Alimi 
stated that Yemeni authorities receive the passenger 
manifests for international flights "only hours" before the 
flights arrive, but added he was receptive to studying the 
best mechanism through which to share this information. 
 
¶5. (S) The Ambassador noted that the USG would like access to 
the names of foreigners pursuing language or religious 
studies in Yemen, to check the names against USG databases 
and identify known or potential extremists.  Alimi stated 
that the ROYG would work to identify the best mechanism for 
sharing this information and said, "It is very important for 
us to know if there is an extremist living in our country" 
under the pretext of studying.  (Note: Sabri Saleem, the 
president of a language and regional studies institute in 
Sana'a, told PolOff on January 17 that Ministry of Interior 
officers had already visited his institute to collect 
information on foreigners studying there.  End Note.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (S) With the ROYG intensifying its CT operations and 
seeking to highlight its resolve to deny safe haven to 
terrorists, the time is opportune to press for expanded 
cooperation in areas, such as sharing passenger manifests, 
where the ROYG in the past has declined to accede to our 
requests.  On the specific issue of the ATA airport-security 
assessment team, we urge that a date for the visit be fixed 
as soon as possible to take full advantage of the ROYG's 
 
expressed interest to improve its passenger-screening 
techniques.  END COMMENT. 
SECHE