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### Viewing cable 10SANAA4, GENERAL PETRAEUS' MEETING WITH SALEH ON SECURITY

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Reference ID | Date | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | ---
10SANAA4 | 2010-01-04 13:01 | SECRET//NOFORN | Embassy Sanaa

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    INFO  LOG-00   EEB-00   AF-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   INL-00   DOTE-00
          PERC-00  PDI-00   DS-00    EAP-00   EUR-00   OIGO-00  FAAE-00
          FBIE-00  VCI-00   H-00     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01
          MOFM-00  MOF-00   M-00     VCIE-00  DCP-00   NSAE-00  ISN-00
          NIMA-00  MCC-00   PM-00    GIWI-00  SCT-00   ISNE-00  FMPC-00
          SP-00    IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00    NCTC-00  CBP-00   SCRS-00
          PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-00   SAS-00   FA-00    SWCI-00
          SANA-00    /001W

    O 041333Z JAN 10
    FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
    TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3474
    INFO AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI IMMEDIATE
    AMEMBASSY ASMARA IMMEDIATE
    AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI IMMEDIATE
    AMEMBASSY DOHA IMMEDIATE
    AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE
    AMEMBASSY RIYADH IMMEDIATE
    CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
    CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
    COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
    DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
    FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
    NCTC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
    WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

` `

    S E C R E T SANAA 000004

    NOFORN

    DEPT FOR NEA/FO AND NEA/ARP
    NSC FOR DPNSA BRENNAN
    HQ USCENTCOM/CCCC-CIG FOR JSEATON

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2019
    TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PINS MOPS MASS MCAP SA
    AE, UK, ER, DJ, QA, YM
    SUBJECT: GENERAL PETRAEUS' MEETING WITH SALEH ON SECURITY
    ASSISTANCE, AQAP STRIKES

    REF: 2009 SANAA 1430

    Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

    ¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: Commander of the U.S. Central Command
    General David Petraeus congratulated President Saleh on
    recent successful operations against AQAP, and informed him
    that U.S. security assistance to the ROYG would increase to
    USD 150 million in 2010, including USD 45 million to equip
    and train a CT-focused aviation regiment under the Yemeni
    Special Operations Forces.  Saleh requested that the U.S.
    provide 12 armed helicopters and train and equip three new
    Republican Guard brigades.  Saleh rejected the General's
    proposal to have USG personnel armed with direct-feed
    intelligence present inside the area of CT operations, but
    agreed to a have U.S. fixed-wing bombers circle outside
    Yemeni territory ready to engage AQAP targets should
    actionable intelligence become available.  END SUMMARY.

    SALEH: HELICOPTERS, HELICOPTERS, HELICOPTERS
    --------------------------------------------

    ¶2. (S/NF) CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus,
    accompanied by the Ambassador, CENTCOM aides, the Embassy
    DATT, and EconOff note taker, congratulated President Saleh
    on successful operations against AQAP during a January 2
    meeting.  The General told Saleh that he had requested USD
    150 million in security assistance for 2010, a substantial
    increase over the 2009 amount of USD 67 million.  Also
    present were Minister of Defense MG Muhammed Nasser Ahmad Ali
    and Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs
    Rashad al-Alimi.  Raising a topic that he would manage to
    insert into almost every item of discussion during the hour
    and half-long meeting, Saleh requested that the U.S. provide
    the ROYG with 12 armed helicopters.  Possessing such
    helicopters would allow the ROYG to take the lead in future
    CT operations, "ease" the use of fighter jets and cruise
    missiles against terrorist targets, and allow Yemeni Special
    Operations Forces to capture terrorist suspects and identify
    victims following strikes, according to Saleh.  The U.S.
    could convince Saudi Arabia and the UAE to supply six
    helicopters each if the American "bureaucracy" prevented
    quick approval, Saleh suggested.  The General responded that
    he had already considered the ROYG's request for helicopters
    and was in discussions with Saudi Arabia on the matter.  "We
    won't use the helicopters in Sa'ada, I promise.  Only against
    al-Qaeda," Saleh told General Petraeus.

    ¶3. (S/NF) Saleh agreed to General Patraeus' proposal to
    dedicate USD 45 million of 2010 security assistance funds to
    help establish and train a YSOF aviation regiment, allowing
    YSOF to focus on al-Qaeda targets and leaving Sa'ada air
    operations to the Yemeni Air Force.  Without giving much
    detail, Saleh also requested that the U.S. equip and train
    three new Republican Guard brigades, totaling 9,000 soldiers.
     "Equipping these brigades would reflect upon our true
    partnership," Saleh said.  The General urged Saleh to focus
    first on the YSOF aviation regiment.

    AQAP STRIKES: CONCERN FOR CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
    ---------------------------------------------

    ¶4. (S/NF) Saleh praised the December 17 and 24 strikes
    against AQAP but said that "mistakes were made" in the
    killing of civilians in Abyan.  The General responded that
    the only civilians killed were the wife and two children of
    an AQAP operative at the site, prompting Saleh to plunge into
    a lengthy and confusing aside with Deputy Prime Minister
    Alimi and Minister of Defense Ali regarding the number of
    terrorists versus civilians killed in the strike.  (Comment:
    Saleh's conversation on the civilian casualties suggests he
    has not been well briefed by his advisors on the strike in
    Abyan, a site that the ROYG has been unable to access to
    determine with any certainty the level of collateral damage.
    End Comment.)  AQAP leader Nassr al-Wahishi and extremist
    cleric Anwar al-Awlaki may still be alive, Saleh said, but
    the December strikes had already caused al-Qaeda operatives
    to turn themselves in to authorities and residents in
    affected areas to deny refuge to al-Qaeda.  Saleh raised the
    issue of the Saudi Government and Jawf governorate tribal
    sheikh Amin al-Okimi, a subject that is being reported
    through other channels.

    SHIFTING AIRSTRIKE STRATEGIES
    -----------------------------

    ¶5. (S/NF) President Obama has approved providing U.S.
    intelligence in support of ROYG ground operations against
    AQAP targets, General Petraeus informed Saleh.  Saleh reacted
    coolly, however, to the General's proposal to place USG
    personnel inside the area of operations armed with real-time,
    direct feed intelligence from U.S. ISR platforms overhead.
    "You cannot enter the operations area and you must stay in
    the joint operations center," Saleh responded.  Any U.S.
    casualties in strikes against AQAP would harm future efforts,
    Saleh asserted.  Saleh did not have any objection, however,
    to General Petraeus' proposal to move away from the use of
    cruise missiles and instead have U.S. fixed-wing bombers
    circle outside Yemeni territory, "out of sight," and engage
    AQAP targets when actionable intelligence became available.
    Saleh lamented the use of cruise missiles that are "not very
    accurate" and welcomed the use of aircraft-deployed
    precision-guided bombs instead.  "We'll continue saying the
    bombs are ours, not yours," Saleh said, prompting Deputy
    Prime Minister Alimi to joke that he had just "lied" by
    telling Parliament that the bombs in Arhab, Abyan, and Shebwa
    were American-made but deployed by the ROYG.

    ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN MIL-MIL RELATIONS
    -----------------------------------------

    ¶6. (S/NF) General Petraeus praised cooperation between the
    Embassy and the NSB, YSOF, Yemeni Coast Guard (YCG), and
    Counterterrorism Unit (CTU), but singled out relations with
    the Yemeni Air Force as problematic.  Only four out of 50
    planned U.S. Special Operations Forces Command training
    missions with the Yemeni Air Force had actually been executed
    in the past year, he said.  Saleh said he would personally
    instruct Minister of Defense to improve the situation.  The
    General also urged Saleh to stop Yemeni Customs' habit of
    holding up Embassy cargo at the airport, including shipments
    destined for the ROYG itself, such as equipment for the CTU.
    Saleh laughed and made a vague pledge to have the customs
    issue "taken care of."  Saleh complained that the ROYG had
    not yet received the necessary training to operate 17 Iraqi
    Light Armored Vehicle (ILAVs) provided by the USG in 2008,
    saying that YSOF needed the training in order to use the
    ILAVs for CT operations.  The General said he would look into
    having U.S. Special Operations Forces personnel conduct the
    training.

    ¶7. (S/NF) Pointing to the ROYG's problems in combating
    rampant drug and arms smuggling, Saleh told General Petraeus
    that U.S. maritime security assistance was insufficient to
    cover Yemen's nearly 2,000 km of coastline.  "Why not have
    Italy, Germany, Holland, Japan, Saudi, and the UAE each
    provide two patrol boats?" Saleh suggested.  The General told
    Saleh that two fully-equipped 87-foot patrol boats destined
    for the Yemeni Coast Guard were under construction and would
    arrive in Yemen within a year.  Saleh singled out smuggling
    from Djibouti as particularly troublesome, claiming that the
    ROYG had recently intercepted four containers of
    Djibouti-origin TNT.  "Tell (Djiboutian President) Ismail
    Guelleh that I don't care if he smuggles whiskey into Yemen
    -- provided it's good whiskey ) but not drugs or weapons,"
    Saleh joked.  Saleh said that smugglers of all stripes are
    bribing both Saudi and Yemeni border officials.

    SALEH WELCOMES LONDON CONFERENCE
    --------------------------------

    ¶8. (S/NF) Saleh told the General that he welcomed PM Gordon
    Brown's announcement of the London conference and said that
    the cooperation on Yemen between the U.S., EU, Saudi Arabia,
    and the UAE would be benefitial.  Qatar should not be
    involved, however, because "they work with Iran."  In this
    regard, Saleh also identified Qatar as one of those nations
    working "against Yemen," along with Iran, Libya, and Eritrea.

    ¶9. (U) General Petraeus did not have an opportunity to clear
    on this cable.

    SECHE

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