Cablegate: Embassy Sana'a Proposal for Pko Funds
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SANAA 001934
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
FOR NEA DAS LAROCCO, NEA/ARP DJONES AND MMILLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL YM COUNTER TERRORISM MARITIME SECURITY
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SANA'A PROPOSAL FOR PKO FUNDS
1. (SBU) Below is the spending proposal from US Embassy
Sanaa for use of $5 million PKO funds in Yemen.
2. (SBU) We have three (3) objectives in using these funds:
(1) Continue to move forward with the Counter Terrorism fight
in Yemen and, as a second/third order effect, in the region,
(2) Provide an infrastructure for joint use by the Yemen
Navy/Coast Guard as part of the Maritime Security Strategy,
and (3) Preclude any involvement of North Korea in Yemeni
maritime affairs.
3. (SBU) The Yemen Maritime Strategy directs that the Yemen
Navy and Coast Guard work jointly to secure its ports and
interdict sea borne infiltration from the Red Sea. The Yemen
Coast Guard performs its mission out to 12 nautical miles
while the Yemen Navy works from 12 nautical miles and out.
Currently, the ROYG is standing up the Yemen Coast Guard with
EDA patrol boats from the USCG. The ROYG has let a contract
to buy ten patrol boats from an Australian firm. While these
are good first steps, no infrastructure exists to maintain
the boats over the long term. Without this infrastructure
the new boats will quickly become inoperational and the
Maritime Strategy unworkable.
4. (SBU) Additionally, it is necessary to train the
officers and men of the Yemen Navy and Coast Guard. English
language proficiency is a hugely lacking in Yemen. We need
to take it upon ourselves to train these officers and men in
English so they can travel to the Unites States and undergo
training in our service schools. This has the added affect
of immersing these officers and men in the US lifestyle and
professionalism of the US Armed Forces that they will bring
back to Yemen.
5. (SBU) We have found that as we bring trainers in to
train the Yemen Armed Forces the Yemen soldiers do not have
the basic equipment of soldiering to include uniforms, boots,
helmets and other needed items. We then lose valuable
training time as we buy essential items of equipment for
their use. We propose to stockpile uniforms, boots, helmets
and other equipment so as we begin to train these soldiers
they look and feel as if they belong to a professional unit.
This has a great impact on morale and professionalism.
6. (SBU) We propose to spend $4.45M on Yemen Navy/Coast
Guard infrastructure to include mobile repair shops, marine
travel lift, secure communications equipment, facility
establishment, engine repair parts, hull repair parts,
maritime skills training, and coastal security and counter
terrorism training. Additionally, we propose to spend $350K
on English language training for up to 200 personnel and
$200K for basic and essential soldiering equipment.
7. (SBU) In a meeting with the Yemen Armed Forces Chief of
Staff, the Ambassador also reiterated the importance of
Yemeni understanding of USG sensitivities to any Yemeni
cooperation with North Korea in the construction of the
Yemeni navy port at Hodeidah. (Ambassador will be meeting
with Minister of Defense on this subject next week.)
8. (SBU) This proposal achieves the objectives outlined in
paragraph 1 above and also attains US goals and interests in
Yemen and the region. Request approval of the proposal and
the release of the $5M PKO funds to Yemen.
HULL