Cablegate: Media Reaction On Al-Moayad's Extradition From

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SANAA 002763

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA AND
S/CT
CENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR PHUM PTER KISL YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON AL-MOAYAD'S EXTRADITION FROM
GERMANY TO THE UNITED STATES.

NEA/PPD FOR MQUINN, JKINCANNON, TROBERTS

1. SUMMARY: The Extradition of Mohammed Al-Hasan al-Moayad
and his aide Mohammed Zayed from Germany to the United
States on November 17th to face charges of conspiring to
provide material support to the al-Qaeda and Hamas terrorist
groups have been mentioned in government, opposition and
independent papers. Most papers published factual coverage
of the extradition. Government papers including the al-
Thawra official daily tracked government reactions to the
extradition and ROYG efforts showing seriousness in dealing
with the case. A few papers carried commentary on the case.
A well-known anti-U.S. weekly, al-Balagh, indicated in its
editorial that the extradition will have a negative effect
on Yemen's co-operation with the U.S. Pro-Islamist
newspapers such as Annas independent weekly carried no
commentary on the extradition but urged the government to
exert all possible efforts in support of al-Moayad before
the U.S. courts. END SUMMARY.

2. Without commenting on the extradition, "Al-Thawra"
(November 18) reported that President Saleh instructed the
government to double efforts and contacts with the U.S.
authorities in Washington and the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a
with regard to al-Moayad and his aide who were extradited
from Germany to the U.S. November 17.

3. Al-Thawra (November 19) published reports tracking the
government's reactions including Foreign Minister Dr. al-
Qirbi's meeting with the U.S. Charge d'Affaires Alan
Misenheimer in which Dr. al-Qirbi renewed his request to
send al-Moayad back home and informed the U.S. Charge that
it has not been proven that al-Moayad and his aide were
involved in any illegal actions. COMMENT: News reporting
does not reflect the full scope of the Foreign Minister's
comments at the meeting. END COMMENT.

4. Anti-American weekly "Al-Balagh" (November 18) published
an op-ed article probing what it described as "the secrets"
behind the detention of al-Moayad outside Yemen and raising
concerns over his trial in a U.S. court. Al-Balagh said
that "trying al-Moayad in Yemen would make Yemen's co-
operation with the U.S. in counter-terrorism more acceptable
to the people of Yemen." The paper indicated that the
repeated visits by FBI Director Robert Mueller to Yemen
played a role in accelerating the extradition of al-Moayad
to the U.S.

5. "Al-Shura", weekly of the Popular Forces Union, (November
16) published an op-ed article commenting on the Yemeni-U.S.
counter-terrorism cooperation which al-Shura described as
"deficient". The paper indicated that "in spite of Yemen's
unlimited co-operation with the U.S. in the fight against
terrorism Washington insisted on the extradition of al-
Moayad to America and disregarded Yemen's request to send
him back home."
MISENHEIMER

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