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Viewing cable 03SANAA1817, MEDIA REACTION: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 8 TRIP TO ADEN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
03SANAA1817 2003-07-29 07:43 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Sanaa
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001817 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER MARR YM COUNTER TERRORISM MARITIME SECURITY
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AMBASSADOR'S JULY 8 TRIP TO ADEN 
 
REF: A. SANAA 1700 
 
     B. SANAA 1699 
 
1.  (u)  Begin summary:  The Ambassador's July 8 trip to the 
southern port city of Aden (reftels) to attend the graduation 
ceremony of the first group of Yemeni officials trained by 
the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) received favorable coverage in 
both national and local press.  During the visit, the 
Ambassador also met with the newly appointed Governor of 
Aden, Dr. Yahya Al-Shaibi, to discuss the training, 
strengthening Aden's security posture and an 
Internet-in-the-classroom initiative (ref b).  Two Aden-based 
independent newspapers -- the widely-circulated daily 
Al-Ayyam, and the weekly Al-Tariq -- carried extensive 
coverage of the visit underscoring the vital role of Yemeni 
coastal forces in safeguarding the port of Aden and the 
Yemeni coastline.  Al-Ayyam also published exclusive 
interviews with Ambassador Hull (text para 5) and USCG 
Representative to Yemen, Captain Robert Innes (text para 6). 
End summary. 
 
2.  (u)  On July 9, Al-Ayyam, an independent daily based in 
Aden, published a full-page, illustrated story titled 
"American Ambassador Praises First Graduates of the Yemen 
Coast Guard and Affirms They Will Be A Deterring Force to 
Protect Yemen,s Security."  The article described the 
graduation of about 20 Yemeni officers as the "first (Yemen) 
coastal force trained by experts from the U.S. Coast Guard," 
and said the Deputy Governor of Aden, Abdul-Karim Shaif, 
praised the efforts of the American experts.  The paper also 
mentioned the Ambassador,s discussions with the newly 
appointed Governor of Aden, Dr. Al-Shaibi (ref b). 
 
3.  (u)  On July 10, Al-Ayyam published an exclusive 
full-page interview under the heading "U.S. Ambassador to the 
Paper: Yemen Exerted Serious Efforts to Increase Security for 
Aden Port and Yemeni Coasts"  (text para 5).  The interview 
discussed various aspects of U.S.-ROYG cooperation, as well 
as reconstruction in Iraq and the Roadmap. 
 
4.  (u)  Aden-based weekly Al-Tariq carried a half-page 
report titled "Aimed at Protection and Safeguard of Shipping 
at the Regional Waters the Americans Sponsor Training of 
First Group of Yemen Coast Guard Forces" on July 15.  The 
report says that following the attacks on the USS Cole at the 
Port of Aden and the French tanker along the coast of 
Mukalla, there has been an urgent need for the existence of a 
security apparatus to undertake the responsibility of 
ensuring safety and security for Yemen territorial waters. 
Al-Tariq concludes that this will require the establishment 
of a Yemen Coast Guard. 
 
5.  (u)  Excerpt from Ambassador's Interview with Aden-based 
daily Al-Ayyam. 
 
(Begin text) 
 
Al-Ayyam:  Could you brief us on the reason for your visit to 
Aden? 
 
Ambassador:  We have three reasons for this visit.  First, is 
to meet with the new Governor of Aden who has a good 
reputation.  Since we are interested in doing a number of 
things in Aden, it would be good to get to know the Governor 
at the beginning of his new post and also to know his ideas 
and explore the issues of co-operation.  The second reason 
for the visit is to announce a new program launched by the 
Embassy, which is the e-learning program under the Middle 
Eastern partnership initiative.  We have $ 1.5 million to get 
Internet into 20 to 25 Yemeni schools.  We will choose five 
schools in Aden and five in Sana,a.  The rest will be 
distributed to other Yemeni governorates.  We wanted to 
inform the Governor about this project and get his support. 
The third reason is that the U.S. Coast Guard has a team in 
Aden providing training for the Yemen Coast Guard.  Today we 
are attending the graduation of the first batch of 
U.S.-trained Yemen Coast Guard officers and I wanted to be 
here for the graduation. 
 
Al-Ayyam:  Your government has a lot of programs for Yemen, 
some of which are in Aden, such as the de-mining program and 
the current security training for Aden Airport security.  Why 
don,t you have a consulate here as rumors indicate that you 
have an intention to open one? 
 
Ambassador:  I think the answer to that is simple that we 
feel that we could do all our works in Aden by visiting Aden 
regularly from Sana,a.  Transportation between Sana,a and 
Aden including air flights are available and the roads are 
good.  This allows us to do several programs though we do not 
have permanent representation here. 
Al-Ayyam:  How do you think Coast Guard training would serve 
Aden Port security and how would that be reflected in the 
West? 
 
Ambassador:  I think the world is watching Yemen make serious 
efforts to increase security in Aden port and along the 
Yemeni coasts as a whole.  This is not the issue of high 
sounding statements, but these are doable efforts and do not 
only include getting the required equipment but also getting 
the necessary training to enable the Coast Guard force to use 
such equipment effectively.  In addition, the Coast Guard is 
building a qualified modern institution with the required 
infrastructure such as the headquarters and maintenance 
centers to be able to run their operations.  Therefore you 
have to look at what the Coast Guard is doing and not at what 
is being said about them.  If you looked at what Yemenis are 
doing to improve security in Aden and along the Yemen coast, 
I think that will have a great effect to change the image 
that there is no security in this area. 
 
Al-Ayyam:  In regards to e-learning, how many schools will 
have the program?  Will the private sector take part in this 
program? 
 
Ambassador:  The program includes 20 schools at least in 
Yemen and we hope that the private sector will participate. 
We are currently in contact with the private sector and we 
have found some interest.  We believe that it is natural for 
the private sector to contribute to this program since 
Internet training in Yemen for a new generation capable of 
using the Internet would be very useful for private 
establishments. 
 
(End text) 
 
6.  (u)  On July 9, Al-Ayyam carried an article based on a 
July 8 interview with USCG Representative Captain Robert 
Innes. 
 
(Begin text) 
 
"U.S. Maritime Officer to Al-Ayyam:  Aden is Nominated to 
Establish a Regional Coast Guard Training Center" 
 
In his talk to al-Ayyam, Captain Robert Innes, Maritime 
Advisor to the Yemeni Authorities, described the graduation 
of the first batch of the Yemen Coast Guard as a step in a 
series of others to train the Yemen Coast Guard.  He 
indicated that "the training of the first batch focuses on 
safety and security and future training will include maritime 
and engineering skills for all, since achieving 
professionalism in this area means training to all sailors." 
 
As far as the new training programs are concerned, he said 
that "new training programs actually began before this one, 
which ended today (July 8th); even started, and will 
continue."  "We have been working with the Yemen Navy for two 
years and my job is to transfer knowledge and experience and 
infrastructure equipment to the leadership, and once this 
leadership takes over they would be able to do everything by 
themselves" he added. 
 
Responding to al-Ayyam,s question about having a regional 
training center instead of moving from a port to another and 
whether Aden is nominated for this; Mr. Innes said that there 
will be one in the future and that Aden is nominated "but we 
are looking for an institution for which Aden could act as a 
branch.  The center in Aden will be leading a 500km-long 
coast with operation centers alongside the coast.  Other 
ports such as Mukalla and Hodeida will have branches too. 
There is a great benefit in making certain duties such as 
training central since this is an economic issue too. The 
Yemen Navy and the Yemen Coast Guard have been clever about 
this since they have selected the best examples from all over 
the world and not from the United States alone and I am 
encouraging them to do this.  The system followed in the U.S. 
may not be the best for Yemen.  America is a big country and 
applying the American system in Yemen may not be the best 
solution, and the Yemen Government has looked around the 
world for the models that suit them best." 
 
(End text) 
 
HULL