State Department cable concerning a summary of the Yemeni Parliamentary Committee's investigation and detention of "hundreds" of suspects involved in the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen in October 2000. The Committee's report focused on possible human rights violations in relation to the basis for individual detentions and the length of detentions.
UNCLASSIFIED
Ctrrent Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 1 Current Handling: n/a Ins Document Number: 2002SANAA03428 FUEIJEASEDAN4RAWFa
131, 1.4(B), 1.4(D), B7(A)
PTQ9024
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PAGE 01 SANAA 03428 01 OF 03 291612Z
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INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CCO-00 CIAE-00'
NP-00 A-00 CG-00
COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00
DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00
DS-00 EB-00 ED-01 FAAE-00 VC-00
EUR-00 HHS-01
H-01 INSE-00 10-00 L-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01
CAC-00 M-00 NEA-00 NRCE-00
VCE-00 AC-01 DCP-01
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-03 OMB-01
OIC-02 OPIC-01 PA-00
PM-00 ACE-00 SP-00 STR-00
PRS-00 P-00 SSO-00
TRSE-00 USIE-00 USSS-00 ASDS-01 PMB-00
DSCC-00 PRM-00
DRL-02 SAS-00 /016W
G-00 SWCI-00
EE9982 291613Z /38
P 291606Z SEP 02
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3117
INFO FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
NAVCRIMINVSERVFO MIDDLE EAST BAHRAIN PRIORITY .
NAVCENTMETOCCEN BAHRAIN PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
GCC COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 003428
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2008
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, SOCI, PHUM YM US
SUBJECT: YEMENI PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON DETAINEES IN COLE,
SEP 11 INVESTIGATIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SANAA 03428 01 OF 03 291612Z
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM: AMISENHEIMER. REA6ONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE HAS FOUND
THE ROYG IN VIOLATION OF ITS CONSTITUTION AND LAWS IN ITS
DETENTION OF MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED SUSPECTS RELATED TO THE
CASES OF THE USS COLE AND SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. A LENGTHY
REPORT, SUMMARIZED BELOW, DETAILS THE COMMITTEE'S QUESTIONS
AND THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSES ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF
SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES. i I
B1
ITHE ROYG FACES
STRONG PRESSURES FROM THE PARLIAMENT, MEDIA, AND DETAINEES
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 1
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: SHARON E AHMAD
DOS-002483
UNCLASSIFIED
DATE/CASE ID: 17 NOV 2004 200303827
UNCLASSIFIED
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Document Number: 2002SANAA03428 Channel: n/a
FAMILY MEMBERS. FOLLOW-UP GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE REPORT
WILL COME IN EARLY DECEMBER AFTER THE PARLIAMENT RECONVENES.
END SUMMARY.
I.
2. (SBU) A SPECIAL 10-MAN FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE WAS FORMED
SEPTEMBER 17 BY YEMEN'S.PARLIAMENT (HOUSE OF DEPUTIES) TO
INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION OF THOSE ARRESTED AS A RESULT OF
THE OCTOBER 2000 BOMBING OF THE USS COLE AND THE SEPTEMBER
.2001 ATTACKS AGAINST U.S. TARGETS. THE COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY
RAJIH SAAD HUNAYSH, ISSUED ITS 17-PAGE REPORT SEPTEMBER 24
FOLLOWING MEETINGS WITH: FAMILIES OF THE DETAINED, THE
MINISTER OF INTERIOR, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE DEPUTY HEAD
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PAGE 03 SANAA 03428 01 OF 03 291612Z
OF THE POLITICAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION (PSO), SOME OF THE
DETAINEES, THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE MINISTER OF
JUSTICE, THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE
DIRECTOR OF CRIMINAL RESEARCH AT THE SANAA SECRETARIAT.
AMONG THE COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS ARE THAT GOVERNMENT
AUTHORITIES VIOLATED YEMEN'S CONSTITUTION AND LAWS REGARDING
THE MANNER AND LENGTH OF SOME OF THE DETENTIONS. AMONG ITS
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT THE PSO REFER FOR PROSECUTION ALL
CASES OF THOSE DETAINED OR RELEASE THEM. THE COMMITTEE ALSO
RECOMMENDED THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IDENTIFY AND PROSECUTE
OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL
VIOLATIONS.
COMPLAINTS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS
3. (SBU) FOR EACH OF THE COMMITTEE'S MEETINGS NOTED ABOVE,
THE REPORT LISTS THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS POSED AND THE
RESPONSES PROVIDED BY THE RELEVANT OFFICIAL OR FAMILY GROUP.
THUS, FAMILY MEMBERS ARE CITED AS SAYING THAT FOR MOST OF
THOSE ARRESTED, THEIR FAMILIES LEARNED OF THIS ONE TO SIX
MONTHS LATER, AND ONLY UNOFFICIALLY_ FAMILY VISITS WERE
ALLOWED ONLY AFTER ONE TO SIX MONTHS, TWICE WEEKLY, FOR FIVE
MINUTES. IN SOME CASES, RELATIVES OF DETAINEES WERE
THEMSELVES DETAINED. SOME DETAINEES WERE ALLEGED TO HAVE
BEEN PHYSICALLY TORTURED, AND SOME WERE DETAINED IN ISOLATION
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 2
DOS-002484
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
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Document Number: 2002SANAA03428 Channel: n/a
DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /016W EE9987 291613Z /38 P 291606Z SEP 02 FM AMEMBASSY SANAA TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3118 INFO FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY NAVCRIMINVSERVFO MIDDLE EAST BAHRAIN PRIORITY. NAVCENTMETOCCEN BAHRAIN PRIORITY SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY GCC COLLECTIVE
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 03 SANAA 003428
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2008 TAGS: PGOV, PTER, SOLI, PHUM YM US SUBJECT: YEMENI PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON DETAINEES IN COLE, SEP 11 INVESTIGATIONS CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SANAA 03428 02 OF 03 291613Z
PREVENT THEM FROM IMPLEMENTING THEIR PLANNED "ACTS OF MADNESS" WHICH HAD BEEN DISCOVERED THROUGH RECORDINGS OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THEM.
6. (SBU) RESPONDING TO THE COMMITTEE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT CHARGES AGAINST THE DETAINED, THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR SAID THE FIRST GROUP WERE CHARGED ACCORDING TO YEMENI LAW WITH BOMBING THE USS COLE. REGARDING THE SEPTEMBER 11 GROUP, SOME WERE ARRESTED WHILE PLANNING OPERATIONS INFRINGING UPON THE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF THE COUNTRY AND CITIZENS, WITH QUANTITIES OF WEAPONS, AMMUNITION, AND EXPLOSIVES SEIZED AT LOCATIONS THEY HAD SET UP, AND SOME OF THE DETAINED HAD MADE STATEMENTS IMPLICATING THEMSELVES IN ACTS OF SABOTAGE INFRINGING UPON THE SECURITY AND WELL-BEING OF THE COUNTRY AND CITIZENS. SOME DETAINEES HAVE BEEN RELEASED, ACCORDING TO THE MINISTER, ALTHOUGH THE REPORT PROVIDES NO FURTHER INFORMATION.
PSO DEPUTY DIRECTOR RESPONDS
7. (SBU) THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE PSO, RESPONDING TO COMMITTEE QUESTIONS, SAID THAT LEGAL STEPS AGAINST THOSE DETAINED WERE TAKEN WITH THE PERMISSION AND PREPARATION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. HE ADDED THAT NONE HAS BEEN RELEASED
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UNCLASSIFIED DOS-002486
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Document Number: 2002SANAA03428 Channel: n/a
EXCEPT THOSE ARRESTED BY MISTAKE. HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THOSE
DETAINED HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS DURING
ARREST OR INVESTIGATION. THE PSO DEPUTY DIRECTOR SAID THAT
IN THE USS COLE CASE, AMERICAN INVESTIGATORS HAD PROVIDED
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PAGE 03 SANAA 03428 02 OF 03 291613Z
WRITTEN QUESTIONS FOR THE DETAINEES TO YEMENI INVESTIGATORS,
WHO THEN POSED THESE QUESTIONS, IN PROCEDURES AGREED WITH
YEMEN. AS FOR THE SEPTEMBER 11 DETAINEES, NO FOREIGN ELEMENT
HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE INVESTIGATION. HE SAID THE CONDITION
OF THE DETAINEES IS NOT BAD; THEY HAVE BEEN VISITED BY THE
RED CROSS AND NOT EXPOSED TO ANY TORTURE. IN HIS FINAL
POINT, THE PSO OFFICIAL SAID THAT NO YEMENI HAS BEEN OR WOULD
BE HANDED OVER TO ANY FOREIGN AGENCY/PARTY.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON B7(A)
US-YEMENI COOPERATION
8. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE COMMITTEE REPORT, THE MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS SAID THAT YEMEN WAS AMONG THE FIRST COUNTRIES
TO RAISE THE ISSUE OF ITS NATIONALS BEING DETAINED BY THE USG
AT GUANTANOMO,/
B7(A)
I THE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID THERE IS NO SIGNED
SECURITY AGREEMENT BETWEEN YEMEN AND AMERICA, BUT THERE IS
SECURITY COOPERATION IN TRAINING, INFORMATION EXCHANGES,
TRAINERS FOR SPECIAL FORCES AND SECURITY FORCES, AS WELL AS
"THE EXCHANGE OF SOME NAMES, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS."
9. (SBU) THE EMBASSY UNDERSTANDS FROM A DEPUTY WHO SERVED ON
CONFIDENTIAL
.
PAGE 04 SANAA 03428 02 OF 03 291613Z
THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE THAT NOW THAT ITS REPORT HAS BEEN
COMPLETED, THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DISSOLVED. THE PARLIAMENT
IS OUT OF SESSION UNTIL AFTER RAMADAN AND WILL RECONVENE IN
EARLY DECEMBER. AT THAT TIME, THE NEXT STEP IS FOR THE
MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND PERHAPS OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
TO SUBMIT DETAILED REPORTS AND RESPONSES.
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 5
UNCLASSIFIED DOS-002487
UNCLASSIFIED
. I 4 ?Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 7 Current Handling: n/a Document Number: 2002SANAA03428 Channel: n/a
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2008
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, SOCI, PHUM YM US
SUBJECT: YEMENI PARLIAMENTARY REPORT ON DETAINEES IN COLE,
SEP 11 INVESTIGATIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SANAA 03428 03 OF 03 291613Z
HULL
CONFIDENTIAL
« END OF DOCUMENT »
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 7
DOS-002489
UNCLASSIFIED