Cablegate: Establishing the Facts in Ibb

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

UNCLAS SANAA 001105

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/EX, S/CT, CA, DS/DSS,
DS/IP/NEA, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/ICI/PII, CENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER YM COUNTER TERRORISM
SUBJECT: ESTABLISHING THE FACTS IN IBB

REF: SANAA 1099

1. At approximately 0900 on May 14, 2003 an explosion
occurred at a courtroom next to Ibb central prison, slightly
injuring Judge Haizam Naji Fadl. Fadl was not/not the judge
who presided over the recently concluded trial of Mr. Kemal
who was convicted of killing three Amcits at the Jibla
hospital. Information obtained to date does not indicate a
connection with that trial.

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MOI: It Was an Accident
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2. Ministry of Interior office director Brigadier General
Ahmed Sunidar confirmed to RSO that a explosion occurred at
in the Court of Appeals next to the Ibb Central Prison,
located approximately 125 miles south of Sanaa. According to
the initial report by the MOI, a soldier guarding the judge
dropped a hand grenade, wounding the judge. This explanation
is improbable. Embassy conoff who attended the trial in Jibla
reports that he did not see guards carrying grenades.
Subsequent accounts indicating that a grenade was thrown into
the courtroom are more likely.

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Which courtroom was it?
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3. AFP reported that the incident occurred in another court
than the Jibla trial and that the perpetrator was arrested
shortly afterwards. A judge at the same courthouse, reported
to a Consular FSN that the explosion took place during a
trial that had been moved from Yarim to Ibb for "security
reasons." Later, Consular FSN talked to Ibb Prison Warden
Mohammed Al-Saidi, who said that the bomb exploded in the
same courtroom where the Jibla shooter trial was held.

4. Comment: As in the case with previous incidents in Yemen,
conflicting reports are common. Post is seeking further
clarification with MOI and sources in Ibb. The information
available so far does not establish a connection between this
incident and the judge in the recently concluded Jibla trail.
End Comment.

HULL

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