Cablegate: Royg Condemns 3/2 Attacks in Baghdad and Kerbala

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

041101Z Mar 04

UNCLAS SANAA 000498

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KISL YM DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: ROYG CONDEMNS 3/2 ATTACKS IN BAGHDAD AND KERBALA

REF: STATE 47118

1. (C) DCM contacted Presidential translator/advisor Mohamed
Sudam and conveyed reftel demarche evening of 3/3. Sudam
noted that the absence of FM Qirbi (in Cairo for AL
Ministerial) likely accounted for lack of immediate comment
from the MFA, adding that ROYG would indeed denounce "these
terrible events." Sudam telephoned DCM morning of 3/4 with
word that official statements had been issued via the
official Saba News Agency and published in the official
al-Thawra daily.

2. (U) Statement issued in English by the official Saba News
Agency.

Begin text:

Sanaa, March 3 (Saba) - Yemen denounced the blasts took place
on Tuesday in two Iraqi cities Karbla and Baghdad that caused
the death of tens and lot of injuries. An official source at
foreign ministry told Saba that Yemeni government condemned
the explosion acts that killed innocent people who were
performing religious rituals. The source asserted that such
criminal acts not target the Iraqi people only, but also its
stability, security and national unity to create horror among
citizens. (End text)

3. (U) Front page editorial published in Arabic in the
official daily, al-Thawra:

Begin text (excerpts) of unofficial translation:

Title: The Baghdad Massacres: Who Benefits?

The Republic of Yemen and most countries of the world
condemned the bloody bombings seen day before yesterday in
the cities of Kerbala and Baghdad, considering that that
repugnant act that took the life of dozens of Iraqis is
included in the framework of the crimes repudiated in all
heavenly revelations and humanitarian principles.

In the face of the horror of that awful bloodbath, an
insistent question arises in any mind: who benefits from
carrying out that crime, and who possesses the capabilities
and the means of planning that would enable him to carry out
this sort of operation (lit: implementation), which required
a high level of equipment and preparation.

(passage on danger of internal strife)

It would be a mistake for anyone to believe or imagine that
internal strife, if it occurred, would have any outcome other
than tragedy, for which all would pay the price.

(passage on need to rebuild Iraqi institutions)

What is required of the coalition forces is fulfillment of
their commitment to hasten the process of enabling Iraqis to
manage their own affairs in accordance with their free will,
which will spare this people, and also the occupation forces,
more losses, especially since continuation of the
deterioration of security can only lead to subsequent
disasters, the wounds and tragic scenes of which will linger
in the minds of the young generations, and will be erased
only by the return of stability, security and prosperity to
this country which has suffered from wars such as no other
country in the world.

Nevertheless the question will remain, who is the beneficiary
behind those outrages carried out in Kerbala and Baghdad?

End text.
HULL

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