US letter to Security Council: Saleh uses Al-Qa’ida to conduct assassinations in Yemen

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UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

October 31, 2014

Dear Madam Ambassador:

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations informs the Committee pursuant to resolutions 2140 (2014) that the following individuals have been identified pursuant to paragraph 17 of resolution 2140 (2014) as engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Yemen: Former President Ali Saleh, Abd alKhaliq al Huthi, Abdullah Yahya al Hakim. We request that these individuals be added to the 2140 (2014) Sanctions List.

 We have provided detailed information on the reasons behind our request for inclusion on the list in the attached statement of case.

           Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

                                                                                                 Sincerely,

...

(U) Statement of the Case: Ali Abdullah Saleh

(U) Name: Ali Abdullah Saleh

(U) Also Known As: Ali Abdallah Salih

(U) Gender: Male

(U//FOUO) Date of Birth: March 21, 1945

(U) Alternate Date of Birth: March 21, 1946

(U) Alternate Date of Birth: March 21, 1942

(U) Place of Birth: Bayt al-Ahmar, Sana’a Governorate, Yemen

(U//FOUO) Alternate Place of Birth: Sana’a, Yemen

(U//FOUO) Nationality: Yemen

(U//FOUO) Passport: 00016161 (Yemen)

(U//FOUO) Position: President of Yemen’s General People’s Congress party

(U) Alternate Position: Former President of the Republic of Yemen

(U) Per the November 23, 2011 Gulf Cooperation Council agreement, Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down as President of Yemen after more than 30 years and transferred power to his Vice President, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.  Although Saleh is no longer President, he retains considerable influence in Yemen’s politics as head of the country’s ruling party, the General People’s Congress (GPC).

(U) Ali Abdullah Saleh has engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen. 

(U) As of fall 2012, Ali Abdullah Saleh had reportedly become one of the primary supporters of the Huthi rebellion.  Saleh was behind the attempts to cause chaos throughout Yemen.  More recently, as of September 2014, Saleh is reportedly inciting instability in Yemen by using the Huthi (or “Ansar Allah”) dissident group to not only delegitimize the central government, but also create enough instability to stage a coup.  According to a September 2014 United Nations Panel of Experts report on Yemen, Saleh supports the Huthis by providing them funds and political support, as well as ensuring that GPC members do nothing to hinder the Huthis in achieving their objectives.  Although Saleh was provided an opportunity to respond to these allegations, as described in the Panel of Experts report, he has merely denounced them without providing explanations.  Saleh’s strategy in these activities appears to be aimed at demonstrating that President Hadi is a failed President.

(U) The September 2014 United Nations Panel of Experts report on Yemen also alleges that Ali Abdullah Saleh has been using Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives to conduct assassinations against individuals and attacks against military installations in order to further weaken President Hadi and sow discontent within the army and population.   Clashes in the south of Yemen in February 2013 were a result of the combined efforts of Saleh, AQAP, Iran, and key southern secessionist ‘Ali Salim al-Bayd to cause trouble before the March 18, 2013 National Dialogue Conference in Yemen.

(U) Statement of the Case: Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi

(U) Primary Name: Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi

(U) Also Known As: Abd-al-Khaliq al-Huthi

(U) Also Known As: Abu-Yunus

(U) Also Known As: Abd-al-Khaliq Badr-al-Din al Huthi

(U) Also Known As: ‘Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Huthi

(U) Gender: Male

(U) Date of Birth: 1984

(U) Position: Huthi military commander

(U) Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi has engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen.  Al-Huthi is a military leader of the Huthi group, an entity that has engaged in acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011 between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen.

(U) In late October 2013, Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi led a group of Huthi fighters dressed in Yemeni military uniforms in an attack on locations in Dimaj (Yemen) which were controlled by Salafis.  The ensuing fighting resulted in multiple deaths on both sides.

(U) In August 2014, the U.S. Department of State strongly condemned the Huthis (also known as “Ansar Allah”) for actions taken to undermine the Gulf Cooperation Council political transition process and Yemen’s stability.  Specifically, the U.S. condemned the Huthi’s “provocative, aggressive, and destabilizing actions and incitement against the Government of Yemen, the establishment of armed camps in and around Sana’a, and their continued illegitimate control of Amran.”

(U) In late September 2014, an unknown number of unidentified Huthi movement fighters allegedly were prepared to attack the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen, upon receiving orders from Huthi military commander of Sana’a, Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi.  In fall 2014, Al-Huthi was interested in moving explosives within Yemen.  On August 30, 2014, al-Huthi coordinated with the Huthis in Amran, Yemen, to move weapons from Amran to a Huthi protest camp in Sana’a.

(U) Statement of the Case: Abdullah Yahya al Hakim

  

(U) Primary Name: Abdullah Yahya al Hakim

(U) Also Known As: Abu Ali al Hakim

(U) Also Known As: Abu-Ali al-Hakim

(U) Also Known As: Abdallah al-Hakim

(U//FOUO) Also Known As: Abu Ali Alhakim

(U) Also Known As: Abdallah al-Mu’ayyad

(U) Gender: Male

(U) Date of Birth: circa 1985

(U) Alternate Date of Birth: 1984-1986

(U//FOUO) Place of Birth: Dahyan, Yemen

(U) Alternate Place of Birth: Sa’dah Governorate, Yemen

(U//FOUO) Nationality: Yemen

(U) Address: Dahyan, Sa’dah Governorate, Yemen

(U) Position: Huthi group second-in-command

(U) Abdullah Yahya al Hakim has engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen.  In addition, al Hakim is a military or political leader of the Huthi group (also known as “Ansar Allah”), an entity that has engaged in acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011 between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen.

(U) Abdullah Yahya al Hakim gained prominence as a Huthi military commander following the Huthi takeover of the al-Ahmar homes in Hashid (Yemen) in January and February 2014.

(U) In June 2014, Abdullah Yahya al Hakim – the Huthi group’s second-in-command – reportedly held a meeting in order to plot a coup against Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi.  Al Hakim met with military and security commanders, tribal chieftains, and officials, and leading partisan figures loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh also attended the meeting, which aimed to coordinate efforts to take over Sana’a.

(U) In an August 29, 2014 public statement, the President of the United Nations Security Council condemned the actions of Huthi forces commanded by Abdullah Yahya al Hakim, who overran Amran (Yemen), including the Yemeni Army Brigade headquarters on July 8, 2014.  Al Hakim led the Huthi group’s July 2014 takeover of the Amran Governorate.  Al Hakim was the Huthi military commander responsible for making decisions regarding the Huthis’ ongoing conflicts in the Amran Governorate and Hamdan (Yemen).  On July 3, 2014, al Hakim reportedly told the Presidential Committee tasked with the supervision of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Amran Governorate that the Huthi fighters would not withdraw from the positions and checkpoints under their control in the Amran Governorate, Hamdan District, and other areas in Bani Matar, Yemen. 

(U) In August 2014, the U.S. Department of State strongly condemned the Huthis for actions taken to undermine the Gulf Cooperation Council political transition process and Yemen’s stability.  Specifically, the U.S. condemned the Huthi’s “provocative, aggressive, and destabilizing actions and incitement against the Government of Yemen, the establishment of armed camps in and around Sana’a, and their continued illegitimate control of Amran.”

(U) As of early September 2014, Huthi military commander Abdullah Yahya al Hakim remained in Sana’a (Yemen) to oversee combat operations in case fighting began.  Al Hakim’s role was to organize Huthi military operations so as to be able to topple the Yemeni government on the order of Huthi leader ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi.  Al Hakim was responsible for securing and controlling all routes in and out of Sana’a.  He commanded a Huthi unit of about 300 persons paid to fight the Yemeni government.
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