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### Viewing cable 10RIYADH159, S) SAUDI ARABIA: RENEWED ASSURANCES ON SATELLITE

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
10RIYADH159 | 2010-02-07 09:09 | 2010-12-07 21:09 | SECRET//NOFORN | Embassy Riyadh

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHRH #0159/01 0380924
    ZNY SSSSS ZZH
    O 070924Z FEB 10
    FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
    TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2439

` `

    S E C R E T RIYADH 000159

    NOFORN
    SIPDIS

    FOR NEA/ARP: JHARRIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2025
    TAGS: PREL PINR SA YM
    SUBJECT: (S) SAUDI ARABIA: RENEWED ASSURANCES ON SATELLITE
    IMAGERY

    REF: SECSTATE 8892

    Classified By: Amb. James B. Smith for reasons 1.4 (b, c and d)

    SUMMARY
    --------

    ¶1. (S/NF) Ambassador met with Assistant Minister of Defense
    and Aviation Prince Khaled bin Sultan to relay U.S. concerns
    about sharing USG imagery with Saudi Arabia in light of
    evidence that Saudi aircraft may have struck civilian targets
    during its fighting with the Houthis in northern Yemen.
    Prince Khaled described the targeting decision-making process
    and while not denying that civilian targets might have been
    hit, gave unequivocal assurances that Saudi Arabia considered
    it a priority to avoid strikes against civilian targets.
    Based on the assurances received from Prince Khaled, the
    Ambassador has approved, as authorized in reftel, the
    provision of USG imagery of the Yemeni border area to the
    Saudi Government. End summary.

    USG CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE STRIKES ON CIVILIAN TARGETS
    --------------------------------------------- ----------

    ¶2. (S/NF) Ambassador Smith delivered points in reftel to
    Prince Khaled on February 6, 2010. The Ambassador
    highlighted USG concerns about providing Saudi Arabia with
    satellite imagery of the Yemen border area absent greater
    certainty that Saudi Arabia was and would remain fully in
    compliance with the laws of armed conflict during the conduct
    of military operations, particularly regarding attacks on
    civilian targets. The Ambassador noted the USG's specific
    concern about an apparent Saudi air strike on a building that
    the U.S. believed to be a Yemeni medical clinic. The
    Ambassador showed Prince Khaled a satellite image of the
    bomb-damaged building in question.

    IF WE HAD THE PREDATOR, THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED
    --------------------------------------------- -------

    ¶3. (S/NF) Upon seeing the photograph, Prince Khalid remarked,
    "This looks familiar," and added, "if we had the Predator,
    maybe we would not have this problem." He noted that Saudi
    Air Force operations were necessarily being conducted without
    the desired degree of precision, and recalled that a clinic
    had been struck, based on information received from Yemen
    that it was being used as an operational base by the Houthis.
    Prince Khalid explained the Saudi approach to its fight with
    the Houthis, emphasizing that the Saudis had to hit the
    Houthis very hard in order to "bring them to their knees" and
    compel them to come to terms with the Yemeni government.
    "However," he said, "we tried very hard not to hit civilian
    targets." The Saudis had 130 deaths and the Yemenis lost as
    many as one thousand. "Obviously," Prince Khaled observed,
    "some civilians died, though we wish that this did not
    happen."

    HOW THE TARGETS WERE SELECTED
    -----------------------------

    ¶4. (S/NF) Prince Khaled gave the Ambassador further
    background, explaining that the targets given to the Saudi
    Air Force were studied and recommended by a Saudi-Yemeni
    joint committee headed by Saudi and Yemeni general officers.
    That joint committee reported to him, and no targets were
    struck unless they had clearance from this joint committee.
    "Did they make mistakes? Possibly." Prince Khaled also
    reported that the Saudis had problems with some of the
    targeting recommendations received from the Yemeni side. For
    instance, there was one occasion when Saudi pilots aborted a
    strike, when they sensed something was wrong about the
    information they received from the Yemenis. It turned out
    that the site recommended to be hit was the headquarters of
    General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, the Yemeni northern area
    military commander, who is regarded as a political opponent
    to President Saleh. This incident prompted the Saudis to be
    more cautious about targeting recommendations from the Yemeni
    government.

    CEASEFIRE COMING SOON
    ---------------------

    ¶5. (S/NF) The Ambassador told Prince Khaled that the USG is
    looking to Saudi Arabia to help bring an end to the Houthi
    fighting soon. Prince Khaled responded that Saudi Arabia is
    "looking for ways to end this conflict in a way that fosters
    good relations." He said that he met with President Saleh
    last Wednesday to discuss Houthi ceasefire terms, and they
    agreed that, so long as the Houthis deliver on the terms they
    offered, there should be news about a ceasefire "within a

    week." As part of the ceasefire arrangements the Yemeni
    military will be deployed on the Yemeni side of the border to
    prevent future Houthi incursions into Saudi Arabia. "Then,"
    Prince Khaled noted, "we can concentrate on Al-Qaida."

    COMMENT
    ------

    ¶6. (S/NF) Prince Khaled, in addressing the Ambassador's
    concerns about possible targeting of civilian sites appeared
    neither defensive nor evasive. He was unequivocal in his
    assurance that Saudi military operations had been and would
    continue to be conducted with priority to avoiding civilian
    casualties. The Ambassador found this assurance credible,
    all the more so in light of Prince Khaled's acknowledgment
    that mistakes likely happened during the strikes against
    Houthi targets, of the inability of the Saudi Air Force to
    operate with adequate precision, and the unreliability of
    Yemeni targeting recommendations. Based on these assurances,
    the Ambassador has approved, as authorized in reftel, the
    provision of USG imagery of the Yemeni border area to the
    Saudi Government. While the fighting with the Houthis
    appears to be drawing to a close, the imagery will be of
    continuing value to the Saudi military to monitor and prevent
    Houthi incursions across the border as well as enhancing
    Saudi capabilities against Al-Qaeda activities in this area.
    SMITH

`