Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 6757 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 88 89 90 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1996/11
1997/12
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10 2001/11
2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/11 2002/12
2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AFIN AMGT ASEC AF AU AE ABLD AG ASIG AORC AEMR APER AR AMBASSADOR ASEAN AM AJ AA AL ASUP AS ABUD AMED AX APECO AID ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG ADANA AFFAIRS AO ADCO ACOA ATFN AROC AFGHANISTAN AFU AER ALOW AODE ATRN AC AZ AVERY APCS AGMT
BR BL BA BM BEXP BH BTIO BIDEN BO BRUSSELS BT BC BU BY BX BG BK BF BBSR BMGT BTIU BE BB BILAT
CR CO CH CU CVIS CPAS CMGT CS CI CJUS CASC CA CY CDG CE CG CBW COUNTER CN CKGR COUNTERTERRORISM CODEL CWC CJAN CONDOLEEZZA CIA CD CLINTON CT CARSON CONS CB CM CW CACM CDB CAN COE COUNTRY CLEARANCE CACS CF CL CIS CTM COM CV
DR DA DOMESTIC DHS DAO DCM DEPT DTRA DPRK DISENGAGEMENT DOD DJ DEAX DOE DK DEA DS
ECON EPET ES ETRD EFIN EUN ENRG ETTC EINV EAGR ECPS ELAB EWWT EG ELTN EC EAID ER EI EU EZ EN ET EAIR EK EIND ECIN EINVECONSENVCSJA ECONOMICS EXTERNAL ELN ELECTIONS EMIN EINN EFINECONCS ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENIV ECUN EFIS EINT ENGR ENNP EUR EAP EEPET ETRDEINVTINTCS ENVI EFTA ETRO ESENV ECINECONCS EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL ENVR ECA ENERG ENGY ECONCS EINVETC ECONEFIN ESA ETC ETRDECONWTOCS EUNCH
FR FREEDOM FTAA FARC FI FAO FJ FMLN FBI FOR FOREIGN FINR
GT GM GG GV GH GOI GA GTIP GR GZ GE GCC GY GANGS GOV GAZA GTMO
HO HA HUMAN HU HR HILLARY HSTC HK HURI HYMPSK
IR IZ IC IS IT IZPREL IRAQI IO IN IAEA ID ITPHUM ITPGOV ITALIAN IPR INRB IMO ITALY ICRC ICAO INTERPOL IQ IWC IV ICTY INTELSAT IEFIN IA INR IRC IACI ITRA IL ICJ INTERNAL ISRAELI IIP ILC INRA INRO IRAJ IF ILO IBRD IMF
JO JOSEPH JA JP JOHNNIE JM JUS JAMES
KZ KNNP KJUS KDEM KICC KSCA KTIA KISL KPAO KMDR KHLS KU KTFN KIRF KIPR KCRM KOLY KFRD KCOR KE KWMN KV KSUM KPAL KSEP KTIP KSTC KGIC KPKO KOMC KFLO KAWC KUNR KS KNPP KIDE KNEI KVPR KBIO KPRP KN KWBG KR KMCA KMPI KCIP KTEX KGIT KNSD KCFE KLIG KFLU KBCT KOMS KGHG KG KBTS KACT KCRS KGCC KDRG KWMM KAWK KHIV KSPR KRVC KRAD KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KSTH KTDB KPAI KHSA KTLA KO KFSC KVIR KX KFTFN KPWR KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KFIN KNUC KPIN KPLS KIRC KPRV KBTR KERG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNUP KTER KDDG KMRS KHDP KPAK KNAR KREL KCOM KNNPMNUC KPOA KRFD KHUM KDEV KCFC KREC KWWMN KTBT KWMNCS KSAF
LE LY LU LTTE LI LO LH LG LAB LOG LT
MARR MASS MCAP MIL MOPS MU MX MEPI MO MR MNUC MDC MPOS MEETINGS MD MTCRE MK MUCN MY MASC MRCRE ML MA MEPP MAR MAPP MP MT MAS MTS MLS MI MERCOSUR MC MV MEDIA MZ MOPPS MAPS MCC MASSMNUC MQADHAFI MTCR MTRE MG
NL NATO NIPP NP NS NPT NU NO NZ NI NATIONAL NPG NGO NG NK NA NSSP NRR NSG NAR NE NASA NT NSF
OAS OREP OTRA OSCE OPRC OIIP OVIP OSAC ODIP OFDP OEXC OPDC OIE OECD OPCW OVP OPIC OPAD OFDA OIC OSCI OTR OFFICIALS
PGOV PINR PREL PREF PTER POL PHUM PINS PK PARM PSOE PAK PHSA PAO PM PBTS PF PNAT PE POLITICS PARMS PBIO PSI POLINT POLITICAL PARTIES PL PA PROP PO PGOVLO PORG PGOVE PLN PINF PRELP PAS PPA PRGOV PUNE PG PALESTINIAN POLICY PEPR PINT PU PECON POGOV PINL PKFK PMIL PY PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PRAM PMAR PHUMPREL PHUS PRL PGOC PNR PGGV PROV PTERE PGOF PHUMBA PEL POV
QA
RS RU RIGHTS RO RW RICE RSP RP REACTION RF ROBERT RFE REGION
SNAR SOCI SENV SCUL SA SP SY SMIG SU SF SAN SZ SW SR SO SHUM SYR SAARC SL SI SNARCS STEINBERG SN SG SIPRS SH SOFA SANC SK ST SC SEVN
TX TU TS TRGY TO TH TBIO TIP TP TW TC TPHY TSPL TERRORISM TI TURKEY TSPA TD TZ TFIN TNGD TINT TK TR TT TRSY
US UN UNSC UP UNHCR UK UNGA UNMIK USUN UZ UNESCO USEU USTR UNHRC UY UNO UG UNDC UAE UNAUS UNDESCO UNEP UNCHC UV UNDP UNCHS UNVIE UE USAID
VT VE VTPREL VZ VN VM
WTRO WITH WHO WTRQ WBG WI WTO WB WWARD WHA WA WMO WEU WZ
XM XF XR XA XK XH XL XS XG XW XY XE XT XD XZ XV XC
YI YM YMCS YE
ZI ZANU ZU ZO ZP ZR ZB ZF ZA ZOELLICK ZK ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 06NAIROBI1187, MERCENARIES" IN KENYA TURN TABLES ON THEIR

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06NAIROBI1187.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06NAIROBI1187 | 2006-03-15 13:01 | 2011-04-06 00:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Nairobi

`

    VZCZCXRO9730
    OO RUEHDE
    DE RUEHNR #1187/01 0741327
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 151327Z MAR 06
    FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0292
    INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 8305
    RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 4544
    RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 4032
    RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 1214
    RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1907
    RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1883
    RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN PRIORITY 0006
    RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0064
    RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
    RHMFISS/CJTF HOA  PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001187

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2026
    TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL CVIS KE
    SUBJECT: "MERCENARIES" IN KENYA TURN TABLES ON THEIR
    ACCUSERS

    REF: A. (A) NAIROBI 988

         ¶B. (B) NAIROBI 1114
         ¶C. (C) NAIROBI 1023

    Classified By: A/DCM Michael J. Fitzpatrick.  Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

    ¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Stepping out of the shadows, Kenya's
    "foreign mercenaries" stun Kenya with claims the opposition,
    not the government, tried to hire them to bankroll regime
    change.  Following the foreigners' March 13 staged press
    conference, ostensibly to clear their names, the intensity of
    the accusations has only grown, with calls for arrests of the
    very opposition leaders who days ago were on the offensive.
    While it is early yet to sift truth from sensation, it is
    clear that these men are connected to prominent Kenyans and
    are fuel for the increasingly hostile and messy political
    debate in Kenya.  END SUMMARY.

    Hired Thugs or Just Fabulously Wealthy Businessmen?
    --------------------------------------------- ------

    ¶2.  (C) After a week of cat-and-mouse with the media and
    opposition, alleged mercenaries are out of hiding and turning
    the tables on their Kenyan accusers.  On March 13, two men,
    identified in the media as foreign mercenaries, staged a
    press conference to "clear their names."  Dressed to the hilt
    in "Soprano-esque" suits and dripping with ostentatious gold
    accessories, one even sporting gold-rimmed rose-colored
    glasses for the event, they denied claims that they are
    mercenaries hired by the Kenyan government.  They claim to
    have just returned to Kenya after a few days in Dubai.  The
    men's coming-out followed opposition ODM leader MP Raila
    Odinga's repeated accusations that the government hired
    foreigners to carry out the March 2 raid on the Standard
    Media Group and to assassinate leading opposition figures
    (ref A).  During their press event held in a limited-access
    airport "government VIP lounge," the men claimed they are
    Armenians and merely wealthy businessmen. They added, "if we
    were mercenaries, Kenya could not afford us."  They claimed
    to have had failed business dealings with Odinga and met with
    Kalonzo Musyoka and Odinga who sought USD 41,600,000 to
    support the "No" referendum campaign as a way to bring down
    the Kibaki government.  They also announced that they had
    loaned Odinga approximately USD1.5 million in cash.

    ¶3. BIONOTE:  Photocopies of passports believed to belong to
    the two foreigners reveal that they are: Margaryan, Artur,
    DOB: 15 Jan 73, passport number AB0322223, issued 27 Jan 97;
    and Sargsyan, Artur, DOB: 14 May 70, passport number
    AF0599780, issued 1 Mar 03.  END BIONOTE.

    ¶4.  (C) At their own press conference the next day, both
    Odinga and Musyoka deny the claims.  ODM accused the
    foreigners of laundering drug trafficking proceeds and
    challenged President Kibaki to come clean on the presence of
    the Armenians in Kenya.  State House responded with a
    Presidential Press Service statement warning Odinga against
    tarnishing the Office of the President with baseless
    "propaganda."  One of the mercenaries claimed to have
    videotaped his passing money to Odinga in a Dubai hotel
    several months ago.  Pro-government members of parliament,
    led by Environment Minister Kivutha Kibwana, called March 14
    for the arrest of Odinga and Musyoka on charges of treason.
    (NOTE:  Post has reason to believe that the threat to arrest
    Odinga may indeed be imminent.  Given the tribal undertones
    and the clear sense that this is no longer "politics as
    usual," Post has urged State House not to rashly move to
    arrest Odinga or other opposition leaders.  Presidential
    Policy Adviser Stanley Murage told A/DCM March 15 that the
    police would take statements from the Armenian accusers this
    week before making any arrests.  END NOTE.)

    ¶5.  (C) Numerous irregularities in the Armenians' stories
    create a strong suspicion that the government may be
    puppeteering the charade to discredit Odinga and other
    opposition leaders. (Ref B.) The foreigners claim they are
    Armenians, even nephews of the Armenian Prime Minister.
    However, the Kenyan Immigration Minister, John Konchella,
    says that they are Czech nationals.  Even their very arrival
    at the airport is in dispute.  They claim to have just

    NAIROBI 00001187  002 OF 002

    arrived from Dubai on a Kenya Airways flight.  However,
    immigration officials stated they arrived on a charter
    flight.  Several others, including Odinga, insist the pair
    arrived via a government vehicle to the airport hours before
    the Dubai flight landed.  Post has various pieces of evidence
    suggesting that the men are associated with either State
    House or one of the "first families" and Kamlesh Pattni, the
    man behind the Goldenberg scandal.

    Demonstrations: Not Just for the Opposition
    -------------------------------------------

    ¶6.  (C) Proving the government can also draw a crowd (ref C),
    a handful of pro-Kibaki officials organized a march through
    downtown Nairobi March 10.  The MPs present professed their
    loyalty to President Kibaki.  "Just like ants, termites, and
    bees do not allow the queen to be attacked, we will also
    protect the President."  The event also included a slew of
    accusations against ODM leader Raila Odinga, with a foreign
    twist - Raila sold part of his business interests to Russian
    arms dealers, and "is the one with links in Russia, having
    gone to college there."  (NOTE: In fact, Odinga went to
    college in East Germany.  END NOTE.)  The opposition was not
    the only target.  According to media reports, Assistant
    Gender and Sports Minister Maina Kamanda warned journalists
    against writing reports that discredit the government.  Media
    persons, he said, "would not be spared in the event of
    chaos," suggesting they would be held accountable should
    their work incite unrest. Attempting to tone down the ethnic
    tenor of the rhetoric, Kibaki, speaking at a meeting of 70
    MPs aligned with him, advised his colleagues to "weigh very
    carefully what we say," and avoid "opportunistic politics."

    Comment
    -------

    ¶7.  (C) Forget the fiction of LeCarre's novel "The Constant
    Gardener."  This real-life tale of hired thugs of
    questionable nationality, prominent Kenyans, massive
    corruption, blackmail, threats, and narcotics trafficking
    schemes, reads like a script Hollywood would reject as
    unbelievable.  Unfortunately, the duelng accusations have
    sidetracked public attention from the seriousness of the
    underlying issues of corruption and democratic space.
    Indeed, each new revelation of wrong-doing is bound to shake
    the public's faith in both sides' stries and their
    leaderships. END COMMENT.
    ROWE

`