Cablegate: Alleged Illicit Serbian Arms Sale to Yemeni

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #2208 3480539
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 140539Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3380
INFO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0001
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0274
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA 0007
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0131
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0015
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0150
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SANAA 002208

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD
DEPT FOR PM/WRA LFREEMAN

EO 12958 DECL: 12/14/2019
TAGS ETTC, ECON, MARR, MASS, MCAP, PREL, PGOV, YI, BU, CY,
UK, LI, UNSC, YM
SUBJECT: ALLEGED ILLICIT SERBIAN ARMS SALE TO YEMENI
MILITARY, POSSIBLE UNSCR 1521 VIOLATION

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (S/NF) A front company for Serbian illicit arms dealer Slobodan Tesic (alt. Tezic), XXXXXXXXXXXX, signed a USD 78 million arms contract with the Yemeni Ministry of Defense in early October 2009, to be delivered by early January 2010, according to the Bulgarian Embassy in Sana’a. The 34-page contract, an alleged copy of which was provided to EconOff by XXXXXXXXXXXX on December 7 and subsequently forwarded to State NEA/ARP and Washington analysts, details a package of small arms ammunition, heavy artillery ammunition, sniper rifles, demolition equipment, antiaircraft guns, and howitzers. The Bulgarian Embassy claims that XXXXXXXXXXXX, both named in the contract, are linked to Slobodan Tesic, a Serbian national listed in the travel ban annex to UNSC Resolution 1521. Tesic has made frequent trips to Yemen in the past year in connection to this contract, according to the Bulgarian Embassy. (Note: Sensitive USG reporting corroborates the claim that XXXXXXXXXXXX is a Tesic front company. End Note.) The XXXXXXXXXXXX told EconOff he was passing on information of the upcoming arms transfer, obtained through a Yemeni source in the ROYG Ministry of Defense, in the hopes of having the U.S. Government stop the sale and thus provide opportunities for Bulgarian arms manufacturers to supply similar equipment to the ROYG. The Cyprus address of record for XXXXXXXXXXXX

2. (S/NF) Below is the text of a one-page document on Slobodan Tesic and XXXXXXXXXXXX that the Bulgarian Embassy claims was produced by the Bulgarian national intelligence service. (Note: Post has no information on the alleged local agent mentioned in the document, XXXXXXXXXXXX. End Note.)
Begin text:
XXXXXXXXXXXX ) Cyprus
Serbian Off Shore Co. ) Registered in Cyprus and owned by the person SLOBODAN TESIC/TEZIC/ - Serbian national.
XXXXXXXXXXXX There is large list of crimes connecting with this man, supplying weapons for Iraq, Liberia etc., terrorist regimes.
XXXXXXXXXXXX has a power of attorney for the A/M company. He signed the contracts as XXXXXXXXXXXX
He has also British passport but he has no any official authorization or license issues by UK for trade with military items.
Mr. SLOBODAN TESIC tried to enter Bulgaria during 2005 but he was returned back to Serbia as he is in the ban list of UN.
Local agent in Yemen: XXXXXXXXXXXX

End text. SECHE

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