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| Arabia |
| Yemen's progress against al-Qaeda |
| 2006-01-29 |
| Yemen has detained 19 people on suspicion of planning attacks against Westerners on the orders of the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, according to the official September 26 website. The website quoted government sources as saying those held would be questioned before possibly standing trial for planning “sabotage and terrorist attacks” in the port of Aden. “Several members of the group had returned from Iraq after Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi told them to go back to Yemen and carry out terrorist attacks, including killing American citizens,” the site quoted a source as saying. It said one of the targets was the Aden Hotel and the suspects had bought arms, explosives and detonators. “This group was planning to carry out terrorist operations, including attacks on places frequented by Americans such as Aden hotel,” the website said, quoting an unidentified security official. Some of the suspects came back from Iraq after Al-Zarqawi had directed them to go back to Yemen for terrorist operations, including assassinations of Americans, the website claimed. “One of the suspects who came back from Iraq, Ali Abdullah Asyan, [who called himself Abu Ali Al Harethi Jr,] and other returnees planned to take revenge for the killing of Abu Ali Al Harethi who was murdered in November 2002,” said the official. Before being arrested on May 9, 2005, the group headed by Jamal Saif Abdullah Saleh, also known as Abu Obaid, had purchased weapons, explosives and remote control devices; and they designed charts and maps showing the targets. An official said the group had forged various official documents, including identification cards with fake names, and rented flats to carry out their operations. Meanwhile last Monday, files of six Al-Qaeda suspects, including four turned over to Yemen by the US, were also referred to the general prosecution. The suspects include Walid Shaher Al-Qadasi, Salah Salem Qarw, Mohammed Saleh Abdullah Al-Asad, and Mohammed Faraj Basumaila. Mohammed Hamdi Al-Ahdal, accused of being a finance officer, and Ghaleb Al-Zaidi, both arrested in Sana’a on December 2003, are also suspects. Al-Ahdal, alleged to be second man after Al-Harithi in the Al-Qaeda organization in Yemen, admitted he received hundred thousands of dollars through persons in Kuwait and in another country. According to the investigation report, Al-Ahdal would give money to the families of the detainees, prisoners, and victims. Al-Ahdal is alleged to be one of the most active members of Al-Qaeda, and is said to have fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan. After one of his legs was damaged, he is alleged to have moved into supervision and financing, and is said to have become a key link in financing Al-Qaeda operations, particularly in Yemen. He is alleged to have to received half a million dollars in 2002 for the buying of arms and explosives to conduct terrorist acts in Yemen. Yemen has cracked down on Al-Qaeda-linked militants following attacks including the bombing in 2000 of the U.S. warship Cole and an attack in 2002 on the French supertanker Limburg, but some ordinary Yemenis still support Al-Qaeda’s campaign against the West. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |