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| International |
| Al-Qaeda leader escapes from prison in Yemen |
| 2002-07-10 |
| A leading member of al-Qaeda in Yemen detained by Yemeni authorities has fled the prison where he is being held, Alwahadawi newspaper reported last week. Another detainee of al-Qaeda, arrested following the September 11 attacks, escaped last Saturday from a prison in Aden. Sources didn’t mention the identity of the escapee, but said he’s a dangerous element originally from the governorate of Shabwa. He has been reportedly arrested after returning from Afghanistan, where he was a field commander of al-Qaeda. According to some reports, officials in charge of the prison and Aden’s security officials are currently under interrogation. Bet that hurts! President Ali Abdulah Saleh has warned tribal leaders of providing shelter to suspected al-Qaeda elements. He also warned them of helping kidnappers of foreigners or those blasting oil pipelines, adding that there won’t be any leniency towards persons involved in such incidents. "I'm warning you guys. Don't make me come down there...!" President Saleh also called on al-Qaeda members Mohammed al-Ahdal and Ali Qaed Senyen al-Harethi, to give themselves in to the authorities. Both men are suspected to be hiding somewhere in Mareb. Yemeni authorities have been hunting down for these two suspects for months now, but to no avail. Yemen is also keen to deny that it’s a shelter for Islamist extremists. Western diplomats in Sana’a say that the majority of the Islamic militants in Yemen returned from Afghanistan after the defeat of the former USSR in that middle Asian country. Where they're now living in retirement? |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |