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| Arabia | |
| Yemen tries 3 for alleged contact with Israel PM | |
| 2009-01-11 | |
| A Yemeni court began on Saturday the trial of three nationals accused of establishing contact with the office of Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and offering their collaboration to the Jewish state. The three men are accused of operating under the name of Yemen's Organization of Islamic Jihad and spreading false news of attacks on government buildings, embassies and foreign interests in Yemen between May and September 2008. The prosecution charged the main defendant, Bassam al-Haidari, 26, of writing directly to the prime minister of Israel by email, offering to work for the Jewish state.
The list of charges says that Olmert responded to Haidari, also known as Abu al-Ghaith, welcoming his offer to collaborate. "We are ready to support you to become an obstacle in the Middle East. We will support you as an agent," Olmert was quoted as writing back. According to Yemen's SABA news agency three of the six-member network confessed to working for Israel through communication with the office of PM Olmert and with the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. The group, which includes Imad al-Rimi, 23, and Ali al-Mahfal, 24, has also claimed in Internet messages signed by Abu al-Gaith that it prepared 16 car bombs to attack governmental buildings and embassies, according to the charges. The three defendants denied all the charges and demanded a lawyer. The court agreed to their demand and adjourned the hearing to January 17. Yemeni authorities rounded up six suspects in Sanaa shortly after a September 17 attack on the U.S. embassy that killed 18 people. The interior ministry said at the time that the arrested group included Abu al-Ghaith al-Yamani, who was the signatory of an Islamic Jihad claim of responsibility for the attack on the U.S. mission. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 "working with Olmert" and "collaborating with the Jewish State" would seem to be contradictory actions |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-11 07:51 |
| #2 Oh noes! Juice cooties! |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2009-01-11 04:48 |
| #1 Its sad commentary that this charge will be believed by many Yemenis. What good a few islamonuts in Yemen could possibly be to Israel and why Ohlmert would communicate with them personally is not something that will be considered critically by nearly enough people. I really wanna like these backward ass muzzies, but sometimes they make it soooo friggin difficult. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-01-11 01:14 |