A Visit that Revealed New Information about the USS Cole Incident US Delegation Asks for Postponement of Cole Trial, Again! [Archives:2001/11/Front Page]
March 12 2001
During the visit, the US delegation, along with the US Ambassador to Yemen, Ms. Barbara Bodine, requested from the Yemeni government the postponement of the trial of the 15 defendants thought to be involved in the USS Cole Destroyer incident. The request to postpone the trial was based on what have been described as ‘key confessions’ of the defendants about the identification and possible location of the organizers of the attack. The US Ambassador presented the request for postponing the trial to officials in a meeting regarding the latest investigations that took place on Saturday, March 3.
The delegation thanked the leadership and government for their cooperation and the efforts exerted in the investigation of the incident. A local security source said that the latest investigations revealed a link between the terrorists involved in the incident with worldwide terrorist groups whose leaders are based in London. Specifically, the sources mentioned the possible link between the USS Cole bombers and the Islamic Abyan Army that kidnapped 16 tourists in Aden, which resulted in the fiasco that led to the killing of 4 of the tourists.
Sources also revealed that investigations are being carried out between Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, and Pakistan to reveal the possible routes which terrorists took or take in their international terrorist movements. Investigations so far revealed that one of the key terrorists, Ali Mohamed Al-Ahdal, 29, used to work in the personal status department of Aden Police. He joined Islamic Jihad in 1991 and used to train in weapons usage at one of the Islamic military camps in Lahj.
It is worth mentioning that Yemen signed a counter-terrorism agreement with the United Stated at the end of 1998. Depending on the response of the government to the postponement request of the US, the trial of the suspects may still be held during the coming few days. “There are extremely tight security measures these days. Just yesterday, security sources said that the road leading to the court where the hearings will take place may be closed from both ends and the area would be protected and guarded from any possible terrorist attacks. However, there was no confirmation saying that the trial will be for the USSCole incident, but the trial could be for the Church and other smaller bombing incidents,” said YT Aden Bureau Chief, Ridwan Al-Saqqaf.
Expectations of quick developments in the USS Cole incident are high for the coming few days as all indications suggest that intensive efforts to start the trial are being exerted, and that the Yemeni government seems to be satisfied that it is about time to go forward with the trial.
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