Cole Incident: Serious Test to Yemeni-US Relations [Archives:2000/45/Viewpoint]

The bombing attack on the USS Cole destroyer happened during her anchorage for refueling at Aden seaport on October 12, 2000 has been arousing many queries speculations. Questions are also raised about timing of the incident, its location, the parties responsible for that and their motives and aims.
Attacks or threats of attack on US targets and interests all over the world are not new, and the Americans themselves admit that. Such attacks have happened in many places and areas of the world at various times and occasions. They took place in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Mideast and even inside the states of the United States. But what concerns Yemen is that the latest incident was carried out in its territorial waters and thus finds itself morally obliged to have much concern and exert utmost efforts to find out the perpetrators and to bring them to account. To show serious the Yemeni authorities feel concerned with the incident, president Ali Abdulla Saleh has been overseeing the investigation campaign in person.
Yemen and the United States have in recent years developed very good mutual friendly relations and multi-lateral cooperation based on mutual respect and common interests. For this reason Yemen sees the incident, as among other motives, is targeting Yemen itself and its good relations with the US. This is one of the goals behind choosing the Yemeni territorial waters to perpetrate the attack. The main aim is to undermine its developed relations and cooperation with the United States for various political and strategic reasons. Thus Yemens immediate response to it was denunciation and condemnation of the attack on Cole.
The Cole blast was so a surprise event that Yemens first response was that it may be an accident caused by some kind of technical failure took place inside the warship. But after things had become clear that it was a premeditated bomb attack, Yemen at once condemned it and vowed to pursue a thorough investigation to unveil its complications, identify those involved in it and their motives. Since then Yemen has been carrying out successful and tireless investigations to unravel the mystery of this act of sabotage.
By nature, the Arab Moslem people of Yemen are peace-loving, peaceful and hospitable. They bear no grudge or hostile feelings towards others. They respect their friendships and relations with their friends. Simultaneously, the Yemenis and their state respect and are proud of their sovereignty and at the same time respect other countries sovereignty out of their commitment to international laws.They would never accept their sovereignty to be violated by any power whatsoever. If America does really ask Yemeni authorities to grant its investigators the right to interrogate the suspects in Cole blast incident that took place in Yemens territorial waters, this would mean an attempt to violate Yemens internationally-recognized sovereignty. Such a move would also mean Americas intention to violate the international law, which as a super power is supposed to be the most enthusiast defender and protector of that law, otherwise it would be a serious precedence. Yemen has pledged to pursue very serious and exert great efforts to discover the facts about the attack and would offer utmost help and cooperation with the US in this respect. And that is what Yemen is now doing.
It should be stressed here that Cole incident has represented on the one hand a serious test to the Yemeni-American friendly relations, but has also diagnosed the joint need and desire of the two friendly countries to further develop their relations in realization of their common interests.Yemen is very keen to work and cooperate in fighting terrorism and serve the security, stability and peace in the region and the world.

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