European nationals and an African arrested [Archives:2006/994/Front Page]
Mohammad Bin Sallam
SANA'A, Oct. 29 ) The Yemeni Political Security Apparatus arrested mid October eight international citizens with suspected links to Al-Qaida according to a security official at the Ministry of Interior. The arrested men are 3 Australians, a German, a Brit, a Danish and a Somali in addition to an eighth European citizen whose nationality is yet to be identified are facing accusation of smuggling weapons to the Religious Courts in Somalia. So far they are under interrogation at the security apparatus which did not confirm any charges officially as yet.
Specials sources to the Yemen Times said the accused are students of Al-Eman Religious University chaired by Shiekh Abdulmagid Al-Zindani and that those students have smuggled weapons to the Islamic Courts in Somalia. However, Mr. Ismael Al-Suhaili director's office manager of Al-Eman University has strongly denied the connection between the accused and the university. He also denied any involvement of the university with the Islamic Courts in Somalia. “I emphasize the university's activities are purely educational and operates within the Yemeni constitution and laws.” He said to the Yemen Times.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement to the Yemen Times also denied to have communicated with the Danish Foreign Ministry regarding the arrested Danish-Yemeni citizen. A clerk at the Minister's office said: “we heard about this news in the news just like the rest of you. We have no relation to this news and you should contact the Ministry of Interior in this regard”.
Upon contacting the ministry of interior, they said in an official press statement on September Net, the Army's website: “The Yemeni security arrested a group pf eight men from various European and African nationalities on charges of smuggling weapons to Somalia. They were arrested on the 16th of this month and are currently in custody in preparation to be sent to trial during the coming few days.”
It is worth mentioning that the United States of America had accused the Yemeni government previously of smuggling weapons to Somali opposition. An accusation which found a strong denial by the Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, who confirmed that the weapons sent to Somalia were directed to the Somali government and not anywhere else.
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