Prosecution investigates 22 Al-Qaeda suspects [Archives:2006/1004/Local News]
SANA'A, Dec. 3 ) The Specialized Penal Prosecution began investigating 22 people in Yemen because of suspicion of connections to Al-Qaeda.
The 22 suspects plotted to launch terrorist operations against local and western interests in different parts of the country, according to media sources.
“The suspects constitute a dangerous terror cell, trained by Fawaz Al-Rabe'i, who was killed by security forces in his hideout north of Sana'a,” said the same sources. “The suspects are expected to stand trial after the prosecution investigate them for the two suicide attacks by four Al-Qaeda members against two oil installations this past September.
“Among the terror suspects is the top aid of Al-Rabe'i, who was found guilty of bombing the French supertanker Limburg off Al-Mukalla shore on Oct. 6, 2002.”
The security authorities consider Fawaz Al-Rabe'i the main plotter of the foiled terrorist attacks on the oil installations in the governorates of Mareb and Hadramout.
According to the media sources, the security authorities accuse some of the suspects of having connections with the botched terrorist operations against local and western institutions.
This past September two suicide assaults on two oil installations were botched. The four terrorists were all killed when they used four cars loaded with explosives in their attempted attack on the two oil installations.
Later in the month the security apparatuses discovered large quantities of explosives and other arms in Sana'a.
The anti-terrorism forces killed both Fawaz Al-Rabe'i and fellow suspect Mohamed Al-Dailami in Bani Heshaish, 30 km northeast of Sana'a (Al-Rabe'i was found guilty of bombing the French supertanker and killing a policeman while he was hunted by police. Al-Rabe'i had an accomplice under the name of Saleh Mujalli, one of those who escaped the political security jail this past February.
The jail escapees included Jamal Al-Badawi, who was convicted of bombing the U.S. Destroyer Cole and killing 17 American sailors aboard. Al-Badawi's sentence was reduced from lifetime to 15 years, but he was still jailed when the security authorities captured him following the jailbreak.
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