Security Intensifies Activities against Cole Blast Suspects [Archives:2000/46/Front Page]

Yemeni security is still on the lookout for four persons thought to be involved in the blast of the USS destroyer while mooring for refueling and exploded, crippling the destroyer in Aden bay, killing 17 and wounding 38 on board.
On the other hand, a US ship reached Aden yesterday to carry the reckage of USS destroyer and the car that carried the boat to the port. One of the suspects implicated in the incident confessed that the boat was bought from UAE.
Informed sources reported that a joint Yemeni-US investigation team re-conducted hearing to witnesses and suspects testimonies as investigators observed some contradictions between their testimonies in the first and the second investigation phases.
Current investigations are focused on interrogating15 persons some of whom recounted crucial information about the blast of the USS destroyer. At the same time, security discovered a new house, a fourth one, thought to be used by the attackers.
Security extended activities to track down the extremists groups in Aden, specially after obtaining some information maintaining that these groups had set up three underground organizations hostile to Western interests working in the guise of some commercial and investment projects in the region.
On the other hand, security had released twenty persons already detained for questioning in the USS Cole blast. Al-Waten al-Arabi, London-based newspaper, reported that the source of the explosive charges used in blowing up the ship, were of Russian or Eastern Germany origin and that they were earlier smuggled into Iraq and then into Yemen.
In a press statement, Yemeni Interior Minister, Hussain Arab, disclosed that investigations revealed involvement of some foreign parties in the incident indicating the possibility of Mossad involvement in planning for this attack with the objective to create a tense atmosphere between US and Yemen after president Salehs calls for supporting the Intefadh against Israel.
US NBC TV network announced that Yemen informed US investigators that security was able to arrest some suspects and that one of those confessed that the incident was already planned more than a year ago. There were two experts who supervised implementing the plan, one is Iraqi while the other is Saudi, the TV announced. NBC also claimed that some Yemenis had helped the attackers to get forged IDs and cars to cover their activities.
US officials announced that Yemeni investigators informed the US side that some extremists opposing the west had planned to attack another US warship last January. However, the plan was thwarted as the boat loaded with explosives sank nearby the US warship.
Press news in Kuwait reported that some persons were arrested possessing explosives. It revealed that they were affiliated to a terrorist network of 11 persons of whom two were Yemenis from Afgan Mujahdins. It also reported that Kuwaiti authorities along with some US explosives experts started examining the explosives to see if they were similar
Reports reveal that investigations conducted on the USS Cole have helped a great deal to discover the terrorist group in Kuwait. It is also expected that US Defense Minister, William Cohen, would visit nine countries in the Gulf and Middle East to enhance security measures and to protect US interests in the region.

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