US Accepts Yemen’s Participation in Interrogating Yemenis at Guantanamo [Archives:2002/06/Front Page]

A Yemeni official said Friday the US government responded positively to Yemens request concerning visiting its 21 prisoners at the US military base in Guantonamo, as well as taking part in their interrogation. The official said the US accepted that Yemen sent a team to visit the prisoners, know about their condition and participate in investigations with them. This comes as part of cooperation between Yemen and the USA. He also expressed gratitude for the US for this response that shows, of course, good relationship between the two countries.
Yemen authorized it’s embassy in the USA to undertake the task of visiting the prisoners and see their condition. On the other hand, a US 12-person military team is expected to arrive in Yemen this week.
It will undertake training Yemenis’ special tasks forces on how to crack down on terrorists.
The US has pledged to offer financial, as well as technical assistance to the special forces so as to be able to fight all forces of terrorism and crimes in the country. On the other hand, reliable sources told Yemen Times that US experts had arrived in Yemen this week to discuss with Yemeni officials how marine patrol police could be established and what assistance the US could provide in this regard. The US team is expected to visit Hadramaut and other coastal cities to have a look at the places where patrol boats can be stationed. The USA is expected to provide 15 patrol boats in the beginning. Yemen needs around 150 patrol boats to establish this police and to be able to crack down on flow of criminals, and terrorists into the country. It will help put down smuggling. Yemen seeks the help of Britain, Germany and Holland as well for it thinks its efforts in this point are part of the international efforts to fight terrorism.

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