US authorities arrest 15 Yemenis thought to be linked to al-Qaeda Trial postponed [Archives:2002/38/Front Page]

Sana’a, Sept. 14 (YT)-The U.S.A authorities recently presented 15 Yemenis to court with charges of smuggling money, having links with terrorist groups. Yemeni sources said a US court in New York postponed the trial of those Yemeni nationals to March 2003.
The US authorities refused to set free the head of the Yemeni community in New York unless on bail put at $2 million. The Yemeni sources said also that Yemenis in New York are facing a lot of problems by the US Federal authorities.
They added these authorities threatened to freeze the money deposited in one of the New York banks under the name of the community’s leader, including the money they get from president Ali Abdullah Saleh to buy a new building for the community. Sources at the ministry of immigrants affaires said the US authorities stopped the flow of remittances of the Yemeni immigrants in New York to their country. They have also accused the head of the community of having links with al-Qaeda.
The sources pointed out that the Yemeni government authorized an advocate to defend them. Most of the detainees are tried on charges of violating the immigration laws. The sources said some of the immigrants sought the help of the Jews of Yemeni origin to send their financial aid to their families on their behalf.
Following the September 11 attacks, the US authorities arrested 84 Yemenis. Some are released, others deported while 35 are still in jail.

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