US report highlights terrorism activities [Archives:2007/1048/Front Page]
Mohammed Al-Jabri
SANA'A, May 5 ) The Republic of Yemen took action against al-Qaida and local extremists, arresting several individuals suspected of having Al-Qaeda ties and prosecuting the perpetrators of previous terrorist acts, a US report on terrorism has said.
However, the report said that the government's capacity for stemming terrorism funding remained limited. “In 2004, the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee designated prominent Yemeni Sheikh Abd al-Majid al-Zindani for his association with Al-Qaeda. The Yemeni government took no action to bar his travel or freeze his assets in compliance with its UN obligations. Throughout the year, President Saleh voiced public support for Zindani and his Al-Iman University,” the report added.
The report, titled Country Reports on Terrorism, was released by the US States Department on April 30. It highlighted terrorist activities that took place during 2006 worldwide, including Yemen.
According to the report, Yemen used its Islamic Dialogue Committee, headed by a leading judge, to continue its dialogue with detainees arrested for connections to terrorist groups and extremist elements.
“The government released detainees and considered rehabilitating them after they pledged to uphold the Yemeni constitution and laws, the rights of non-Muslims, and the inviolability of foreign interests. However, no comprehensive program existed to monitor recidivism rates. Also, an undisclosed number of released detainees from previous years reportedly have traveled to Al-Qaeda to participate in attacks against Coalition Forces,” it said.
2006 terrorist activities
According to the report, approximately 14,000 terrorist attacks occurred in various countries during 2006, resulting in over 20,000 deaths. Compared to 2005, attacks rose by 3,000, a 25 percent increase in 2006 while deaths rose by 5,800, a 40 percent increase.
The US observed several activities carried out by terrorist groups in Yemen.
On September 15, two coordinated attacks on oil facilities in eastern Yemen resulted in the deaths of all four attackers and one Yemeni security official. A group calling itself al-Qaida in Yemen claimed responsibility. One day after the attack, security forces arrested four individuals on suspicion of links to the attack and for planning attacks in Sanaa on Yemeni government and Canadian Nexen oil company facilities. The investigations of the oil facility and Sana'a attacks continued but no charges were filed.
On February 3, 23 suspected AL-QAEDA supporters escaped from a maximum security prison in Sana'a. Among the escapees were individuals convicted of participating in the 2000 USS Cole and 2002 M/V Limburg attacks, including the alleged organizer of the Cole attack, Jamal Badawi.
On October 1, the U.S.-trained Central Security Force/ Counterterrorism Unit killed two of the most dangerous escapees, Foaz al-Rabie, who was sentenced to death, in absentia, in 2004 for his role in the M/V Limburg attack, and Mohammed al-Dhailami. Both of them were alleged to have organized the September oil facility attacks. In total, eight escapees surrendered and security forces killed three.
Yemeni security forces continued to arrest and try suspected members of AL-QAEDA and other terrorist groups throughout the year. On May 3, a security court convicted Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal, alleged to be AL-QAEDA's number two in Yemen, of financing terrorist groups associated with AL-QAEDA. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison, much of which was credited as time served while awaiting trial.
On July 8, the Special Penal Court (SPC) acquitted 19 individuals charged with conspiring to attack U.S. and Yemeni interests. The defendants admitted of traveling to Al-Qaeda to “conduct jihad,” but the judge ruled that jihad was not illegal under Yemeni law. Also, in July, the SPC acquitted 23 other individuals on conspiracy charges related to traveling to Al-Qaeda to attack U.S. forces. Further, it found 21 of the defendants guilty on fraudulent document charges. Both cases are currently under appeal.
In March, the Sana'a Appellate Court upheld the acquittal of four Al-Qaeda affiliates charged with plotting to attack the U.S. and British Embassies in 2003. Additionally, in August, it returned the case of two individuals accused of plotting to assassinate the U.S. Ambassador in 2004 to a lower court, claiming that the judge did not follow correct sentencing procedures. Hizam al-Mass and Khalid al-Halilah were sentenced, on March 5, to five years in prison.
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