USS Cole Hoisted Home! [Archives:2000/44/Front Page]
October 30 2000
Disregarding official statements, political sources expect an American hit on Ben Laden and his followers. In this context, security sources revealed that wide-scale arrests were being carried out against Islamic extremists, Yemenis and Arabs.
Observers say that the United States would again put pressures on Yemen to have a military base in Aden. However, President Saleh refuted reports on having an American military base in Aden saying that he would never permit anybody to work against Arab and Islamic countries from Yemens land.
Reliable Sources told the Yemen Times that 20 Yemeni and Arab members of Jihad were arrested last Thursday and were taken to Aden on the same day. About 68 people said to belong to Al-Jihad were arrested in Lahj and Aden last week in addition to 9 others who were arrested last Saturday in Lahj. Besides, sources from Hodeidah said that a judge called Mohammed Al-Najjar had been arrested in an arrest campaign against suspects.
Two Americans from the Congress along with 40 soldiers arrived last Saturday in Aden to take part in the invitations. The Aden Hotel said that it received threats against the Americans it hosted if they did not leave.
President Salehs latest statement accused an Egyptian from the Arab Afghans of being involved in the incident. In this context local official sources revealed that a security Yemeni delegation would head for Egypt to brief the Egyptian security offices on the latest results of investigations.
In reaction to the American presence in Aden, a source from the opposition bloc in the parliament said that they would question the government about the heavy American military presence there and the facilities Americans had been granted.
A large number of inspectors left Aden yesterday while the others are still pursuing investigations.
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