Theodore's World: Yemen Frees USS Cole Bomb Plotter

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October 27, 2007

Yemen Frees USS Cole Bomb Plotter



Al Qaeda militant Jamal al-Badawi, was convicted of participation in the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole.


Yemen frees one of USS Cole bombers (one of the al-Qaida masterminds of USS Cole bombing in 2000)

SAN'A, Yemen

Yemen has set free one of the al-Qaida masterminds of the USS Cole bombing in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors, a senior security official said Thursday.

Jamal al-Badawi, who is wanted by the FBI, was convicted in 2004 of plotting, preparing and helping carry out the USS Cole bombing and received a death sentence that was commuted to 15 years in prison.

He and 22 others, mostly al-Qaida fighters, escaped from prison in 2004. But al-Badawi was granted his freedom after turning himself in 15 days ago and pledging loyalty to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The official said police were told by the government to "stop all previous orders concerning measures adopted against al-Badawi."

Witnesses told The Associated Press that al-Badawi was receiving well-wishers at his home in the al-Buraika district in Aden.

The Interior Ministry said earlier that al-Badawi voluntarily gave himself up to police, but media reports said tribal chiefs mediated his surrender after he renounced terrorism and pledged allegiance to the Yemeni leader.

Al-Badawi had escaped prison once before with nine other suspects of the Cole attack in April 2003, but was rearrested.

Al-Qaida used to have an active presence in Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden. The group was blamed for the bombing of the Cole and the attack on a French oil tanker that killed one person two years later.

Also Thursday, a second security official said police have uncovered a terrorist cell composed of four extremists who were recruiting young Yemenis to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq and elsewhere.

The four were allegedly receiving funds from abroad and were recruiting young men in their twenties from mosques and religious seminars during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said the official, citing their confessions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Yemen does not have a law that criminalizes Jihad, or holy war. Detainees remain in prison until they either renounce their commitment to Jihad or are released under pressure from family and human rights groups.

Since the suicide attack in July that killed eight Spanish tourists visiting an ancient Yemeni temple, President Saleh has said in several interviews with local papers that al-Qaida had reached a truce with the government.


Wild Thing's comment........

" his surrender after he renounced terrorism and pledged allegiance to the Yemeni leader"

So let me get this straight, he surrenders and he promises to be good. So it is ok to let him go free???? OMG! a little promise not to speak bad about your country's president and he'll let you go like a good little boy, now just run along now and play nice now OK? Sheesh! This guy has been on the lam for 3 years, turns himself in 15 days ago, and gets freed. Time for real justice. The blood of 17 of our sailors demands it!!!!

He should be freed from life itself, and should be buried in pigskin to keep those pesky virgins away from him!

Posted by Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:55 AM


Comments

Hunt him down.

Kill him.

Posted by: Rick at October 27, 2007 05:01 AM


So what happened to the "No difference between the terrorists and those who harbor them" spiel?

Watch for Yemen to be all over the blogs next week. Jane, who's posting over at JAWA seems to have quite the expose' coming out on tuesday.

Posted by: Billy at October 27, 2007 07:45 AM


Do we have any undercover "well wishers" available?

Posted by: yankeemom at October 27, 2007 07:54 AM


Excuse me? They let him go?
Who made this stupid law? Oh wait, it's Yemen--
they're mooslim, I forgot.
It's like our kids promising not to do something bad ever again and then they do it even after they promised not to.

Posted by: Lynn at October 27, 2007 08:08 AM


This is "rational" thinking in the moslem world. I remember when the Northern Alliance in the early days of the Afhanistan war turned hundreds of captured Taliban loose on the promiseof no more fighting.

I really think we will not change much in the mooselimb world. Even the moslems born and raised in the West are mostly anti-Western.

Posted by: TomR at October 27, 2007 12:03 PM


Rick, I agree, I hope that happens.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:06 PM


Billy yes Jane is in a group I am in so I am watching for her updates.Thanks.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:06 PM


Yankeemom....heh heh I love that....""well wishers" available"...I hope so.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:07 PM


Lynn, your so right, their being Muslim has a lot to do with this.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:08 PM


Tom, that is so true. I just can't see it happening in any lifetime. The differences are just too immense.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 12:10 PM


Yemen is supposed to be an ally, to whom?

Posted by: Mark at October 27, 2007 07:53 PM


Mark, exactly, Yemen is no ally imo, no way.

Posted by: Wild Thing at October 27, 2007 11:30 PM


The May 15th Prophecy has accurately predicted the situation with the terrorist.

The May 15th Prophecy has been the only source that have given detail with 100% accuracy of what is really happening in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and the greater Middle East

You should do a Goggle search of the “May 15th Prophecy” or go to

http://lastdaywatchers.blogspot.com/

Posted by: leon at October 29, 2007 06:49 PM