November 26, 2003
HELLFIRE ON MY TRAIL:
Yemen Pursuing Second Top al-Qaida (The Associated Press, 11/26/03)
Yemeni security forces are pursuing a second top al-Qaida figure after capturing the alleged mastermind of the terror network's most dramatic attacks in Yemen, the bombings of the destroyer USS Cole and a French oil tanker, government officials said Wednesday.Abu Ali al-Kandahari is one of two top al-Qaida leaders in Yemen, according to security reports published in the Yemeni press.
The other, Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal, was arrested by security forces that surrounded his hide-out west of the capital, San'a, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday. Four men, believed to be al-Ahdal's guards, were also arrested.
Al-Kandahari is believed to be hiding in the northern provinces of Marib and Jawf, and security forces are closing in on him, said officials, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
He is reported to have replaced Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi after he was killed by a missile fired from a U.S. drone last year. Al-Harethi was thought to have been Osama bin Laden's top deputy in Yemen.
Lemme hear you say, Yemen. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 26, 2003 12:15 PM
Lemme hear you say, Yemen.
I don't know why it took this to say it, but, have you no shame?
Posted by: Twn at November 26, 2003 12:18 PMDidn't they capture one of these guys last year and he escaped from prison?
Posted by: BJW at November 26, 2003 1:19 PMWasn't Yemen the country that got bin Laden in custody in the 1990's and offered to turn him over to the US? The Clinton administration said, no thanks.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at November 26, 2003 1:38 PMJohn - I think that was Sudan but I could be wrong.
Posted by: BJW at November 26, 2003 2:48 PM