The FBI issued a terrorism alert Monday night for authorities to be on the lookout for a man from Yemen or Saudi Arabia and more than a dozen of his associates who may be planning an attack on U.S. targets in the United States or Yemen as early as Tuesday.
A senior U.S. law enforcement official told CNN the information was viewed as credible because of the specificity of those allegedly involved in a plot.
An FBI spokesman said the alert was prompted by information from detainees in Afghanistan and at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where al Qaeda members are being held.
The alert, posted on the FBI's Web site and sent to thousands of law enforcement agencies, identified Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, a Yemeni national born in Saudi Arabia in 1979, as one of the suspects.
"Recent information indicates a planned attack may occur in the United States or against U.S. interests in the country of Yemen on or around 02/12/02," the alert said. "One or more operatives may be involved in the attack, including Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, also known as Furqan. Al-Rabeei is believed to be a Yemeni national born in Saudi Arabia in 1979. He may be traveling on Yemeni passport 00452004."
The FBI said al-Rabeei's aliases may include: Fawaz Yahia Hassan Aribii, Fawaz al-Rubai, Fawaz Yehia Hassan al-Rabie, Fawaz Yahya al-Rabi'i, Fawaz Yahya al-Ribi (al-Ruba'i, al-Rabia'i, al-Rabi'i), Forqan al-Tajiki, Furgan al-Tajiki, Furqan the Chechen, Faris al-Baraq, Sa'id, Musharraf, and Salem al-Frahan.
The FBI said al-Rabeei's whereabouts are unknown. "All individuals should be considered extremely dangerous," the FBI said.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh along with Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansoor Hadi received on Monday commander in chief of the US military central command,Tomi Franks who visited Yemen.
Later, US President George W. Bush praised the efforts exerted by Yemen to eradicate terrorism. During a telephone call between the Yemeni president and Bush, the two leaders discussed the bilateral relations and joint cooperation and means of enhancing them. No further details were available.
It is also not clear if this phone conversation was linked to the FBI warning. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
