A Yemeni security court on Wednesday charged six Yemenis in the planning of the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and said they belonged to Osama bin Laden's network.
Seventeen American sailors were killed when two suicide bombers in an explosives-laden boat rammed the USS Cole as it refueled in the southern port city of Aden. The bombing was blamed on bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
Among the six charged in San'aa Wednesday was accused mastermind Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is in U.S. custody, but it was unclear where. The other five were in court Wednesday.
Al-Nashiri was accused of planning and funding the attack and training the cell members who carried it out.
Washington announced al-Nashiri's arrest in November 2002, saying he had been detained in an undisclosed country and transferred to American custody. Western diplomats later identified the country as the Emirates, and Emirates officials confirmed that in December 2002.
U.S. officials believe the Saudi-born al-Nashiri is a close associate of bin Laden. In addition to the Cole attack, he is suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. U.S. officials say al-Nashiri gave telephone orders to the Cole bombers from the Emirates.
Judge Najib al-Qaderi read a list of charges that included forming an armed gang to carry out criminal acts against the interests of the state; belonging to al Qaeda; resisting authorities and forging documents. The defendants present refused to plead and asked for lawyers. The judge scheduled a new hearing next week, saying lawyers should be appointed in the meantime, AP reported.
Al-Qaderi also said a court statement would be published in local newspapers summoning Nasheri to appear. Yemeni officials have said they had asked that U.S. authorities hand al-Nashiri over. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
