Israel Spy Trial Starts in Yemen
Media Line News Agency
January 13, 2009
A trial involving three Yemeni nationals arrested in October last year, and accused of spying on behalf of Israel, began in the Yemeni State Security Specialized
Court on Saturday, News Yemen reported
The three men – named as Basim 'Abdallah Al-Heidari, 'Imad Ali A-Reimi and 'Ali 'Abdallah Al-Mahfal – are accused of contacting the Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, offering to work as agents for the Mossad intelligence agency. The Mossad is Israel´s overseas intelligence agency.
The prosecution claims that the defendants received a positive answer from the Israelis.
Al-Heidari, who is regarded as the leader, together with A-Reimi and Al-Mahfal, set up an organization called "Islamic Jihad of Yemen" and under that name claimed responsibility for attacks on embassies and foreign interests in Yemen last year.
Among the attacks that the group is supposed to be responsible for is the twin suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy complex in September 2008, which left 19 locals dead.
The attacks were the biggest terror operation involving foreigners in Yemen since the attacks on the French tanker Limburg in 2002 and the suicide bombing against the American warship USS Cole in 2000.
Al-Qa´ida later claimed responsibility for the embassy attack.
The Yemeni government joined the U.S.-led war against terrorism following the September 11 attacks in the U.S. in 2001. However, in December 2008 Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during a U.S. Defense Ministry briefing that a significant objective in Afghanistan and Pakistan was to not give terrorists a safe haven.
He expressed great concern that the situation in tribal-controlled northern Yemen might turn into a terrorist safe haven due to lack of government control.
Court on Saturday, News Yemen reported
The three men – named as Basim 'Abdallah Al-Heidari, 'Imad Ali A-Reimi and 'Ali 'Abdallah Al-Mahfal – are accused of contacting the Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, offering to work as agents for the Mossad intelligence agency. The Mossad is Israel´s overseas intelligence agency.
The prosecution claims that the defendants received a positive answer from the Israelis.
Al-Heidari, who is regarded as the leader, together with A-Reimi and Al-Mahfal, set up an organization called "Islamic Jihad of Yemen" and under that name claimed responsibility for attacks on embassies and foreign interests in Yemen last year.
Among the attacks that the group is supposed to be responsible for is the twin suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy complex in September 2008, which left 19 locals dead.
The attacks were the biggest terror operation involving foreigners in Yemen since the attacks on the French tanker Limburg in 2002 and the suicide bombing against the American warship USS Cole in 2000.
Al-Qa´ida later claimed responsibility for the embassy attack.
The Yemeni government joined the U.S.-led war against terrorism following the September 11 attacks in the U.S. in 2001. However, in December 2008 Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during a U.S. Defense Ministry briefing that a significant objective in Afghanistan and Pakistan was to not give terrorists a safe haven.
He expressed great concern that the situation in tribal-controlled northern Yemen might turn into a terrorist safe haven due to lack of government control.
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