Sunday December 10, 12:01 pm Eastern TimePress Release
SOURCE: Newsweek
Exclusive: Interview with Ali Abdullah Saleh President of Yemen
Saleh 'Can't Confirm' Bin Laden Was Behind Cole Blast; Says Israel or
Regional Intelligence Agency Could Have Been Involved
Suspects Arrested by Yemen 'Transited' Afghanistan at Some Point
NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh tells
Newsweek in the current issue that investigators probing the bombing of the
USS Cole ``can't confirm'' that terrorist kingpin Osama bin Laden ordered the
blast. ``Is it bin Laden, Israeli intelligence or someone else?'' he tells
Contributing Editor Lally Weymouth in the December 18 issue. ``We are still
saying it might be Israel or a regional intelligence agency -- those who are
trying to spoil the U.S.-Yemeni relationship.''President Saleh says while
investigators ``can't confirm'' Israel had anything to do with the October
blast, they are ``wondering.'' ``I didn't say Israel did it, but Israel might
be involved in such incidents. We have an attitude against Israel because it
is against the peace process. Most of the Arabs try to please or flatter
Israel, but in Yemen we do not flatter Israel,'' he says.Saleh says his
security forces are still searc!
hing for Muhammed Omar al-Harazi, who
allegedly gave instructions to the two people who died in the suicide
mission. ``He's the main suspect who funded the operation and paid for the
safe houses in Aden. He's the mastermind, but we believe someone else was
behind him. If we arrest him, he'll tell us the links to the others.'' He
adds that ``We can say with 80 percent certainty that the perpetrators of the
operation were born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, but are of Yemeni origin and were
trained in Afghanistan.'' Six suspects are already in custody.Newsweek
interviews with senior Yemeni and U.S. officials also reveal that the
suspects arrested by Yemen ``transited'' Afghanistan at some point before the
bombing, indicating that bin Laden may have orchestrated, or at least
supported the attack. Correspondent-at-Large Rod Nordland and Investigative
Correspondent Mark Hosenball report that one of the suicide bombers was
arrested for pl!
otting a terrorist attack, shortly after returning from a
visit to Afghanistan in 1999. And at least two of the suspects in custody
have alleged links to bin Laden's organization. ``We think the Cole
terrorists have strong links with Afghanistan and we can say, yes, there are
links with bin Laden,'' Yemen's Interior Minister Hussein Arab tells
Newsweek.Yemen's President also clarifies a recent agreement with Washington
which allows the FBI to participate in the Yemeni investigation. Saleh tells
Newsweek in the current issue (on newsstands Monday, December 11) that under
the accord, U.S. investigators can sit in with Yemeni investigators and can
pass questions to Yemeni officials to pose, but they cannot be alone with a
Yemeni suspect. Saleh also ruled out extraditing any suspects to the U.S. for
trial, saying ``Extradition of suspects is not allowed under our
Constitution.'' Asked whether witnesses would be allowed to travel to t!
he
U.S. to testify in a case, he said a trial would be held in January in Yemen
and ``we will follow all constitutional and legal measures'' to make that
determination.Looking to the upcoming election in Israel, Saleh also says he
thinks it would be better if Benjamin Netanyahu became the next Israeli
leader. ``We used to say [Ehud] Barak is better, but he's not straightforward
and does not have good intentions. Netanyahu is rude, but he's clear and
straightforward. He's better than Barak. I expect he will win.''
(Article attached. Read Newsweek's news releasesat
http://www.Newsweek.MSNBC.com. Click "Pressroom.")SOURCE: Newsweek
