Yemen's Interior Minister Rashid Al Alimi denied Thursday reports from Washington that police had arrested nine heavily armed people suspected of plotting to attack FBI investigators in the US Embassy in Sanaa, reported AFP.
"Information in the (Washington Post) newspaper is inaccurate and baseless," Alimi told the September 26 newspaper.
A senior US official confirmed a Tuesday Washington Post story that Yemeni authorities had arrested a handful of suspected terrorists planning to attack the embassy and possibly other US targets in the country.
"Yemeni security services take all information that comes to them seriously and will take the necessary measures to stop any terrorist act," Alimi said.
"Yemeni authorities will not hesitate in arresting any person suspected of being implicated in a terrorist act harming the stability of the country," he added.
On Sunday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) withdrew from Yemen its team investigating last October's bombing of the USS Cole in the southern port city of Aden, citing a "very real and credible threat" to its investigators.
"The investigation is continuing in a satisfactory manner for the two parties and has already cleared some important stages," Alimi said, without elaborating.
In its report, the Washington Post said that Yemeni authorities had arrested nine people for plotting an attack against American investigators who were probing the USS Cole blast late last year.
The USS Cole was severely damaged last Oct. 12 when a boat filled with explosives pulled alongside it and exploded while the vessel was in port for refueling.
Because of the security threat, the FBI ordered all US investigators out of Yemen on Sunday and gave no indication of when they might return, said the paper.
The nine men arrested by Yemeni authorities were believed to be affiliated with the Islamic Army of Aden, a group reportedly linked to Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, a senior US official told the paper.
The official said the men were found with hand grenades, small arms and documents, including a map of the US Embassy in Sanaa that indicated they were planning to attack Americans in Yemen.
"We don't know the [exact] window, but it was near term," the official said.
Commenting on the hand grenades and small arms confiscated from the suspects, the official added, "Whether or not the Yemenis have found the whole cache yet, I don't know."
"There is a very real and credible threat specifically against those investigating the Cole bombing," FBI spokesman John Collingwood said.
"Based upon what we know, we thought it prudent to remove our personnel rather than endanger both investigators and those US officials around them."
Despite the seriousness of the threat, State Department spokesman Richard A. Boucher questioned the FBI's decision to remove its investigators from Yemen, the paper said.
He noted that diplomatic personnel have chosen to remain on the job in Sanaa, even though the embassy there has been closed to the public since June 9 because of increased terrorist threats.
"Our diplomatic security people are the ones who have responsibility and who do provide the security for all the personnel at the mission, irrespective of agency," Boucher said. "But in the end, if somebody doesn't want to be there, feels there's a particular reason not to be there, nobody forces them to stay." - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
