A Yemeni judge sentenced two men, including one held in US custody, to death yesterday for orchestrating the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, and sentenced four others to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years.
Jamal al-Badawi, a 35-year-old Yemeni, and Saudi-born Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri were both sentenced to death for plotting, preparing and involvement in the bombing, which was blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and killed 17 US sailors as their destroyer refueled in the southern Yemeni port of Aden.
PHOTO: AFP
Al-Badawi, who was in the heavily guarded court to hear his sentence along with four other Yemenis charged in relation to the bombing, would appeal the sentence, his brother, Mohamed al-Badawi, told reporters.
Al-Nashiri, believed to be the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000 bombing, was the only one of the six men convicted who was not in court as he is being held in US custody at an undisclosed location.
The US announced al-Nashiri's arrest in 2002. He was detained in the United Arab Emirates and transferred to US custody. US officials believe he is a close associate of Saudi-born bin Laden, who is believed to have masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the US.
In addition to the Cole attack, al-Nashiri is suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The six men were all charged with belonging to al-Qaeda and playing roles in the attack on the Cole, which was carried out by suicide bombers Ibrahim al-Thawr and Abdullah al-Misawa, both Yemenis, who rammed an explosives-laden boat into the destroyer.
Judge Najib al-Qaderi sentenced Fahd al-Qasa to 10 years in jail for filming the bombing, which left a gaping hole in the side of the destroyer, which was later repaired and returned to service.
The court has heard that al-Qasa had traveled to Afghanistan in 1997 to train at an al-Qaeda terrorist camp, but it was unclear how long he spent there before returning to Yemen, a tribal-dominated country located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
Maamoun Msouh received an eight-year prison term for delivering money used in preparing and executing the attack and playing a close role in assisting al-Badawi.
Ali Mohamed Saleh and Murad al-Sirouri were both sentenced to five years in prison for forging identification papers for al-Misawa, one of the suicide bombers.
All the men sentenced yesterday are expected to appeal their sentences within 15 days, according to al-Badawi's brother.
As the sun sets on another scorching Yangon day, the hot and bothered descend on the Myanmar city’s parks, the coolest place to spend an evening during yet another power blackout. A wave of exceptionally hot weather has blasted Southeast Asia this week, sending the mercury to 45°C and prompting thousands of schools to suspend in-person classes. Even before the chaos and conflict unleashed by the military’s 2021 coup, Myanmar’s creaky and outdated electricity grid struggled to keep fans whirling and air conditioners humming during the hot season. Now, infrastructure attacks and dwindling offshore gas reserves mean those who cannot afford expensive diesel
Does Argentine President Javier Milei communicate with a ghost dog whose death he refuses to accept? Forced to respond to questions about his mental health, the president’s office has lashed out at “disrespectful” speculation. Twice this week, presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni was asked about Milei’s English Mastiff, Conan, said to have died seven years ago. Milei, 53, had Conan cloned, and today is believed to own four copies he refers to as “four-legged children.” Or is it five? In an interview with CNN this month, Milei referred to his five dogs, whose faces and names he had engraved on the presidential baton. Conan,
French singer Kendji Girac, who was seriously injured by a gunshot this week, wanted to “fake” his suicide to scare his partner who was threatening to leave him, prosecutors said on Thursday. The 27-year-old former winner of France’s version of The Voice was found wounded after police were called to a traveler camp in Biscarrosse on France’s southwestern coast. Girac told first responders he had accidentally shot himself while tinkering with a Colt .45 automatic pistol he had bought at a junk shop, a source said. On Thursday, regional prosecutor Olivier Janson said, citing the singer, that he wanted to “fake” his suicide
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his pledge to replace India’s religion-based marriage and inheritance laws with a uniform civil code if he returns to office for a third term, a move that some minority groups have opposed. In an interview with the Times of India listing his agenda, Modi said his government would push for making the code a reality. “It is clear that separate laws for communities are detrimental to the health of society,” he said in the interview published yesterday. “We cannot be a nation where one community is progressing with the support of the Constitution while the other