American al-Qaeda Escapes with Cole Bombers in Yemen

Jaber (Gaber) Al-banna (Elbaneh), one of the Lackawanna, New York al-Qaeda cell is in the wind with the (now twice escaped) Cole bombers and the Lindburgh tanker bombers. Elbaneh had a 5 million dollar pricetag on his head before he turned himself in in Yemen in January 2003.

Other interesting facts about the escape:
The mosque they tunneled to is one where Judge Hamoud al-Hittar regularly preaches. al-Hittar is the judge in charge of Yemen’s Dialog program which aims to rehabilitate AQ through dialog, and over 200 have been released from jail under this program. Only a few have shown up in Iraq with Zarchawi after that.

The prisoners were in the custody of the Political Security Organization (which answers directly to President Saleh) at a high security prison in the middle of the capital city, Sanaa.
News Yemen “there were previous reports received by the prison’s outside guards pointing out to hearing sounds of digging at unknown places and intermittent times.”

The tunnel was one and a half times the size of a football field, took two months to build and required nearly two tons of earth to be removed.

The Yemen Times reports today that some of the terrorists may have been recaptured in Yemen.

Why I’m not surprised: lots of preliminary indications of al-Qaeda support at the upper levels of the Yemeni government, either from sympathy or corruption.

Comments

  1. Rick wrote:

    I am surprised they stayed in prison so long……remarkable self-restraint……..I suppose they had to use the tunnel because the door hinges had rusted.

    Still it was good of the Yemen authorities to offer them bed & breakfast until they wanted to leave….

    Posted 09 Feb 2006 at 1:45 pm

  2. Jane wrote:

    Yes Rick, I think you are on the right track.

    Posted 09 Feb 2006 at 2:59 pm

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