AP: 19 Suspected al-Qaida Members Acquitted

[Eugene]

19 Suspected al-Qaida Members Acquitted

By AHMED AL-HAJ
The Associated Press
Saturday, July 8, 2006; 6:33 AM

SAN'A, Yemen -- A Yemeni court acquitted 19 alleged al-Qaida members of charges
they plotted to blow up a hotel frequented by Americans, citing a lack of evidence.

The defendants, 14 from Yemen and five from neighboring Saudi Arabia, were accused
of having formed a gang to assassinate Americans and Westerners in Yemen, and
of having joined the Jihad, or holy war, against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

The prosecution had failed to provide "adequate evidence that the defendants were
plotting attacks against foreigners or planning to assassinate Americans in Yemen,"
presiding judge Ahmed al-Baadani said in his verdict.

Several of the defendants did confess to having been in Iraq to fight U.S. troops
there and had Iraqi stamps on their passport, the judge said. "But this does not
violate (Yemeni) law," the judge said.

"Islamic Sharia law permits jihad against occupiers," he said.

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Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/08/AR2006070800271.html