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American Morning

U.S. Tracking Al Qaeda Suspects in Middle Eastern Nation of Yemen

Aired February 04, 2002 - 09:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The United States is tracking Al Qaeda suspects in the Middle Eastern nation of Yemen, where the USS Cole was hit by a deadly terrorist bombing.

CNN's Brent Sadler is there now with a report.

Brent, welcome.

What is the latest from there this morning?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, thank you, Paula.

Yemen's President Ali Abdallah Salih has told CNN that his security forces will not rest until top Al Qaeda suspects here in Yemen are either arrested or killed. The president's comments confirm reports from U.S. officials that at least two Al Qaeda suspects are hiding out in this country, two wanted men in connection with the bombing of the USS Cole, that American destroyer in Aden port, some 15 months ago, with a loss of 17 American lives.

CNN has obtained exclusive photographs of those two most-wanted Al Qaeda suspects here. Both of them are Yemeni nationals. The first is Mohamed Al-Aydal, shown in two completely different guises, illustrating the difficulties faced by security forces here in tracking suspects down. Pictures of Al-Aydal have been widely distributed in remote tribal areas here, where he found shelter along Kayid Al-Haraffi (ph). Both men are believed to have detailed knowledge of the Cole attack back on October 2000. The Yemeni president told me just a few hours ago that those two men would be captured, or killed perhaps, sooner or later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI ABDALLAH SALIH, YEMENI PRESIDENT (through translator): So far, we have limited information that only two or three main persons are suspected of being members of Al Qaeda. We are doing our best to arrest these two or three peoples to investigate with them, and then to try and get more information from them, if there are other elements that are still existing in Yemen.

So far, we have very limited information about them. But the principle here in Yemen is to eliminate and eradicate any existence for Al Qaeda in this country. We are against the existence of the Al Qaeda organization in this country, because we do not accept any threat by this organization either against our national security or against the security of the USA or any other friendly country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: So Yemen may hold more vital clues to Osama bin Laden's terror network, if those two most wanted Al Qaeda suspects here are eventually caught and interrogated -- Paula.

ZAHN: Is there any thought that these two suspects would have any information on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden?

SADLER: Not directly. It's thought that these two may well provide more information, only about the Cole, but also about the suicide bombings against two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, and indeed possibly the terror attacks on September 11th. The president was talking about linkage between all three. Also one other point to mention, the president here said as far as he's concerned, the port of Aden, where the Cole was attacked back in October 2000 was safe for U.S. warships to return and continue with a refueling agreement.

Back to you, Paula.

ZAHN: Brent Sadler, thanks so much for that late report.

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