At the end of last week, CNN reported that the charges against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, in custody at Guatanamo Bay for planning the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off the shores of Yemen. The charges were dropped without prejudice so al-Nashiri could be charged again. Part of the reasoning for dropping the charges is the four month moratorium that President Obama put in place on proceedings at the Cuba-based detention facility.
Today, NPR is reporting that Yemen is one of the big blocking points in closing Guantanamo Bay. Unfortunately, a lot of the detainees at the detention camp are Yemeni citizens. These detainees could not be returned to Yemen due to a weak stance on terrorists by the Yemeni government. Extradition, even of a Yemeni-American, from Yemen is close to impossible. The Yemeni government, unlike most governments around the world, trusts its citizenry. A simple signed statement that a person will not participate in terrorism against Yemen is all that is needed to get even the most hardened terrorist out of prison.
As I said back in September of 2008, I have grave concerns over what is to come here in the US. Yemen is at the core of this. Back in October of 2000, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemeni waters took place. In September of the following year, the largest attack on our homeland occurred. Last September, the US Embassy in Yemen was the target of a car bomb. I am praying daily that a fall attack on our homeland is not forthcoming.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:26 am
[...] My biggest concern is that this is happening in an administration that is not ready for such a foreign policy test. While the Secretary of State has been in the public eye for many years, she has not had to deal with issues on the level that this test is going to require. The President has no idea, in my humble opinion, of what to do. Worse, I still look back to happenings prior to Bush taking office and fear that Al Qaeda will also test the Obama presidency soon (see postsYemen: Ignored or Deja vu and Yemen Again ). [...]