Warships Strike Training Camps

The government of Yemen allowed U.S. Navy warships to fire missiles at suspected al-Qaida training camps last Thursday.A person familiar with the situation said President Barack Obama issued the order for the strikes in the north of the country.The Yemeni authorities said they had attacked al-Qaida training camps in the south the same day,killing 34 militants.Locals disputed the account,saying more than 60 were killed,mostly innocent civilians.There were no training camps there,these people say.It was an area close to a road and an army base.
The U.S. has been concerned about Yemen since al-Qaida attacked the USS Cole(DDG67) there in 2000,killing 17 U.S. service members.Al-Qaida fighters from the Iraq and Afghan wars are believed to find refuge among disillusioned tribes,especially in northeast Yemen,which borders U.S. ally Saudi Arabia.Al-Qaida militants have been crossing into Saudi Arabia to conduct raids,attempting to assassinate the Saudi deputy interior minister on one occasion earlier in the year.

Charges Sworn

Charges are being sworn against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri,a Saudi of Yemeni descent,for his alleged role in the 12 October,2000 attack on the USS Cole(DDG67).Among the charges are conspiracy to violate the laws of war,murder,treachery,terrorism,destruction of property and intentionally causing serious bodily injury.The attack killed 17 U.S. sailors.Mr.al-Nashiri was al-Qaida's operations chief in the Arabian Peninsula until he was captured in 2002.The charges against him must be approved by a Department of Defense official who oversees military tribunals.Although Mr.al-Nashiri is a prisoner in the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay,Cuba,many others detained in Yemen in connection with the attack have escaped or been released.The USS Cole was repaired and remains in service.