AL-AWLAQI IS REQUIRED TO SURRENDER TO THE YEMENI AUTHORITIES; TOP YEMEN OFFICIAL

SANA’A, April 12 (Saba)- A senior Yemeni official has called on a US-born cleric living in Yemen, wanted by the United States on the charge of "inciting terrorism", to surrender to the Yemeni authorities.

"Anwar al-Awlaqi is required to surrender to the Yemeni authorities because this is the way to defend himself during investigation and court if needed", Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu-Bakr al-Qirbi said in an interview with the Doha-based Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television.

The US administration has authorized the arrest or killing of al-Awlaqi after US intelligence agencies concluded he was now directly involved in plots against the US.

The US authorities have claimed that al-Awlaqi had contacts with Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was accused of attempting to blow up a US plane last year, and U.S. Army major Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 Americans in a US military base in Texas.

The Yemeni Minister said that al-Awlaqi will not be extradited to the US if he surrenders to the Yemeni authorities.

"Some Yemenis accused of terrorist actions were not extradited to the US authorities although they had both Yemeni and US citizenship", he confirmed.

Al-Qirbi said that al-Awlaqi was one of the persons targeted by the Yemeni air strike on al-Qaeda operatives in Shabwa province in December 2009, Adding "Later it was proven that he was not present with that group".

"Details and evidence obtained by the US intelligence agencies about al-Awlaqi’s links with Nidal Malik and Umar Abdulmutallab were not sent to the Yemeni government", he explained.

Al-Qirbi confirmed that Yemen pursues al-Qaeda elements in the country due to the security threat these pose to Yemen.

"The Yemeni government has not failed to confront them because they threaten security and stability in the country and its economic interests. This is a goal the government adopts primarily in the interest of Yemen".

Al-Qirbi pointed out that the Yemeni-American cleric, al-Awlaqi, is considered one of the elements that should be followed up by the security services and legally questioned "On his alleged links with al-Qaeda and contacts with Nidal Malik and Abdulmutallab".

Yemen has declared it will continue to hunt for terrorist elements and will not allow any frivolous to harm the country's security and stability.

In addition, it has reinforced security measures to crackdown on alleged hideouts of al-Qaeda in the country since December 2009. Yemen's war against al-Qaeda has resulted in killing many leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

YA