Washington DC – In response to media reports that Jamal al-Badawi, the suspected mastermind behind the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, was released from custody in Yemen, Senator Russ Feingold released the following statement:

“I am deeply troubled by reports of the release of Jamal al-Badawi, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, in which 17 Americans were killed. The Yemeni government’s reported decision to release him – after two jail escapes - is completely unacceptable. If the reports are accurate, the administration needs to explain whether it was aware and approved of the release of al-Badawi, and the President should explain what he will do to ensure that this terrorist is brought to justice. I also hope candidates for President will commit to refocusing our national security where it belongs, on combating al-Badawi and others in al Qaeda and associated terrorist groups.”

In February 2006, Feingold, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after al-Badawi escaped a Yemeni prison along with 22 other convicts. In his letter, Feingold requested information about the administration’s knowledge of the incident. The letter is below:

 

February 6, 2006

Office of the Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

Dear Secretary Rice:

I write to express grave concern about the recent escape of Jamal al-Badawi and 22 other convicts from a Yemeni prison in Sana’a through a 140-yard tunnel. As you know, Al-Badawi was the reported mastermind behind the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors, one of whom was from my home state of Wisconsin. It appears that among those who escaped were 13 convicted al-Qaida fighters. I find it troubling that the Yemeni government delayed the announcement of this escape to the international community for two days, and appalling that this is a repeat of Al-Badawi’s escape from Yemeni custody in 2003. This incident is inexcusable and raises serious questions about the Administration’s commitment to fighting al-Qaida.

This alarming event causes me grave concern about Yemen’s capability to serve as an effective partner in the war on terror, but it is even more troubling that the U.S. government relied on Yemen to effectively detain and bring to justice these known al-Qaida members. Al-Badawi’s success in twice escaping Yemeni custody event not only calls into question our security and counter-terrorism relationship with Yemen, but it also raises the question of whether or not we have in place the right partnerships and relationships to ensure that known al-Qaida operatives are successfully detained and prosecuted.

It seems clear that the Administration’s analysis of Yemen’s capability or determination to bring these individuals to justice was, once again, wrong. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I am deeply disturbed by this failure and am convinced that neither I nor my colleagues can adequately oversee and support the fight against international terrorism without more complete information about this escape.

Accordingly, I request that the Department provide information, in the form of a classified briefing, detailing what is known thus far about all of the suspects, the circumstances surrounding their detention and escape, current Yemeni and international efforts to find and detain them, and their possible current whereabouts and activities. In addition, I request information about the extent to which the U.S. monitored these detainees prior to their escape, about what actions were taken to prevent a repeat of the escape in 2003, and about the assurances, commitments, and cooperation that the U.S. had received from the Yemeni government with respect to prosecuting those responsible for the attack. Given the importance of this issue for the fight against global terrorism and for the U.S.-Yemeni relationship, I request that this information be provided as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Russ Feingold
United States Senator

CC: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte