Sanaa specifies the identity of planner of the US warship USS Cole

The Yemeni Authorities have determined the identity of the person who planned for the attack which targeted the US warship USS Cole in October, 2000 at Aden port. He is the Yemeni Abdul Rahman al-Safaani, who had fled outside the country and was previously known under the name Muhammad Omar al-Harazi and who has been at the meantime followed by the security authorities.

A source at the Yemeni police told reporters in Sanaa that al-Safaani left Yemen almost one month after the execution of the attack against the warship after he had supervised all stages of implementation.

He added that at the meantime the Yemeni security sources own most of the details relating to preparations for the operation, noting that these preparations lasted for three years.

The source continued that one of the executors of this operation Hassan Saeed al-Awad al-Khamiri used in 1997 a false ID in a forged name.

The source added that the Yemeni authorities have not yet decided the identity of the second man who executed the operation despite the fact the investigations file has almost completed.