Jamal al-Bedawi

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For other people named Al-Badawi, see Al-Badawi (disambiguation).

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Masterminds of USS Cole and Limburg bombings escape from Yemeni prison

Jamal al-Bedawi

Jamal Mohammed al-Bedawi (Arabic: جمال محمد البدوي) (born: July 22, 1960; or October 23, 1960; or 1963;^[1] or 1969) is a Yemeni who was convicted of helping plan the 2000 USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 American sailors on October 12, 2000 off the port coast of Aden, Yemen. He was captured in Yemen and sentenced to death on September 29, 2004. Al-Bedawi was also indicted on May 15, 2003 by the United States for the USS Cole bombing and the attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans . He is thought to have travelled to Saudi Arabia and purchased a small boat and then a truck and trailer to transport it. This boat sank from the weight of the explosives while preparing the USS The Sullivans plot. He is also thought to have leased the safehouses used in these endeavors.

Only two of the six charged by Yemen in the attack were sentenced to death; the other four were sentenced to 5-10 years imprisonment. After hearing his sentence, Al-Bedawi declared "This is an unjust verdict, this is an American verdict. There are no human rights in the world, except for the Americans. All the Muslims in the world are being used to serve American interests." His family announced they would appeal. Because he was being held by U.S. forces, the other defendant sentenced to death, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was tried and sentenced in absentia.

Having twice escaped from Yemen prison, once since his death sentence was issued, al-Bedawi is currently at large, and is now being sought as an FBI Most Wanted Terrorist fugitive.

[edit] Escape from Yemen prison

Al-Bedawi was one of the Cole defendants who had previously escaped from a Yemeni prison in April 2003, but he was later recaptured in March of 2004.^[2] ^[3]

By June 2003, al-Bedawi had been added to the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list. ^[1]

Once again in custody, al-Bedawi was removed from FBI Seeking Information wanted list October 10, 2004. ^[2]

According to a BBC report, al-Bedawi was one of 23 people who escaped from a Yemeni jail on February 3, 2006, 12 of them Al-Qaeda members.^[4]

On February 23, 2006 the U.S. FBI confirmed the latest escape, as they issued a national Press Release naming al-Bedawi as one of the first new additions, since inception in 2001, to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list.^[5] He appeared on the FBI list with three new photos, including an enhanced black and white of the original grainy color photo. He was listed by the FBI on his new wanted poster under the name Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi.^[6]