February 23, 2008

American Jaber Elbaneh, Wanted by the FBI, Convicted in Yemen, Still Not in Jail

At least this time he showed up to court for his appeal.

Fox News: A Yemeni-American, one of the FBI's 26 "most wanted" for terrorism, appeared at a session of his trial in a Yemeni court Saturday with bodyguards and then walked free, apparently not subject to any form of incarceration, eyewitnesses said.

The 41-year-old Jaber Elbaneh attended a session of the trial for him and 22 other Al Qaeda members charged for a series attacks on oil facilities...."He entered the courtroom surrounded by four bodyguards, introduced himself to the judge then he left," the eyewitness said about Elbaneh who is believed to be living with his family in the province of al-Dalai, some 220 kilometers south of San'a, despite being on trial. (Hat tip: Report on Arrakis)

New Yorker Gaber Elbaneh attended the al-Farouq terrrorist training camp in Afghanistan with several of his friends from Lackawanna, NY who later were arrested upon their return to the US. Elbaneh's friends, known as the Lackawanna Six, pleaded guilty to multiple terror related offenses and are in jail. Elbaneh never returned to the US. Instead he went to Yemen in 2002.

He was among the 23 al-Qaeda linked prisoners who escaped from Yemeni jail in February 2006. Also in 2006, two of Elbaneh's uncles in Buffalo, NY pleaded guilty and were convicted of illegally transferring millions of dollars to Yemen.

Yemen supposedly thwarted terror attacks against two oil facilities in the days preceding the September 2006 presidential election. There are many unanswered questions about the attacks. Elbaneh was charged in absentia with masterminding the plot as were several of the escapees.

In May 2007, Elbaneh surrendered after negotiation with Yemeni President Saleh. The FBI was unable to confirm Elbaneh was in custody. Yemen refused to extradite Elbaneh to the US after his surrender, although he is a US citizen. In November 2007 Elbaneh was convicted of the terror attacks and sentenced to ten years in absentia. Later that month, his family reported he was living free in Yemen. And he still is.