Several days before the kidnapping, on December 24, 1998, Yemeni authorities arrested five British nationals and a French-Algerian on charges that they were planning a series of bombings in the southern port city of Aden during the Christmas-New Year's holiday. Found with weapons and explosives, the six suspects are believed to have been recruited, trained and armed by Al-Mehdar in a plot to attack the British Consulate, the Christchurch Anglican church and two hotels used by westerners, in retaliation for western air strikes on Iraq. In January 1999, four more alleged members of the bombing gang, three Britons and a French-Algerian, were captured at what was described by Yemeni authorities as a terrorist training camp in Shabwa, 240 miles northeast of Aden.

According to Yemeni authorities, the bombing suspects were recruited in Britain prior to their traveling to Yemen in July 1998. They are believed to have been recruited by London-based cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, an Afghanistan war veteran and leader of an Islamic organization in London, Supporters of Sharia.

According to the media outlet Agence France-Presse, Abu Hamza delivers incendiary sermons from the Finsbury mosque in northern London, denouncing the "Great Satan" and all who help it. In a recent speech he called for U.S. planes to be blown up in mid-air by "flying mines hanging from balloons."According to the Christian Science Monitor, in a television interview in January 1999, Mr. Hamza said he supports violent actions if they are carried out "for the sake of God" and will "stop state terrorism by Britain and the United States." In addition to his sermons, Abu Hamza is believed to run weekend military training camps for Islamic youth in Britain that are staffed by former British army officers.

Yemeni officials have established several connections between Abu Hamza and recent events in Yemen. Two of the British bombing suspects are related to Abu Hamza: Mustapha Kamal, 17, is his son and Mohsin Ghalain, 18, is his stepson. At the kidnapping trial, Zein al-Abideen al-Mehdar described how he used to send statements to Abu Hamza in London to be passed on to the media and according to press reports, Abu Hamza has admitted being in contact with the kidnappers. He also recently warned that militants in Yemen might resort to killing foreigners if al-Mehdar is executed.

Yemeni officials claim that acts of terrorism directed at Yemen are being organized by Abu Hamza and terrorist cells based in Britain. In January 1999, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh officially asked British Prime Minister Tony Blair to hand over Abu Hamza al-Masri to be tried in Yemen under charges of implementing terrorist acts in Yemen and several Arab states.

In March 1999, British authorities arrested Abu Hamza along with two other men in London and held them for a few days under Britain's Prevention of Terrorism Act. They were released on bail pending further inquiries.

Next: Trial of Bombing Suspects